As many of you know, February is not only the month for love, but it is also something very important: Black History Month! Due to the demographics of our school, we are not always exposed to as much Black and African American culture as much as we could be. One exception to this is through music. Many students listen to Hip-Hop, Rap, and other black dominated musical genres. 

With that, I want to go into some detail about the rich African American roots of these popular types of music. 

First we have Jazz, which has shaped much of today’s “Hip Hop” genre. 

It developed out of many types of music, including blues, spirituals, hymns, marches, and dance music.

Open in 1923, The Cotton Club in New York City was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue, and it became a place where many African American jazz artists could perform. These include the icons listed below:  

Louis Armstrong-  Born August 4th, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana was an American trumpeter and vocalist. One of his best accomplishments would be developing the rhythmic language of swing and making it the foundation of jazz and popular music! 

Duke Ellington- Born April 29th, 1899, in Washington D.C was an American pianist and composer. In 1927 Ellington’s band was hired to play regularly at the Cotton Club, where he stayed for five years. The Cotton Club performances were broadcasted quite frequently and by 1930 Ellington and his band had practically been famous.

Ella Fitzgerald- April 25th,  1917 in Newport News, VA. She was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella” was known for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her “scat singing”.

Scat singing or scatting is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all (almost like mumbling).

You may not know that Pittsburgh was one of the biggest jazz cities throughout the 1900s. The Crawford Grill was a rare space where groups were racially mixed and not discriminated against. They united by their common love for jazz. Crowds were came from big cities. The grill’s masses of people were almost comparable to the crowds Broadway saw. Sadly, The Crawford Grill went out of business after suffering from a fire in 1951.

“The blues” African-American musical genre that has had much influence in popular music. Blues songs deal with a variety of topics and emotions, it is often mistakenly thought that they deal almost exclusively with sorrow and protest, But that’s not true! It is about the African American culture uniting and getting together to have fun.

Starting in the mid twentieth century, urban artists used the funky breaks and and and groovy flows jazz and as a starting point to form modern day “Hip Hop”. In addition, Rap and Hip-Hop artists made music based off of the West African Griot tradition; Griots are a class of traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history. Jazz and Griot then combined with certain vocal styles of the Blues help to form the music we know today.  

Another must mention is Reggae. It had huge contribution to the history and culture of black music Reggae is a music genre that started in Jamaica in the late 1960s. I’m sure everyone has heard about Bob Marley and his iconic hits. 

Bob Marley was born February 6, 1945 in Nine Mile, Jamaica. If you have ever listened to Marley then you know how genuine of a person he is. Maybe the most powerful loving force a person can have. If you have not done so, watch his movie Bob Marley:One Love. 

In the late 1970s, the transition from Hip-Hop and other urban music to Rap can be partially contributed to the influence of an African-American insult game called playing the dozens (Battle rap and diss). 

The first Rap song that ever charted was named “Rappers Delight” and it was by the Sugar Hill Gang. Released in 1980, the song was a great success and peaked at 36 on Billboard. 

In addition to Sugar Hill Gang, some of the other first “rappers” include DJ Kool Herc, Coke La Rock,  and the group Run DMC. “DJ Kool Herc,” was a Jamaican immigrant who would deliver simple raps at parties, was claimed to be inspired by the Jamaican tradition of toasting (a form of dissing another person). Breaking out of the genre, Run DMC collaborated with Aerosmith to make the hit song “Walk This Way”. The world had never seen something like this! 

Let us not forget to mention some of the more modern rap legends. 

“Snoop Dogg” or Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born October 20th, 1971, in Long Beach, California. Snoop dates back to 1992 after guest appearing on Dr. Dre’s debut solo single, “Deep Cover”, and then on Dre’s debut album, The Chronic, that same year. But their most famous song is “Still D.R.E.” 

“Dr. Dre” or Andre Romelle Young was born February 18 1965 in Compton, Ca. He was not only a rapper, but a producer as well. “Dre” is credited for discovering the one and only “Eminem” who he took under his wing! 

Jay-Z or Shawn Corey Carter, born December 4th 1969, in Brooklyn, NY is an American Rapper and producer. He was named the “Best rapper of all time” by Billboard and Vibe in 2023! Some of his most famous work is “Umbrella” featuring world renound Rihanna!

Tupac Shakur one of the most influential artists ever was born June 16th, 1971, in east Harlem, NY. He sadly passed from Gang violence in Las Vegas, NV. Shakur is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide in just the little time he actually got to rapping!

Now, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Travis Scott are some of the most modern rappers who have shaped what many of us enjoy listening to today!

The success of black artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie launched music into what it is today. I hope that everyone that has read this has gained a better understanding of not only music, but also the black history and culture. Without Jazz and the Blues, I don’t know where the “Hip Hop/Rap ” genre would be today.

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There are so many good artists, but Don Toliver is a personal favorite because of his flow and voice. I highly recommend “No Pole”, “No idea”, and “After Party”. 

So, who are some other students favorite black artists: 

“Drake. He’s the best, that’s why he’s my favorite,” said sophomore Vinnie Defelice. “”Look At What You’ve Done” is my favorite song by him.”

“Bob Marley because he has the freaking best beach tunes,” said sophomore Koen Sundie. 

Junior Codi Mullen said, “Drake and 21 Savage are the best” but junior Sam Skurka disagrees.

“50 Cent is better,” he said

Junior Angelo Natilli said, “I like Kayne- “Devil in a New Dress” is as hot as Tayden (Harrold).”

As for the ladies, sophomore Ciarra Osborne likes, “Tyler, the Creator, Kayne, and Childish Gambino”.

Sophomore Ava Hamm is all about Kayne, Drake and 21 Savage.

“21 Savage is probably my top,” she said. “”Redrum” has a fire beat.”