There And Back (Part IV)

The year was 1987. Eight years after the demise of Disco, the recording industry had more than rebounded. Several artists from the seventies had survived to become superstars in the eighties. And, Rap, Disco's replacement had morphed into Hip Hop. In that same year, a rumor spread through the industry about an independent Rapper who had grossed $750,000 in one year, by selling homemade tapes from the trunk of his car. The music industry would never be the same again.

The lure of big money in exchange for street tunes was just too much for the industry bigwigs to pass up. The sound of Rap soon became harder as artist such as LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy, and NWA came to the forefront. Their success created a sudden influx of even newer Rap artists, many of whom were fresh from the streets. R&B radio began to air whole blocks of air time dedicated specifically to Rap. A visit to any brick and mortar store at that time revealed whole sections devoted entirely to Rap, with offerings from artists whose names were totally unfamiliar. Sales for Rap music began to climb through the roof.

The next year, in 1988, MTV jumped on the bandwagon with a daily show called, Yo MTV Raps. The show gave Rap music and Rap artists an even higher profile. And, though bands like Def Leppard, Gun And Roses, and Poison, were big names in rock, the industry began to place more and more emphasis on the recruitment of Rap acts.

While it is only conjecture on my part, there's always the possibility that increasing Rap sales prompted the recording industry to encourage the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to bestow upon Rap, it's highest honor. And, that is exactly what happened in 1989, when the first ever Rap Grammy went to DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. In my opinion, this served to legitimized Rap as a true art form, and sent millions of record buyers, many of whom, no doubt wanting to appear hip, to the record stores to get in on the trend.

1990 saw the cutting edge of music begin to dull, as artists such as Earth Wind and Fire and others began to add Rap as a means of keeping their music current.

Unlike Disco, the industry was was leery of trying to pre-fab a Rap or Hip Hop act. While Rap artist Vanilla Ice was accused of falsifying his bio, no label mischief was ever suggested. Instead, the industry decided to stick with authenticity. But, authentic Rap from the street was becoming more vulgar, sexual, and increasingly violent.

The PMRC ( Parents Music Resources Center) had already done battle with the recording industry in 1985, but only managed to to get the industry to place explicit language stickers on product that contained obscene language or profanity. But, having given Rap a Grammy only served to increase its already popular appeal.

Going into the 90s, Rap and Hip Hop were everywhere. Times were becoming tougher economically, and a career in Rap seemed like the surest way to escape a ghetto or economically depressed area. Though the youth of all races were embracing the music, it appeared to have a certain special appeal for young Black youths. Many of them felt, that for the first time, they had something that they could call their own. However, the sound was not able to crack the Black adult market. Around this time, a lot of black adults, feeling that the music industry had abandon them, began to reach for their oldies, as more and more radio stations began to play more Rap and Hip Hop. Thus began the rise of R&B oldies stations.

With the increasing association of Rap and violence, whether real or imagined, came an interesting and somewhat distressing phenomenon. This phenomenon arrived in the guise of a first ever generation gap within the Black community. And, the rise of Gangsta Rap would only served to deepen the division.