European hip hop
European hip hop is hip hop music created by European musicians. Hip hop is a Great style of music developed by African American and Caribbean communities in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. Due to this success, it has gained worldwide popularity, especially in Europe where many diverse and unique styles of hip hop have been created. This diversity is especially apparent in the forms of hip hop music and culture emanating from settler communities from Europe's former colonies and peripheries.[1]
By region
Northern Europe
Denmark
In Denmark, Hip Hop rap music has been growing steadily more popular over the last fifteen years and began with Danish language acts such as MC Einar and Rockers by Choice, later on: less known Rip Rap & Rock, Flopstarz, Humleridderne and Faktaposen, The Danish way of doing rap music was topped in the 1980s towards acceptance among the common people who did not listen to any rap music was with a rap song called: "Rap Nu" by the famed and beloved old Danish football commentator: Gunnar "Nu" Hansen. The rap song was released towards the European football championship. In the early 1990s, English was the preferred language for underground acts such as Dope Solution, Kidnap and one of the first female and ground breaking artists No Name Requested, who merged rap with reggae well before other Danish contemporary artists. In the late 1990s Danish language rap was again in demand and the favorite choice of artists because of artists such as Jokeren and his group Den Gale Pose. The Funky Fly record label has been an important part of this evolution. In contrast to many other countries, Hip Hop in Danish has been generally as successful or more so locally than acts in English. Some Danish English language rappers have become more well known abroad than at home, such as Static and NATiLL, both popular German acts, and Funk Flush and Delireeus, who are well-known elsewhere in Scandinavia. Prominent Danish-language artists include:
The members of Full Impact Productions (F.I.P.), (Orgi-E, Bai-D, Troo.L.S, L.O.C., Rune Rask & U$O),
The members often refer to themselves as F.I.P.G.C. (Full Impact Productions Gangster Click). The (in)famous Danish rap group Suspekt is made up of F.I.P members Orgi-E, Bai-D & Rune Rask although L.O.C. is a frequent guest, as well as Troo.L.S produces most of the tracks together with Rune Rask.
In 2005, two of the members, Troo.L.S & Orgi-E came out with an album, Forklædt Som Voksen (Disguised As Adult). The group has not split up, but they have made it clear that they will not make any new albums. However, they often perform together. While Suspekt was/is a group, F.I.P. [L.O.C] (Liam O'Connor) is the most successful solo-rapper in history of Danish hip hop, with his 60,000 sold albums. His first album, Dominologi, included hits such as "Absinthe" and "Drik Min Hjerne Ud" (Drink My Brain Away). His second album, Inkarneret (Incarnated) was a huge success, with hits as "Undskyld" (Sorry), "Hvem" (Who), and "Pop Det Du Har" (Pop [out] What You've Got). His latest album, Cassiopeia, was released on September 15, 2005 and the song "Frk. Escobar" (Miss Escobar) became a huge hit.
The two famous producers Rune Rask and Troo. L.S. have stood behind most of the hits of F.I.P. members. They have been awarded the title as best producer-team. In 2006, they produced the song "Gangsta Bop" by Akon. It will be featured on his second album, Konvicted.
Finland
Finnish hip hop music is an increasingly robust part of the
Iceland
The first major
Ireland
Hip hop culture arrived in Ireland in the 1980s and has enjoyed a steady underground scene ever since. By the early 1990s, the scenes in Dublin, Cork and Belfast included such performers as First Kouncil, Third Eye Surfers, Marxman, Messiah J. and The Expert, Homebrew and Scary Éire. Despite this, it has never had the same worldwide recognition that British hip hop has seen in recent years. Currently hip-hop in Ireland is still going strong. Dublin hosts names such as Lisa Dee, B-z Blaze, Kid Swisha and Galway born Big Que who is presently based in the United Kingdom. Ireland has its own urban music magazine RAP IRELAND, an urban brand that also promote clubs and concerts, and run Dublin-based Blackhouse Studios and the Rap Ireland DJ School. Recently, 86 Ink has come up as an alternative to British drill rap, using his Irish accent instead of putting on a London/British accent.
Norway
Hip hop would spread to all of Scandinavia, including Norway, in the early 1980s. With breakdancing and graffiti art growing increasingly popular, a number of underground hip hop musicians gained fame among the genre's limited fanbase in the late 1980s. These included A-Team (later Bolt Warhead) and Tommy Tee, who also put out a prominent hip hop magazine/fanzine called Fat Cap and a radio show Strictly Hip Hop (later The National Rap Show).
