Intro to Hip Hop - Unit 3

LA Riots

A 6-day period of rioting and violence in Los Angeles in 1992 following the not guilty verdict for the police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King.

C. Delores Tucker

A civil rights activist and politician who became an outspoken opponent of gangsta rap in the 1990's. She couched her criticism of gangsta rap in the same type of rhetoric that was used in the 1960's Civil Rights Movement.

G-Funk

A musical style pioneered by Dr. Dre which was influenced by the rhythmic feel, techniques, and sounds of 1970's funk.

Black nationalism

A political movement that thrived in the mid-20th century and supported radical separatism and self-determination for communities of color in the US and around the world. It aligned with anti-colonialist and third-world Marxist movements in other countries. In the United States, black nationalism was manifested in groups like the Black Panthers and Nation of Islam which rejected the assimilationist and gradualist approaches of Martin Luther King's movement.

Dr. Dre

A producer and MC that helped define the sound of West Coast rap. He produced all of NWA's albums and defined the post-gangsta sound with his 1992 album The Chronic.

NWA

A rap group based in Compton, California that epitomized the early sound of West Coast gangsta rap. The group included Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and the DOC. Their debut album, Straight Outta Compton, was commercially successful, even though most radio stations refused to play it. Their music became the center of controversies about explicit lyrics in popular music, especially their song "**** the Police."

2 Live Crew

A rap group based in Miami that became known for their sexually explicit music. Their 1989 album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, was declared obscene by a court in Florida.

Sister Souljah

A rapper and activist who collaborated with Public Enemy and released a solo album, 360 Degrees of Freedom, in 1992. She became a household name when presidential nominee Bill Clinton criticized her for her statements about the LA Riots.

War on Drugs

A set of government policies which seek to combat the use of sale of illegal drugs in the United States. The term was first used by Richard Nixon in 1971, but the policies have persisted into the present day. While the incidence of drug use has not decreased significantly, the policies associated with the War on Drugs have contributed to mass incarceration and the criminalization of poverty.

Gangsta Rap

A sub-genre of rap music that features graphic depictions of life in the urban ghetto, including frank accounts of crime, violence, and sex. The earliest examples of the genre are Schoolly D's "P.S.K. What Does it Mean?", Ice-T's "6 'N the Morning", and Eazy-E's "Boyz in the Hood." NWA's debut album Straight Outta Compton signaled the arrival of gangsta rap on the national scene. As gangsta rap became commercially successful, it also became a flash point for discussions about violence, sex, misogyny, and profanity in popular music.

The Nation of Islam

An American organization founded in 1930 that promulgated an ideology of black nationalism and separatism. They encouraged African-Americans to reject European culture, including Christianity and English names. Many members adopted Arabic names and made the pilgrimage to Mecca to meet with Muslims from across the world. Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, and Muhammad Ali were prominent members of group. In the 1980's, the leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan preached self-sufficiency and racial pride for African-American communities.

Snoop Doggy Dogg

An MC associated with early 90's West Coast Rap. Along with producer Dr. Dre, he helped define the sound of gangsta rap after the breakup of NWA. He was featured on Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992 and released his debut album Doggystyle in 1993. His musical style is characterized by the high pitch and eccentric cadence of his delivery.

Schoolly D

An MC from Philadelphia whose song "P.S.K. What Does it Mean?" is often considered the first example of gangsta rap. The name of the song is a reference to the Park Street Killers, a local gang, and makes reference to violence, crime, and drug use.

Ice Cube

An MC from Southern California whose gritty lyrical portraits of ghetto life and aggressive vocal delivery defined the sound of West Coast gangsta rap. He was a member of NWA and went on to record solo albums like AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Kill at Will, and Death Certificate. After his work with NWA, he went on to work with the Bomb Squad and absorbed some of Chuck D's political views.

Angela Davis

An academic and civil rights activist who was associated with militant black organizations like the Black Panthers in the 1970's. With the rise of gangsta rap, Davis became a powerful critic of the genre's depictions of misogyny and violence. In 1991, she sat down with Ice Cube to debate the genre's social significance and political responsibility.

Malcolm X

An important leader of the militant wing of the Civil Rights Movement. He preached separatism and self-defense for black communities and openly criticized the pacifist tactics of Martin Luther King. He was assassinated at Harlem's Audobon Ballroom in 1965.

Louis Farrakhan

Leader of the Nation Islam starting in 1977. In addition to messages about self-sufficiency, moral purity, and self-respect, he also sometimes promoted anti-semitic and misogynistic ideas. He was a big influence on the political positions of Public Enemy.

Flava Flav

The "hype man" MC and comedic relief in Public Enemy. He created an easily recognizable personal style, including his trademark clock necklace and his high-pitched "yeah boooooy" interjections.

Terminator X

The DJ for Public Enemy

Ice-T

One of the first MCs from the West Coast to achieve nationwide acclaim. His song "6 'N the Morning" was an early example of gangsta rap. In the national conversation around explicit lyrics, he often served as a defender of free speech. One of his most controversial songs was "Cop Killer," released by his heavy metal band Body Count.

Eazy-E

One of the main MCs and personalities in the group NWA. Before their debut album Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-E released his solo album Eazy Duz It, which established the sound and creative team that would define early West Coast gangsta rap. Following the breakup of NWA in 1991, Eazy-E feuded with the other members of the group and died in 1995 of complications from AIDS.

Hank Shocklee

One of the primary producers for Public Enemy and a co-founder of the Bomb Squad.

Keith Shocklee (aka Wizard K-Jee)

One of the primary producers for Public Enemy and a co-founder of the Bomb Squad.

Digging in crates

The act of looking for vinyl records to use as a source for DJing or building sample-based beats.

Public Enemy

Part musical group/part activist collective, Public Enemy was one of the most influential forces in hip-hop in the late 1980's. The group was formed in 1986 in Long Island when its members were attending Adelphi University. They were known for foregrounding the politics of racial empowerment and militancy and for a groundbreaking musical style that featured fast tempos and dense sample-based beats. They were also one of the first groups to emphasize noisy and dissonant samples. The members of the group included MCs Chuck D and Flava Flav, DJ Terminator X, producers Hank and Keith Shocklee, "media assassin" Harry Allen, and "minister of information" Professor Griff. Their bodyguard crew was called the Security of the First World (S1Ws).

The Bomb Squad

The creative team behind Public Enemy's beats. They created a distinctive instrumental sound characterized by fast tempos, dense sample-based beats, and an innovative use of noisy and dissonant samples.

Tipper Gore

The founder of the Parents Music Resource Center, which led a campaign against explicit lyrics in the 1980's.

Chuck D

The lead MC and dominant persona of Public Enemy. Born Carlton Ridenhour, he delivered his politically conscious lyrics in a powerful and resonant baritone voice. While he certainly subscribed to some politically radical views, he often served as a mediator between the media and the more outspoken and less diplomatic members of the group, especially Professor Griff.

Professor Griff

The self-appointed "minister of information" for Public Enemy. While his musical contributions were minimal to the group, he exerted an influence on the group through his militant political beliefs, which drew extensively from the ideas of the Nation of Islam and other black nationalist groups. After making a series of anti-semitic remarks in interviews, he engulfed the group in public controversy and eventually resigned.

Sister Souljah Moment

a key moment when a political candidate takes what at least appears to be a bold stand against certain extremes in their party or coalition.