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History of Hip Hop Timeline

(August 11, 1973 – Present)

Hip hop is a cultural movement that emerged in the early 1970s in the South Bronx, New York City, encompassing four core elements: DJing, MCing (rapping), breakdancing, and graffiti art. Pioneered by figures like DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa, the genre evolved from block parties into a dominant global force in music, fashion, language, and culture. Less

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Origins and Etymology

"Hippity hop" in wide usage

1800

A common variation on "hip hop" is "hippity hop", which was in wide usage by the 19th century. It appears in works like an 1882 poem where four children sing, "[h]ippity hop to the candy shop!" It was a common refrain in skipping games.

The Dovells' "You Can't Sit Down"

1963

An early usage of "hip hop" in recorded popular music is found in The Dovells' 1963 dance song "You Can't Sit Down": "...you gotta slop, bop, flip flop, hip hop, never stop".

Lovebug Starski claims credit for the name

1979

Lovebug Starsky recalls originating the phrase when he messed up the change between records: "I picked up the mic and just started saying 'a hip hop, hip hop, de hibbyhibbyhibbyhibby hop'", claiming credit for inventing the name by 1979. The phrase was in common usage by the time The Sugarhill Gang recorded "Rapper's Delight" in 1979.

Image source: Lovebug Starski

Lovebug Starski claims credit for the name

Proto-Rap and Early Influences

Talking blues and sprechstimme traditions

1900

In 20th-century Western music, rhythmic spoken vocal delivery was a widely used practice in everything from sprechstimme to the talking blues, prefiguring rap.

The Jubalaires' "Noah"

1946

Bo Diddley made several influential talking records, and the gospel group The Jubalaires' 1946 song "Noah" is frequently seen as a forerunner of rap.

Image source: The Jubalaires

The Jubalaires' "Noah"

Muhammad Ali and Pigmeat Markham talking records

1963

Other notable talking records were Muhammad Ali's I Am the Greatest (1963) and Pigmeat Markham's "Here Comes the Judge" (1968).

Image source: Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali and Pigmeat Markham talking records

Jamaican talking records emerge

1969

During these proto-rap years in America, Jamaican music regularly featured talking records like U-Roy and Peter Tosh's "Righteous Ruler" and King Stitt's "Fire Corner" in 1969.

Image source: U-Roy

Jamaican talking records emerge

Old-School Era

Philadelphia emerges as a hip-hop center

1971

In 1971, one city councilman had dubbed Philadelphia "The Graffiti Capital of the World". It was one of the first hip-hop centers outside of New York, and by 1979, hip-hop recordings such as Jocko Henderson's "Rhythm Talk" and Lady B's "To the Beat, Y'all" were emerging from the city.

Kool Herc's back-to-school party

Aug 11, 1973

Kool Herc first began extending breaks at a back-to-school rent party his sister Cindy Campbell hosted in the recreation room of their building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. The date has been aggressively marketed as the "Birth of Hip-Hop".

Image source: DJ Kool Herc

Kool Herc's back-to-school party

Mercedes Ladies formed

1976

Mercedes Ladies, formed in the Bronx in 1976, were the first all-female group with a DJ.

Image source: Mercedes Ladies

Mercedes Ladies formed

Bootleg tapes circulate beyond New York

1977

By 1977, bootleg tapes made from the soundboards of hip-hop DJs were being circulated beyond New York City, spreading the sound regionally.

Simpson Street documentary footage

1977

A 1977 documentary film, Simpson Street, includes a hip-hop party on the roof of Casita Maria in the Bronx, with Grandmaster Flash in attendance; this is the earliest known footage of the hip-hop scene.

Image source: Grandmaster Flash

Simpson Street documentary footage

New York City blackout looting spreads DJ culture

Jul 13, 1977

During the New York City blackout of 1977, DJ equipment was heavily looted due to the popularity of the emerging genre. Kool Herc recalls, "The next day there were a thousand new D.J.'s." By 1978, Billboard magazine was taking notice of the popularity of "B-beats" in the Bronx.