The early to mid-nineties saw acts like
Sweden
Swedish hip hop emerged in the first half of the 1980s and crossed into the mainstream a decade later. Some early rappers and crews were
The group Labyrint from Uppsala have four members; Jacco, Dajanko, Dj Sai and Aki. They spread a mix of rap and reggae called Förortsreggae. Many other rappers such as Sebbe Staxx andRhymes & Riddim have done songs within this genre. Labyrint's songs are played through all of Sweden and is loved by many people. Their songs often have the theme "the government screws us" and try to reflect on the life of people within the suburbs. They're signed to the record company Redline Recordings
Redline Recordings is a Stockholm-based record company run by Salla and Masse, or, TSB (The Salazar Brothers). The record company was founded in 1996 by the brothers Salla, Chepe and Massa. The name is derived from the name on Stockholm's subway, Röda Linjen (The Red Line). The record company work as a sub organization to Universal Music and is one of the most important forces within the Swedish hip hop stage. They have signed the following musicians; Carlito, Stor, Labyrint, Linda Pira, Dani M, Amsie Brown, Aki, Jacco, Dajanko and Mohammed Ali.
Nils Jansson, more famously known as Henry Bowers or Kung Henry is a rapper from Uppsala with some hits. He has also participated in Poetry Slam contests and Spoken Word. Although he isn't very big within music he is very big in Rap battles. He is internationally famous for his skills on the rap battle stage. He is signed to the record company Kaftkaotiska Inspelningar.
United Kingdom
British hip hop originated in the early 1980s, having been hugely influenced by the New York scene. Just like in the United States, specifically New York, British hip hop emerged graffiti and breakdancing. After such work of arts, DJ's started to take over dance clubs and this was the start of the hip hop scene in the United Kingdom. Unlike American hip hop, British hip hop artists were of all different ethnicities because different races were not segregated in Britain.[3] As a result, an influx of ideas and music cross cultured making Hip Hop a music of all in Britain.[4] However, hip hop still was not accepted in British society until the make of Gun Shot's tune "No Sell Out" in 1992. As a result, various hip hop artists became popular as well as the hip hop scene. However, due to this influence, many British artists adopted American accents when recording and it wasn't until a few years later that Britain gained the confidence to develop their own style, with "London Bridge" by Newtrament often cited as the first ever British hip hop tune.[5] Although record labels were starting to take note of the underground scene, radio play and publicity were still a major difficulty in helping the fledgling scene to grow. Instrumental in bringing the scene to the attention of the country at large were DJs like Dave Pearce and Tim Westwood, and particularly John Peel who often championed British hip hop.
However, things did look promising:
The birth of black music radio station BBC 1Xtra, in 2002 provided another outlet for hip hop artists, with the genre being a core part of the station's output
Further success followed as
The United Kingdom's Panjabi MC created a style integrated with Indian-based music and created the single "Beware of the Boys". Once Jay-Z added a couple of verses, it became a hit in the United States.
Baltic States
The Baltic states saw a noticeable growth in the hip hop community since the start of the 21st century. All three of the nations that comprise the Baltic states, which became independent in 1991 at the collapse of the
Some popular Baltic hip hop artists are: Lithuanian- G&G Sindikatas, Legato, Despotin' Fam (Vaiper, Shmekla, Liezhuvis, Andrewla) (formerly known as Shmekla&Vaiper), Tie Geresni (Karpiz, LT, Boostas), Mc Mesijus, Lilas, Dee & Kamy. Latvian – Ziedu Vija, STA, Kurts, Armands, Nātre, Gustavo, Ozols, Skutelis, Pionieris. Estonian hip hop artists-
Central Europe
Austria
Czech Republic
Czech hip hop is a hip hop musical subculture in the Czech Republic. Its history began after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Since that time began the creation of this subculture with lot of bands, clubs and hip hop festivals appearing all around the country. There are so famous hip hop singers and groups: Nironic, PSH, Indy a Wich, Prago union, Supercrooo...
