East Coast hip hop is a style of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the early-1970s. East Coast hip hop emerged as a definitive subgenre after artists from other regions of the United States, chiefly the West Coast and the South, emerged with different styles of hip hop. It has since grown into a major subgenre of hip hop, and has played an instrumental role in hip hop history. East Coast hip hop has developed several creative epicenters and local scenes within the Northeastern United States, most of which are primarily located within African-American and Hispanic urban centers.
Musical style & regional difference
The stand-out point of East Coast hip hop from other regional forms (in general) is the intricate and multi-threaded lyrics and delivery of this sub-genre. East coast artists tend to be more complex, witty, and versatile (depending on the artist). As a general rule, East Coast rap artists tend to emphasize lyricism coupled with production centered on the frenetic use of a drum machine.
East coast hip hop also tends to be the only form which still emphasizes the role of the DJ in production, still employing the original techniques of scratching, sampling, and blending (transforming). Producers such as DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and the RZA are well known for their rare and unique sounds and techniques.
Critically-acclaimed East Coast artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Nas have a wide margin of subject matter thus appealing to a wider audience, particularly when they address social issues in their communities.
A huge number of East-Coast rappers such as DMX, Jadakiss, and Prodigy or groups such as Wu-Tang Clan, and Black Moon have adopted hardcore hip hop personas which typically glorify violence, drugs, mafioso or gang affiliation.
East Coast hip hop also tends to have slower pace beats-per-minute (90-120 Beats Per Minute) than its Southern and West Coast counterparts.
The beats of East Coast rap tend to be more sparse than those of Southern or West Coast rappers, such as the G-Funk beats of Dr. Dre or the pounding clubbish beats of artists like Lil' Jon. For example, Nas's New York State of Mind features a beat with only drums and a piano riff, with some turntable scratching in the chorus.
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East Coast