Joe Bataan's "Rap-O Clap-O"

1979

Another early rap record, from an artist in the disco scene, was Joe Bataan's 1979 track "Rap-O Clap-O." Bataan had already achieved popularity within the Latin community thanks to his blend of boogaloo, salsa, and soul, and the song became a hit in Europe.

Image source: Joe Bataan

Joe Bataan's "Rap-O Clap-O"

Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'"

1979

In 1979, Kurtis Blow released "Christmas Rappin'" which sold 400,000 copies, an early commercial success for recorded hip-hop.

Image source: Kurtis Blow

Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'"

Fatback Band releases early rap single

Mar 1979

In March 1979, Fatback Band released "You're My Candy Sweet" as a single, among the earliest rap records.

Roland TR-808 launched

1980

In 1980, the Roland Corporation launched the TR-808 Rhythm Composer. Devices like the TR-808 drum machine, Linn 9000, and Akai MPC 2000 became beloved tools for hip-hop creators.

Image source: Roland TR-808

Roland TR-808 launched

Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" certified gold

1980

In 1980, Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" was the first hip-hop single certified gold.

Image source: The Breaks (song)

Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" certified gold

Blondie's "Rapture" brings rap to pop

1981

The 1981 songs "Rapture" by Blondie and "Christmas Wrapping" by the new wave band the Waitresses were among the first pop songs to use rap.

Image source: Rapture (Blondie song)

Blondie's "Rapture" brings rap to pop

Funky 4 + 1 on Saturday Night Live

1981

The first hip-hop artists to appear on national television were the group Funky 4 + 1, who appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1981.

Grandmaster Flash "On the Wheels of Steel"

1981

Grandmaster Flash's "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (1981) typified the diversification of hip-hop in the new decade.

Image source: The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel

Grandmaster Flash "On the Wheels of Steel"

Hip-hop reaches Japan

1982

Hip-hop reached Japan by 1982, when DJ Hiroshi Fujiwara started playing it in dance clubs.

"Planet Rock" fuses hip-hop and electronic music

1982

Hip-hop and electronic dance music were fused in Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force's "Planet Rock" (1982), which helped spawn electro music, including songs like Planet Patrol's "Play at Your Own Risk" (1982) and C Bank's "One More Shot" (1982).

Image source: Planet Rock (song)

"Planet Rock" fuses hip-hop and electronic music

"The Message" pioneers conscious rap

1982

The influential single "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, with its focus on the misery in housing projects, was a pioneering force for politically conscious rap.

Image source: The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five song)

"The Message" pioneers conscious rap

Sidney popularizes hip-hop in France

1984

Musician and presenter Sidney became France's first black TV presenter with his 1984 show H.I.P. Along with his radio show, his Rapattitude compilations and 1984 album Paname City Rappin' popularized hip-hop in the country.

Image source: Sidney Bechet

Sidney popularizes hip-hop in France

Golden Age

New school era begins

1983

The second wave of hip-hop began around 1983–84 and became known as new school, marked by a harder-edged, minimalist sound.

Image source: New-school hip-hop

New school era begins

Schoolly D inspires gangsta rap

1985

In 1985, Schoolly D released "P.S.K." Ice-T's "jaw dropped" when he first heard the song, and it inspired his 1986 track "6 in the Mornin'", helping launch gangsta rap.

Image source: Schoolly D

Schoolly D inspires gangsta rap

Kurtis Blow appears in Sprite commercial

1986

Sprite hired Kurtis Blow to appear in one of their commercials in 1986, signaling hip-hop's growing commercial appeal.

Run-DMC's Raising Hell goes platinum

Jul 15, 1986

Run-DMC's third album, Raising Hell, was the first in the genre to be certified platinum on July 15, 1986, marking hip-hop's mainstream breakthrough.

Image source: Raising Hell (album)

Run-DMC's Raising Hell goes platinum

Landmark albums of 1987

1987

1987 alone produced landmark albums like Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded and Public Enemy's Yo! Bum Rush the Show. Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded set a precedent by featuring guns on its cover; Kool Moe Dee's How Ya Like Me Now cover that year featured LL Cool J's Kangol hat under the wheel of his Jeep Wrangler.