Germany
German Hip Hop began as an underground music scene in 1982 when JaJaJa recorded "Katz Rap" in Ata Tak studios in Düsseldorf. "Katz Rap" by JaJaJa (1982, Ata Tak – WR 14)[8] was the first rap song by a female on record in Europe. JaJaJa toured with a large graffiti canvas she spray painted with the band's name and a giant reptile/dragon/dinosaur. JaJaJa's "I Am An Animal" video released in 1983 featured breakdancing youths costumed as dinosaurs.[9]
Traditional music, from immigrants that migrated from Northern Africa, Turkey, Morocco, etc., mixed with the American hip hop scene may have contributed to Germany's hip hop music. The Neue Deutsche Welle band Fehlfarben released a song called, "Militürk," acknowledging and inspired by the presence of Turks in Germany.
Film played a major impact in the beginning of the musical genre.[10] Films such as, Beat Street and Wild Style, formed the first wave of hip hop fans. As a result, German youth began to graffiti and break dance which lead to underground hip hop music and development. In particular, one music group, Advance Chemistry sparked a huge interest in speaking out for the youth of Germany, especially the immigrants.[11] Moreover, more and more people loved the hip hop scene in Germany until it reached its peak in 2001. After that time period of rapping about life in Germany, "New Schoolers" rapped about crime and violence. Till this day, hip hop plays a significant role in Germany's music scene. Germany produced the well-known Optik Army and its frontman Kool Savas as well as several other rap combos like Aggro Berlin, Die Fantastischen Vier, Ersguterjunge, Fettes Brot or Amstaff. Several solo artists like Bushido, Sido, Fler, Samy Deluxe and Azad.
Hungary
Hungarian hip hop is gaining more popularity. Some of the former underground bands are in the media for instance: Bankos, NKS, Akkezdet Phiai, Bobakrome, Sub Bass Monster, Hősök, Anonim MC, Street Royal, DSP.
Poland
The Polish hip hop scene began in 1990, when American rappers like
are the most recognizable rappers in Poland.Polish hip-hop artists are well-known performers across Europe, especially in the Eastern Bloc. Many rappers from Poland are collaborating with artists from Europe, the US and even Cuba.
Slovakia
Slovak hip hop is said to have begun in 1988. The hip hop scene was not popular among general public up until the start of new millennia. After 2001 hip hop music started to gain popularity as the quality of rap and music production improved. The most controversial and prominent slovak rapper and singer Rytmus is among the best selling artists in Slovakia and Czech Republic. With some of his music videos reaching more than million views[12] he is one of the best known musicians in Central Europe. Together with Ego and Anys they formed Kontrafakt. Other popular groups and artists include H16, Gramo Rokkaz, Delik, Supa, Boy Wonder, Vec, Zverina, DMS, Nerieš, Osem, Gumbgu, Gleb, Hahacrew, Strapo, Pil C, Plexo, Mugis, Gamba, Kali, Majself.(the best hip-hop in world)
Slovenia
Slovenian hip hop can be traced back to 1978 but all rappers were forgotten or they disappear it's still secret, how it is known there were some illegal album releases. In the mid 80s were marked as the break-through of
In 2001, the first
Hip hop culture was heavily popularized by then and artists like Samo Boris, Valterap, N'toko, released some of the most important albums in small history of Slovenian rap music.
2004–2006 were the most productive years, spawning more albums then all years before that together. Though the quality oscillated from album to album, mostly because of the unofficial releases and noting that the demo scene produced better tracks, some new names like Eyeceeou and Mrigo came up with excellent material, both with newly founded indie labels. In 2008 "Denile" released his first mixtape Fixtape vol.1, shortly after in 2010 he released Fixtape vol.2, the mixtapes are just worm ups for the real thing, the album that will be dropping in late 2012.
Eastern Europe
Bulgaria
Bulgaria during the late '90s saw the formation of the crews "Amnistia", X-team, Sunrise Project, DRS, Nokaut, Sensei, Blackmouth and RBL, Junior MC, La Boss, People From Ghetto, Mechoka, Ka$ino, Rap Nation, 187, Fars, Logopet, Kingsize, SoundTrack, Dinasty, Atila, Neznainite ot krainite, ZLD Gen, Ragga One and "Rubber Heads" (Gumeni Glavi) the latter of which included Misho Shamara, Dreben G, Konsa and more. "Rubber Heads"'s label was called R'nB and was very popular. They even had their own clothing line. In 2000 another Bulgarian hip hop label was created and it was called Sniper Records, including famous names like Spens, DJ Stancho, Slim, Shosho and more. A lot of hardcore rap is produced in Bulgaria from bands like Nokaut, Sunrise Project, RBL, X-Team, Kingsize and many more. Now, in 2011, the Bulgarian hip hop is on a higher level. Misho Shamara a.k.a. Big Sha made a song with the American legend Snoop Dogg and the Bulgarian pop-star LilAna. After the song with Snoop Dogg, Big Sha worked on a project with DMX, and LilAna has songs with Akon and Flo Rida. On March 31, 2010, Big Sha and DJ Swed Lu, "delivered" The King of Crunk Lil Jon to the Bulgarian fans. Meanwhile, Sarafa from RAPTON Records recorded songs with The Outlawz, Ja Rule, and Naughty by Nature.
