Hardcore hip hop, also referred to as hardcore rap, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool G Rap, it is generally characterized by an aggressive sound and confrontational lyricism. While the form has often been associated with Gangsta Rap, hardcore hip hop does not generally revolve around "gangsta" lyrical themes, even though there is a great deal of overlap, especially among hardcore rappers of the 1990s. Similarly, while it is commonly associated with boom bap (a specific production style that got its name from the onomatopoeic representation of the drum sound; it was basically the production style on the East Coast up until the very late 1990s), boom bap is not synonymous with the style even though a lot of hardcore artists from that time period did make use of it. While hardcore rap has been associated with a "monolithic 'gangsta' outlook" by the popular press, hardcore rappers have laid claim to a wide variety of ground. Following a breakthrough in the early 1990s, hardcore hip hop became a popular crossover style during the mid-1990s.
Notable Acts
- Big Daddy Kane
- Big L
- Boogie Down Productions
- 1987 - Criminal Minded
- Busta Rhymes
- Craig Mack
- Cypress Hill (though they were partially metal at times)
- 1993 - Black Sunday
- DJ Quik
- Eminem (one of the only mainstream rappers to remain in this style after success)
- 1999 - The Slim Shady LP
- 2000 - The Marshall Mathers LP
- 2002 - The Eminem Show
- 2004 - Encore
- EPMD
- Eric B. & Rakim
- 1987 - Paid in Full
- Fort Minor
- 2005 - The Rising Tied
- Geto Boys
- Ghostface Killah
- Hopsin
- House of Pain
- Ice-T
- Jay-Z, well in the beginning
- Kool G Rap
- Kool Keith
- Kool Moe Dee
- Lil' Kim
- M.O.P
- N.W.A
- 1988 - Straight Outta Compton
- Nas
- 1994 - Illmatic
- Mobb Deep
- Naughty By Nature
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- 1994 - Ready to Die
- 1997 - Life After Death
- Onyx
- Paris
- Raekwon
- Run–D.M.C.
- 1984 - Run-D.M.C.
- 1985 - King of Rock
- 1986 - Raising Hell
- Run the Jewels
- Schoolly D
- 1985 - Schoolly D (Album)
- 1986 - Saturday Night! – The Album
- Slick Rick
- Spoonie Gee
- Troubleneck Brothers
- Tupac Shakur (but he tamed down in later years, becoming more G-funk than anything else)
- 1991 - 2Pacalypse Now
- 1993 - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...
- 1995 - Me Against the World
- 1996 - All Eyez on Me
- 1996 - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
- Torae
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Xzibit