Image source: Criminal Minded

Landmark albums of 1987

First Grammy for Best Rap Performance

1989

In 1989, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences decided to create a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. The inaugural statue was given in 1989 to DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince for "Parents Just Don't Understand".

Image source: Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance

First Grammy for Best Rap Performance

Straight Outta Compton puts LA on the map

1989

N.W.A's blockbuster 1989 album Straight Outta Compton established Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to hip-hop's capital New York City. On their follow-up trajectory, By All Means Necessary (1988) saw KRS-One holding an uzi but also emerging with his anti-violence persona "The Teacher".

Image source: Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton puts LA on the map

Queen Latifah debuts All Hail the Queen

1989

In 1989, 19-year-old Queen Latifah released her debut album All Hail the Queen, becoming one of the most notable female rappers.

Image source: All Hail the Queen

Queen Latifah debuts All Hail the Queen

1990: "The year that rap exploded"

1990

1990 was "the year that rap exploded". By February 1990, nearly a third of the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 were hip-hop. MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This", released in May 1990, became a global phenomenon, selling 18 million units by 1996.

Mainstream and Modern Era

Ice-T's "Cop Killer" controversy

1992

In reaction to Parents Music Resource Center's new "Parental Advisory" stickers, Ice-T rapped, "that sticker makes 'em sell gold." His 1992 heavy metal song "Cop Killer" prompted so much backlash that Time Warner Music balked at releasing his next hip-hop album Home Invasion.

Image source: Cop Killer (song)

Ice-T's "Cop Killer" controversy

Dr. Dre's The Chronic popularizes G-funk

1992

Dr. Dre's The Chronic was released in 1992, popularizing the G-funk style of gangsta rap and being certified 3× platinum. Snoop Dogg's album Doggystyle followed in 1993, certified 4× platinum, though black radio stations kept hip-hop at a distance.

Image source: The Chronic

Dr. Dre's The Chronic popularizes G-funk

Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang

1993

In 1993, Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) pioneered a hardcore rap response to the west coast's gangsta dominance.

Image source: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang

Tupac Shakur shot in New York

Nov 30, 1994

On November 30, 1994, in New York City, Tupac Shakur was shot five times. His February 1996 debut for Death Row, All Eyez on Me, was promoted by relentlessly highlighting his grievances with east coast personalities.

Image source: Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur shot in New York

Atlanta rises with Outkast and Goodie Mob

1995

Goodie Mob's Soul Food (1995) and Outkast's ATLiens (1996) were critically acclaimed. When Outkast won Best New Rap Group at the 1995 Source Awards, it signaled a power shift in Atlanta's direction.

Image source: Outkast

Atlanta rises with Outkast and Goodie Mob

Tupac Shakur killed in Las Vegas

Sep 7, 1996

On September 7, 1996, Shakur was killed in Las Vegas, deepening the East Coast–West Coast rivalry. On March 9, 1997, the Notorious B.I.G. was also killed, shocking the hip-hop world.

Image source: Murder of Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur killed in Las Vegas

Puff Daddy rules the charts

1997

The musical approach was typified by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, who ruled the 1997 charts by repurposing old hits into new ones.

Image source: Sean Combs

Puff Daddy rules the charts

DMX brings hip-hop "Back to the streets"

1998

In 1998, hardcore rapper DMX released his album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, seen by some as bringing hip-hop "back to the streets". That same year, Cash Money Records supercharged its sales by signing a distribution deal with Universal.

Image source: It's Dark and Hell Is Hot

DMX brings hip-hop "Back to the streets"

Eminem's debut produced by Dr. Dre

1999

Dr. Dre began 1999 by producing Eminem's debut The Slim Shady LP, which went quadruple platinum. In November, Dre released his own 6× platinum album 2001. He also produced Eminem's second album and 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin', which debuted in 2003 at number one in the U.S.

Image source: The Slim Shady LP

Eminem's debut produced by Dr. Dre

B.G. coins "Bling-bling"

1999

In 1999, the slick consumerism of the jiggy era was indelibly rechristened by B.G., whose "bling-bling" became shorthand for ostentatious wealth in hip-hop culture.