After 2010 the Bulgarian hip hop scene was flooded with new innovative artist including - F.O., Керанов (Keranov), Явката ДЛГ (Qvkata DLG), Dim4ou, Жлъч (Jluch; he is also a member of SoCalledCrew, a rap group from Sofia, consisting of Jluch, Trasher, Евгени (Evgeny), Бате Доуен (Bate Douen or Indianus) and Брят Че (Bryat Che)) and many others, who became popular with uploading their songs online and later making videoclips for the songs. They became notorious mostly with their lyrics concerning the everyday lifestyle of the Bulgarian youth.
Currently hip hop is one of the most popular music style in Bulgaria, especially among young people.
Romania
Romanian hip hop The main theme is politics, based on anti-system protest, and social, underlining the rich-poor gap and the low quality of the new, post-Communist, enriched class. Bucharest is the main center, since most of other bands/rappers from outside the city would still come there for recording.
2006 was a great year for Romanian hip hop, especially for the underground scene. Independent labels such as Hades Records and Facem Records finally got out of the box with albums that soon reached stores at a national level. Also a big step in the evolution of Romanian hip hop was the Summer Jam 2006
. Romanian hip hop artists Parazitii have worked with major names in hip hop, artists like: Raekwon, Shabazz the Disciple, and Dutch rapper Cilvaringz.GerataRussia
The first more or less known pioneers of Russian rap was a group called Malchishnik (Мальчи́шник), but the recognition of the rap genre came with the rise of a Moscow team Bad B., with their album "Naletchiki Bad B." being released in 1994.
The first Russian rap artists to have achieved commercial success: Kasta (Каста), Bad Balance/Bad.B (Плохой Баланс/Бад Би), Detsl (Децл), and the Belarusian artist Seryoga (Серега), who combined original rap with the native Russian satiric song genre chastushka which some critics consider a new branch in the rap genre: rap-chastushka. Although most of rap fans believe he does not belong to the Russian rap scene, the musician won the nomination for best Russian rap in 2005 on the RMA (Russian Music Awards).
In the mid-2000s underground bands began to appear and became popular in Moscow (like Money Makaz, Supreme Playaz, Underwhat, Ddrop, Krovostok, Kazhe Oboima). Also, at the same time in Russia and Belarus new R&B performers appeared (Maks Lorens, Bianca, Satsura, Band'Eros).
In 2007 Centr became increasingly popular, partially due to aggressive promotion on the internet, at 2008 they won the MTV Russia Music Awards.
At the same time Russian/German rapper ST1M received scandalous popularity after production of his single "Я Рэп" (I'm Rap), featuring Seryoga, in which he was dissing nearly all the notable Russian rappers.
In 2008 on Russian musical channel Muz-TV started a hip-hop show Battle for Respect, which led the winner Ant (Zasada Production) to become highly popular.
The same way as in the United States, the scene is divided into "East Side" and "West Side" style, again, where the "West Siders" brag about money cars and girls, the "East Siders" rap about everything else. The most commercial "West Side" style rap produced is Timati, being the first Russian rapper to work with American producer Scott Storch and American rappers Fat Joe, Snoop Dogg, Xzbit, Busta Rhymes, and Diddy. If you ask any self-respecting hip-hop fan however, any association of Timati to hip-hop may end in violence as there is a strong opinion that his purely commercial style has no place in hip-hop.
The most popular Russian hip-hop artist today is Vasiliy Mikhailovitch Vakulenko
Ukraine
Ukrainian hip hop (Ukra-hop) is a major part of the Ukrainian music scene.
