East Coast Hip Hop

Putting The Science Into Music

East Coast Hip Hop developed in New York City during the 1970s and formed the foundation of hip hop culture. DJs, MCs, breakdancers and graffiti artists shaped the movement through block parties and community events in the Bronx, before it spread across the wider city.

DJ Kool Herc helped establish early hip hop DJing by extending the percussion breaks of funk and soul records for dancers. Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash and other pioneers expanded the culture through sound systems, turntable techniques, organised crews and increasingly complex live performances.

Recorded East Coast Hip Hop grew through the late 1970s and 1980s via artists including Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim and Boogie Down Productions. Production moved from live disco-influenced backing to drum machines, samplers, scratched records and layered breakbeats.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, the category became associated with dense lyricism, sample-based production and direct drum programming. Artists including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Mobb Deep and Jay-Z each represented a different side of the region's sound.

New York was the main centre, but important East Coast scenes also grew in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston and surrounding areas. Styles ranged from Boom Bap and jazz rap through to hardcore hip hop, conscious rap and commercially successful crossover records.

East Coast Hip Hop later competed and traded ideas with scenes from the West Coast, the South and the Midwest. The category now covers music tied to the region's history and traditions, particularly its emphasis on DJ culture, rhythmic lyricism, sampling and strong drum-led production.

At Scientific Sound Asia, east coast hip hop is a defining feature of two shows: Mixtape Addict and Boom Bap Show.