From Motown to Hip Hop

Growing up in the City of Detroit during the early sixtiessounding lyrics of street experience expressed in
was a memorable era for music. It was a period ofrhythms with the mouth, chest, hands and feet as such
time whereby the unique sounding records of Motownhad never been heard before.
were being played and heard throughout the streets,This new sound called Rap evolved in the early 80's
nightclubs, house parties and radio stationsand took off as a sky rocket in the late 90's and New
everywhere. It was common to have the soulful R andMillennium as Hip Hop/Rap. Even today Rap/Hip Hop
B records playing on the jukeboxes while folks weremusic is still a multi billion dollar genre. Millions of cds,
dancing in the streets or singing in the barber shopsvideos and dvd's are sold each year in the Hip Hop
and beauty parlors to the love songs that eventuallygenre of music. And there is no sign that Hip Hop will
captivated the hearts of millions of people throughoutbe slowing down or taking a back seat to anyone
the world. Music cds and rap music were not heard ofanytime soon.
during that period, it was all about the vinyl records andSo what happened to the Motown sound.... did it die
rhythm and blues soul.out? No! The Motown sound will never die out. It will
The songs that were written by Motown songwritersalways play a significant part in the hearts of millions
during the 60's & 70's had so much meaning. Theywho embraced it's sound back in the early 60's, and
were songs that spoke about true love, current eventscontinued to pass that sound on to their children
and the heartache and pains of life experiences. Ohthroughout the 70's, 80's and 90's.
yes, Motown had it going on! Their music becameSometimes you just have to move over and let the
universal music. Many of the soulful tunes crossednew kids on the block have a turn in expressing their
over into other markets such as pop, jazz, blues, etc...musical talents, songs and ideas. That's what Motown
But just like George Benson said in one of hisdid...moved over-not out. And now the Hip Hop artists
recordings "Everything Must Change", and sure enough,are not the new kids on the block anymore, for they
he was right about the music.have taken their position to express themselves
After giving so many years service and great musicmusically, just like the rhythm and blues artists took
to the City of Detroit, Motown moved out and Rap/Hiptheir position to express themselves in the Motown
Hop moved in. Instead of hearing someone singing Myera.
Baby Loves Me or My Girl, you began to hear newThat's how we've gone from Motown to Hip Hop!