Although some groups, like the crew
In 2005, Ukraine's entrant in the
Ukrainian Hip-Hop also has the only rapper in Hip-Hop History named NazareN or (NazareN Tha Prophet) that raps in four languages with no accent sometimes mixing them together .
Southern Europe
Albania / Kosovo
Albanian hip-hop refers to hip-hop in the Albanian language and is one of the most prominent in Europe. Albanian Hip Hop refers to artists from Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece and Serbia as the Albanian language is spoken in the whole of Albania and Kosovo and in considerable parts of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Greece. The term Albanian Hip Hop also refers to other Albanian-inhabited(diasporas) places such as the United States, Germany, and United Kingdom.
Rappers such as 2DIE4, etno engjujt, lyrical Son, 2po2, Unikkatil and Tingulli 3nt which is a group, were among the first to open the Albanian Hip Hop scene. Unikkatil with TBA which is the groups that he is affiliated with and Tingulli 3nt later became rivals, both dominating the Hip Hop scene. Rappers such as 2po2 then went on to help Unikkatil and made songs for their rivals. Other performers are Mc Kresha, Lyrical Son, Kaos, Skillz, Ritmi i Rruges, 2DIE4, G-Bani, Etno Engjujt and others have striven to portray the real Albanian attitude of today.
Some of the most known performers are: DUDA, BIMBIMMA, Akrepi, Ergen, REAL - 1, Unikkatil, 2po2, Tingulli 3nt, Noizy, Big basta, Capital T,
The biggest concert in the history of hip hop Albania - Kosovo, occurred on July 15, 2012 in Pristina Stadium, Unikkatil and TBA performed for 25,000 people. 25,000 people cheering for Unikkatil and TBA. The same year a French team try to help Albania hip hop kulture and they create and perform the first hip hop festival in Albania, with French and Albanian artists. This festival was in four cities Tirana, Elbasan, Shkodra and Korça.
The earliest rapper in Europe, is the Albanian rapper Mc Beka.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hip hop is quite a new style of music for
The most famous rapper in Bosnia and Herzegovina is
Due to the war in 1992–1995 (where many were seeking refuge in other European countries and the United States) many Bosnian and Herzegovinian Hip Hop artists are also spread out all around the world including the United States, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand etc.[14]
Most famous rappers that live in the countries mentioned above are Cekic, Kum The Reper, Admalish, Kalil, Joki, Admian, Seik Ba, Prah, RNel, AzRim, Infuzija, SL93, RimaD, Daez, Swifftz, Damme, Nexter, Raport, Jala, Buba Corelli, Smayla, Kazna, Scena, Bocha, Makk, Priki, Magic Sone, Zuco etc. Bosnian hip hop is the most popular in the Balkans and guilty is on the Top of European hip hop. Bosnian hip hop is starting to be very popular in the youth of Bosnia it has been featured in films like Summer in the Golden Valley putting Bosnian hip hop on the mainstream on the Balkans and on featured films.
Croatia
The 1990s were marked by the emergence of Croatian
Croatian rap gained much from the fact the Edo Maajka, who is a Bosniak Muslim born in the Bosnian city of Brcko, signed to the label Menart, which is in Zagreb.
The Zagreb band Elemental also burst into the scene featuring one of the few Croatian female rappers.
Greece
The earliest indications of the localized genre date back to 1987, though native language albums did not appear until the mid-1990s. Some of the most important early hip-hop groups in Greece were
Differentiation caused a lot of tension among the Greek hip-hop fans. Between the years of 1995–2000, there was a lot of conflict, relatively speaking. Things escalated from there when the
As
Commercial hip-hop in Greece has become hugely successful, with acts like
Besides the commercial/mainstream scene there is a huge list of underground artists and crews such as: Zontanoi Nekroi, Vita Pis, Ladose, Athens Giants, Psychodrama07, Under Pressure, Belafon, Iratus, Omarkoulis, RNS, Ipoptos, Opikos Stounmbinto (O. Stoumpos), Orthologistes, N.O.E, Mikros Kleftis and many more.
Cyprus
The movement of hip hop culture in Cyprus is currently at its best. More info and REAL history coming soon.
Italy
Italian hip hop started in the early 1990s. One of the first hip hop crews to catch the attention of the Italian mainstream was
Another important character in Italian hip-hop scene is Dj Gruff.
