Hardcore hip hop

Music experts have credited Run-DMC as the first hardcore hip hop group.[1] Other early artists to adopt an aggressive style were Schoolly D in Philadelphia and Too $hort in Oakland, California. Before a formula for gangsta rap had developed, artists such as Boogie Down Productions and Ice-T wrote lyrics based on detailed observations of "street life", while the chaotic, rough style of Public Enemy's records set new standards for hip hop production.[2] In the late 1980s, hardcore rap became largely synonymous with West Coast gangsta rap, with artists like N.W.A infusing Gangsta themed stories of gritty gang life. In the early 1990s, Wu-Tang Clan emerged with minimalistic beats and piano-driven sampling, which became widely popular among other hardcore hip hop artists of the time.[2]

Gangsta rap has been associated with the style; however, not all hardcore hip hop revolves around "gangsta" lyrical themes, despite considerable overlap, especially within hardcore rappers of the 1990s.[2] Hardcore hip hop is characterised by aggression and confrontation and generally describes violence or anger. Russell Potter wrote that while hardcore rap has been associated with a "monolithic 'gangsta' outlook" by the popular press, hardcore rappers have "laid claim to a wide variety of ground".[3]

• The Dozens