A Hip Hop Timeline. Associated today with big names such as Snoop Dog and Missy Elliot, Hip Hop as a long history on its shoulders that starts back in the 1970s. Whether you’ve been introduced to the genre since its birth, or you’ve casually danced to 1992’s hit Baby Got Back, hip hop has certainly made an appearance in your life.

The Grand Theatre in Blackpool has been a promoter of hip-hop artists for years, including the successful 2014, and 2016 Breakin’ Convention. Here, we explore the hip hop timeline, from its origins in the Bronx to British artist Jonzi D.

Hip Hop Timeline – The Origins

Hip hop music appeared for the first time in the Bronx, New York City, in the 1970s. It is also referred to as rap music and its roots come from African American and West African music, as a rapper is reminiscent of the figure of the Griot. Both will indeed speak out against social issues and institutions through singing and music.

The hip hop timeline marks its beginning amongst Black and Latino youth groups, denouncing the marginalization of their communities in the South Bronx. During local, open events in the neighbourhood, the MC would rap over breakbeats taken from other genres of music. Again, the origin of MCeeing goes back to the African tradition of men challenging each other on grabbing the attention of the listener when speaking.

Four are the fundamental aspects of hip hop: ‘Disc jockeying (DJing), break dancing, graffiti art, and rapping (emceeing)’ . The social aspect of hip hop is what made it popular: it protested violence and injustice against minorities. Although initially considered a youth fad, by the end of the 70s hip hop became mainstream. In the last two decades, some of the most successful artists of the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z, Drake, Tupac and Nicki Minaj, have been forever present on music charts.

Hip Hop Timeline – Where does the name come from?

As with every new word that becomes common language, the origin of the name ‘hip hop’ is controversial. Some say it derives from the sound of the marching of soldiers, others give the credit to The Sugarhill Gang’s song lyrics ‘I said a hip, hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, and you don’t stop’.

However, American music artist Afrika Bambaatatells appeared at Cornell University in 2012, telling the story of how hip hop got its name. He says that they could have called it whatever, but ‘when you feel that music you gotta hop to it’ and that’s why they called it ‘hip hop.

Hip Hop Timeline – British Hip Hop

In the 1980s, the hip hop timeline sees the UK joining its current. Though influenced by the Americans, British hip hop is much more diverse as people did not experience the same marginalisation of the US. This allowed a much wider cross-racial scene enjoying the rhythm of hip hop, and for cultural exchanges to happen: for example, the Jamaican style of dub, considered a subgenre of raggae, has also influenced British hip hop.

Malcolm McLaren’s ‘Buffalo Gals’ is considered to be the first tune introducing US hip hop to the UK, featuring an American hip hop group on his track. However, soon enough British hip hop developed its own sound and style. The 1990s saw the great explosion of the genre in the UK, with new artists coming from all over the country: Massive Attacks, Roots Manuva, the Cookie Crew, Braintax.

Women have contributed to hip hop’s evolution in Britain from the beginning. Female British hip hop artists include Alesha Dixon, Baby Blue, Estelle, Kate Tempest, Lady Leshurr, Lady Sovereign, Little Simz, M.I.A., Monie Love, Shystie, Stefflon Don, Mercury prize winners Ms. Dynamite and Speech Debelle and music producer Mizz Beats. Other British female rappers have included Cookie Crew, She Rockers, Wee Papa Girl Rappers, NoLay, C-Mone and Envy.

Hip Hop Timeline – Jonzi D

In the 1990s, another famous British name in the hip hop scene was Jonzi D. MC, poet, choreographer and dancer, Jonzi D developed two hip hop theatres: the Lyrikal Fearta in 1995 and Aeroplane Man in 1999. Today, he is an Associate Artist of the Sadler’s Wells theatre in London and has successfully toured different rap theatre pieces.

Jonzi D is also the host and curator of the Breakin’ Convention, which hit the Grand Theatre three times, 2014, 2016 and 2017. Tuning back with its origins amongst the youth, Jonzi D has worked on the convention to gift the youngest with something positive, challenging stereotypes and giving voice to marginalised groups.

Hip Hop Timeline – Hip Hop at the Grand Theatre

As the Breakin’ Convention hit Blackpool’s Grand Theatre, a great amount of effort was put in the organisation of different activities leading up to the event. The Blackpool Gazette praised the atmosphere created by the Grand Theatre around the venue, calling it ‘alive and vibrant’.

But it is not the first time The Grand Theatre has hosted talented hip hop artists. In 2012, Brooklyn’s all-female dance group Decadance had hit the theatre for one night only, gifting the audience with an astonishing performance.

Featured in The Blackpool’s Grand Theatre’s Dance and Physical shows know no bounds for a theatre built in 1894 by leading architect Frank Matcham.

Artist s have included; world champion b-boy crew The Ruggeds (Holland) and experimental b-boys Iron Skulls Co (Spain), Soweto Skeleton Movers (South Africa), Just Dance (South Korea), Tentacle Tribe (Canada) as well as a whole host of local acts including Urban Dance Project, Wingz Theatre Works – FY Wingz, Ryan Fenton and DJ collective Shaolin Monkeys.

Upcoming show, In the Willows – The Hip Hop Musical will make its debut next spring on the Blackpool’s stage, ‘featuring fast bikes, fierce moves and fabulous vocals’. Written and directed by Poppy Burton-Morgan with music from award-winning composer Pippa Cleary (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Chocolate Factory; Prodigy, St James Theatre) and groundbreaking hip-hop Composer Keiran Merrick.

Hip Hop also connects to incredible art, graff and everything in-between. Blackpool’s Grand Theatre has a long history of working with local artists and they turned to local artist Robin Ross at Rock Factory Studios to commission him to create an incredible piece to be shown during Breakin Convention not only in Starbucks (a first!) but present legend Jonzi D with the one off original. A great moment for the both of them.

The hip hop timeline is not bound, however, to stop here. With marginalisation still being a relevant topic today, and the access to music made easier thanks to platforms like Spotify and YouTube, hip hop artists have still lots to say.

Discover more Hip Hop, Dance and Physical Theatre in Blackpool’s Grand What’s On.