Image source: Bling-bling

B.G. coins "Bling-bling"

Kanye West's The College Dropout

2004

Kanye West's 2004 debut album The College Dropout attracted audience and media attention, being certified 4× platinum and reshaping mainstream hip-hop's direction.

Image source: The College Dropout

Kanye West's The College Dropout

Outkast wins Album of the Year Grammy

Feb 8, 2004

Outkast's 2003 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards and has been certified 13× platinum.

Image source: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Outkast wins Album of the Year Grammy

Hip-hop sales plummet

2005 - 2006

Starting in 2005, hip-hop sales plummeted, prompting concerns that the genre might be dying. While all music sales declined, hip-hop's losses were greater, totaling a 21% decrease from 2005 to 2006. 2006 was the first time in five years that the top ten albums did not include hip-hop.

Kanye West vs. 50 Cent sales battle

Sep 11, 2007

When Kanye West's Graduation and 50 Cent's Curtis were both released on September 11, 2007, West's idiosyncratic album sold quicker, signaling a shift in mainstream tastes.

Image source: Graduation (album)

Kanye West vs. 50 Cent sales battle

Wonky subgenre originates

2008

Wonky is a subgenre of hip-hop that originated around 2008, characterized by off-kilter rhythms and experimental electronic production.

Jay-Z breaks Elvis Presley's record

2009

Jay-Z's albums consistently charted at number 1, and with the release of The Blueprint 3 in 2009, he broke Elvis Presley's record for most number one albums by a solo artist.

Image source: The Blueprint 3

Jay-Z breaks Elvis Presley's record

Digital downloads revive hip-hop

2009

Downloads of individual tracks from Flo Rida's 2009 album R.O.O.T.S. surged. In 2009, Rick Ross, Black Eyed Peas, and Fabolous all had No. 1 hits, and Eminem's Relapse was one of the fastest selling albums of 2009.

Image source: R.O.O.T.S.

Digital downloads revive hip-hop

M.I.A named to Time 100

2009

In 2009, Time magazine placed M.I.A in the Time 100 list of "World's Most Influential people" for having "global influence across many genres." Global-themed movements have sprung out of the international hip-hop scene with microgenres like "Islamic Eco-Rap" addressing worldwide issues through traditionally disenfranchised voices.

Image source: M.I.A. (rapper)

M.I.A named to Time 100

Chance the Rapper wins Grammy for streaming album

2017

The 2017 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album went to a streaming album for the first time, Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book.

Image source: Coloring Book (mixtape)

Chance the Rapper wins Grammy for streaming album

Hip-hop/R&B becomes most consumed genre in US

Jul 17, 2017

On July 17, 2017, Forbes reported that hip-hop/R&B had usurped rock as the most consumed musical genre, becoming the most popular genre in music for the first time in U.S. history. In 2017, hip-hop had also developed its own regional variations around the world.

XXXTentacion's ? tops Spotify streams

2018

The most streamed rap album of all-time on Spotify is XXXTentacion's second album, ? (2018).

Image source: ? (XXXTentacion album)

XXXTentacion's ? tops Spotify streams

Pop Smoke popularizes Brooklyn drill

2021

In 2021, Pop Smoke's posthumous album popularized Brooklyn drill, extending hip-hop's regional evolution into a new decade.

Image source: Pop Smoke

Pop Smoke popularizes Brooklyn drill

Key Facts

  1. Hip hop is widely considered to have been born on August 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc threw a back-to-school party in the Bronx and introduced his 'breakbeat' technique of isolating percussion sections of songs.
  2. The four foundational elements of hip hop culture are DJing, MCing (rapping), breakdancing (b-boying), and graffiti writing.
  3. 'Rapper's Delight' by the Sugarhill Gang (1979) was the first commercially successful rap record, bringing hip hop from live performances to recorded music.
  4. The Golden Age of hip hop (roughly 1986–1996) saw groundbreaking albums by artists like Run-DMC, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., and Nas that pushed lyrical complexity and social commentary.
  5. By the 2010s, hip hop became the most consumed music genre in the United States, surpassing rock, with artists like Kendrick Lamar winning a Pulitzer Prize for his album 'DAMN.' in 2018.

Source

This History of Hip Hop timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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