| | So I spent about an hour reading up on hip hop today.
Really, I can explain. This all started with a relatively geeky observation. I listen to the local top 40 hip hop station (it's one of five stations I flip between. The other four are the old school station, the classic rock station, the 'alternative' [that phrase has no meaning anymore] station, and the 'hard rock' station.), and I really like Wednesdays because it is "West Coast Wednesday" and most of the songs are ones I recognize and can sing along with (for a given value of 'sing'). And I realized I like West Coast Rap (g-funk), I like the feel. It's perfect music for driving along on the highway (it's slow and funky. Makes me feel expansive and relaxed, even though it's about thuglife a life I have no relation to). And then I had a thought: "Oh man, could this slow funky nature be a factor of the architecture of Los Angeles?" No, stay with me here. L.A. is -defined- by freeways, in a way New York isn't (L.A has Interstates: 405, 10, 110, 105, 4, 605, and 710. And routes 101, 54, 71, 91, and 241. Although Compton and surrounding areas are only bounded by the 110, 105, 710, 405 and route 91. That's still a fucking lot of freeways). Maybe g-funk came to being from trying to capture the feeling of rollin' (if you will).
So, I spent some time looking things up (by the way, my rough intuitive definitions hold up: East Coast rap defined by lyricism and fast drum beats, the 'Golden Age' of West Coast Rap, funkier beats and slower), and that was very interesting. Southern Rap has ecclipsed them both it seems.
Yes, yes I'm aware this is the geekiest of ways to talk about hip hop, but whatever. Whatever your mom.
posted by Amber at 4:35 PM
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