Other important crews and rappers include
with the intention to riunite the best hip-hop deejays in Italy.There are also some crews rapping in the local dialects or languages, e.g. La Famiglia in napoletano; Sa Razza (partly) in Sardinian, Carnicats and DLH Posse that raps in Friulian, as well as in Italian. 99 Posse also use Italian as well as Neapolitan while La Pooglia Tribe and Sud Sound System rap in both Italian and dialect from the Puglia region. In the last few years, groups of the 90's not famous as the other ones like Cor Veleno, Brusco, Gli Inquilini and La Squadra from Rome, Club Dogo and Vacca from Milan, Co'Sang from Naples or L'altra Faccia del Sud or Stokka & Madbuddy from Palermo have emerged in the Italian hip-hop scene.
Republic of Macedonia
The Macedonian hip hop started in the 1980s in the then Socialist Republic of Macedonia, but experienced considerable growth after the declaration of independence of the Republic of Macedonia. One of the first critically acclaimed acts was the rock band Super Nova from Skopje which utilized rap music elements in some of its songs. The group recorded several rap music tracks for the music production branch of the Macedonian Radio-Television, including Hip-hop blues, Rap, Vero and others, some including pop, rock, funk, reggae or other elements. Part of the songs were in Macedonian, while some were released in Serbo-Croatian for promotion across the wider former Yugoslav market. One of those songs was the anti-war themed Rapovanje. Its catchy rhyme "Bolje da se rapuje, nego da se ratuje" ("Better to do rapping, than to wage a war") made it very popular across the country in 1989. Currently, one of the notable underground hip hop performers and producers in the Republic of Macedonia is Vladimir Agovski-Ago from Skopje. He became involved in the Macedonian hip-hop scene since childhood as a very young b-boy in 1986. In the following year he formed a juvenile rap act called The Masters of Rap and recorded his first studio track in 1988. In 1991 he joined the band Instant Beat, which performed around the country and made recordings in the Macedonian Radio-Television production, which were never officially released. Later, he formed another group The Most Wanted which in 1995 released the first Macedonian hardcore rap album, called "Judgment Day". After the group disbanded in 1996, he continued to work under the name Temnata strana (The Dark Side) and he founded the first Macedoninan hip-hop label, called "Dolina na senkite" abbreviated "DNS" (Valley of the Shadows) to promote his own works and other upcoming Macedonian hip hop acts as well. The group Čista okolina was formed in 1989 by joining several previously existing juvenile rap bands, and later it rose to one of the most prominent hip hop acts in the country. Čista okolina released the album "Noviot aspekt na starata škola" (The New Aspect of the Old School) in the spring of 1996. During its existence it also released a song together with the prominent alternative rock group Last Expedition. One of the Čista okolina's former members Vele Solunčev later became a frontman of the mixed-style music group appropriately named Mosaique, because it combined various elements such as hip hop, jazz fusion, alternative rock and ethno-jazz. One of the most successful hip hop acts in the country is SAF (Sakam Afro Frizura) formed in 1993. It consists of the emcees Smilen Dimitrov and Mitko Gaštarovski aka Pikisipi, as well as the band's backing DJ and turntablist, Goce Trpkov. In 1996 they released their well-known anti-drug abuse theme called Miss Stone. Its title is a pun between the historical person Miss Stone, the US missionary who met Jane Sandanski in Macedonia in the 1900s, and the phrase stoned. As the group became critically acclaimed, in the following year they started a music TV show called Hiphop teza. They released their debut album titled Safizam in 2001 and played a promotional concert with the prominent US hip hop band Das EFX as a support act. Prominent Macedonian hip hop artists in the 2000s include: Da Džaka Nakot, Legijata, Klan Istok, Edinstvena opcija, Puka kozmetika, Green Out, Speeding Bee, Str2 and many others. The early 1990s saw the emergence of many Macedonian pop-rap artists influenced by the then-popular MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice. These artists included for example the female solo singer Ena Veko, who released the LP "Bubački i gradski dzverki", and the duo Lastovica which consisted of Robert Sazdov and Vlado Janevski, who later became a solo pop singer and represented Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998. Behind most of these successful pop-rap acts was the prominent Macedonian composer and producer Toše Pop Simonov. The group Nulta Pozitiv was formed in parallel. Gradually they went more and more mainstream and became popular across the country, especially after recording the rap track nicknamed after the famous Macedonian folk song "Otvori go Pendžerčeto" ("Open the Window"). It featured an unconventional refrain for a rap song sung by the notable folk music singer Mirko Mitrevski. They released an album titled Transfuzija. Later emerged another pop-rap artist Kristijan Gabrovski from Prilep nicknamed Risto Bombata after Afrika Bambaataa. He and his backing band became very popular across the country for their mix of rap, pop-rock and pop-folk. In the mid-1990s an offshoot of Nulta Pozitiv was the more harder-sounding group named Attack which released the famous song "Atentatot na Kiro" after the assassination-attempt on the then-President of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov in 1995. Later, one of the former Nulta Pozitiv members, Darko Dimitrov rose to a prominent Macedonian composer and producer. Among others, he also worked with the late 1990s/early 2000s pop-rap artists such as Vrčak and Ugro. One of the first prominent Macedonian rap music festivals was the so-called "Rap'n'Roll" fest which was held in the early 1990s in MKC, the Youth Cultural Centre in Skopje, followed by many others. Currently Macedonia hosts many hip hop festivals featuring both domestic and foreign performers. A hip hop clubbing scene also exists. Macedonian hip hop performers also exist in the ethnic Macedonian diaspora, in countries such as the United States and Australia. The group Curse ov Dialect from Melbourne features the ethnic Macedonian member nicknamed Vulk Makedonski, and often incorporates elements of traditional Macedonian music.[1] [edit]
Portugal
Portuguese hip hop (Hip hop português) mostly known as Hip Hop Tuga is the Portuguese variety of
Serbia
Serbian hip hop started in the early 80's, with the birth of b-boy crews and their battles which have spread over the country in no time. The first sound recording of the Serbian hip hop is the
Since 2002, Bassivity Music has released many more records and Beogradski Sindikat have followed up their debut with 2005's
Since 2007, the oldest independent label in Serbia, Take It Or Leave It records (established 1992), and their sub-label Rap Cartel released almost every rap album during this time. First rap CD published by Rap Cartel was a compilation "Rap Cartel-Pablo je pao vol.1" Main rap singers known and published by Rap Cartel label are :SHA, Bata Barata ex Shorty, Monogamija, Bitcharke na travi, Bvana iz lagune, Hartmann, J COOK, M.A.X., Prti Beegee, Day Who, De Niro, VOX and many less known artists. This label also published first licence album from America, CD HAVIKK-Rhymme son(South Central cartel).
Spain
Spanish hip hop music began in the late 1980s. Break dance crews used mainly American recordings, while local rappers practised for very small underground audiences. A few rock bands, like Os Resentidos, Kortatu and TDK tried and recorded some approaches to hip hop music, but kept most of their hard rock background.
In 1989 Troya Dscs&Rcrs label released the first Spanish hip hop LP: Madrid Hip Hop, a compilation of four bands from the province of Madrid: DNI, Estado Crítico, Sindicato del Crimen and QSC. The record presented two cuts of each band.
Later in 1989,
Both attempts mostly failed, but helped to establish a viable scene in Madrid. Zona Bruta, the first Spanish hip hop specialised label, was founded in 1994.
Other
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Western Europe
Belgium
Belgian hip hop music has a few
The Belgian
However, the first major pop rapper from Belgium was Benny B, who had a very mainstream and commercial sound. According to the European Music Office's report on Music in Europe, this was the first of many pop acts that helped inspire a backlash and the creation of an underground hip hop scene [3] Archived 2014-03-14 at the Wayback Machine.
In the early 1990s the Brussels' rap crew De Puta Madre started rapping in French and Spanish. They became an underground success and are still highly respected in the Belgian hip hop scene.
In the late 1990s,
Also in the late 1990s in the Walloon south of the country, French speaking/rapping Starflam was the biggest name in hip hop. In the Flemish north Dutch speaking/rapping groups like 't Hof van Commerce, St Andries MC's, ABN were popular and De Feesters (Flemish gangsta rap) rapping in their regional dialects.
Today Belgian hip hop is on the rise, partly thanks to Niveau 4, which seeks to unite and popularise Belgian rappers. A few contemporary Belgian rappers are for instance Roméo Elvis, Damso, Coely and Woodie Smalls.
France
France has the most established hip hop scenes in Europe. By 1982, a number of hip hop radio stations had appeared, including Rapper Dapper Snapper, and the future star DJ Dee Nasty made his first appearance. That same year saw the first major hip hop concert, the
, released in 1984, was the first French hip hop record.Similar to Britain, the popularity of French hip hop has increased dramatically over the past decade, with artists such as
Netherlands
The Osdorp Posse was the first successful rap-crew in the Netherlands. Osdorp Posse's frontman, who goes by the name Def P, is well known for his political awareness and social analyses. The song "Origineel Amsterdams" ended up in the top of the charts, a lucrative mainstream-career was just around the corner now. Instead, O.P realized that credibility lasts longer than fame. So they avoided selling out, and remained loyal to a smaller scene. In 1986,
One particularly proficient Dutch-language rapper is
Several Dutch rappers have worked with some of the biggest names in hip hop like: Nas, The Outlawz, Sean Price, Heltah Skeltah, Scram Jones, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Akon, Redman, Method Man, Rza, Gza, Ol Dirty Bastard, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Rick Ross, Wu Tang Clan, French rapper Sefyu, Romanian hip hop group Parazitii.
Dutch rapper Cilvaringz is part of Wu Tang Killa Bees, an affiliate group of The Wu Tang Clan. Salah Edin is the world's best selling rapper in Arabic language, although he mostly raps Dutch. His beats are being produced by Dr. Dre's righthand producer Focus....
Switzerland
The Swiss hip hop scene began in the early nineties, much like French, German and Italian rap. Early Swiss German rappers started rapping in English, but after the bilingual track "Murder by Dialect" by P-27 featuring Black Tiger, rappers switched to their native Swiss German dialects. Rappers from the French-speaking part (where the traditional dialects died out in most parts) and from the Italian-speaking part (where most people mix dialects and Standard Italian freely) only rap in the standard languages.
The European Music Office's report on Music in Europe claimed that Switzerland's hip hop scene is "particularly innovative and advanced", featuring Unik Records (the first European indie rap label)[15]
See also
- Romany hip hop
References
- ^ Rollefson, J. Griffith. Flip the Script: European Hip Hop and the Politics of Postcoloniality. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017.
- ^ Leppänen, Sirpa; Pietikäinen, Sari (2010). "Urban Rap Goes to Arctic Lapland: Breaking Through and Saving the Endangered Inari Sámi Language". Language and the Market: 148–58.
- ^ Chang, Jeff. "Future Shock." Village Voice, 19 January 2004.
- ^ Hesmondhalgh, David. ""Urban Breakbeat Culture: Repercussions of Hip-Hop in the United Kingdom" Pp. 86–101 in Global Noise: Rap and Hip Hop Outside of the USA, edited by Tony Mitchell. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press".
- ^ Low Life/British hip hop, UK hip hop: the story (accessed 02 Nov 06) Archived December 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "BBC 1Xtra website: hip hop (accessed 02 Nov 06)". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ^ "Various reviews of Boy In Da Corner (accessed 09 Dec 06)". Metacritic. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ^ "Cornell University Library Hip Hop Collection, circa 1975–1985; Collection Number: 8021; Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections" [1]
- ^ ["The Heart of Germany I" http://www.atatak.com/assets/s2dmain.html?http://www.atatak.com//e/ehome.htmll]
- ^ Bennett, Andy. "Hip-Hop am Main, Rappin' on the Tyne: Hip-hop Culture as a Local Construct in Two European Cities." In That's the Joint!: The Hip-hop Studies Reader, p. 181–2. New York; London: Routledge, 2004.
- ^ "Puppetmastaz website. 26 March 2008". Puppetmastaz.com. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ^ "Tvoj Tatko Records Youtube Channel". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
- ISBN 9780313357596.
- ^ Muratovic, Vildana (2008-10-03). "Tupac in Sarajevo: The Rise of Rebellion Rap in Eastern Europe •". Retrieved 2020-02-08.
- ^ "Hip Hop and Rap in Europe. The culture of the urban ghetto's". Icce.rug.nl. Archived from the original on 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
External links
- europeanhiphop.org
- hiphopmalta.com
- kosovarap.com
- unikkatil.com
- Hip-Hop Radio rasik.de
- GangdoMoinho – HipHop Tuga – Hip Hop Tuga e Crioulo, downloads, videoclips, albums, mixtapes, entrevistas, concertos, beefs/battles, novidades e desporto online (Sportv)
- HipHop musik
- Croatian hiphop