MC Solaar – Will Garnett

Origins of European Hip-Hop: Francophone Rap

July 13, 2020August 17, 2020Posted in Features, JournalismTagged Africa Bambaataa, Alternative, Assasin, Boogie Down Productions, Bouge De La, Caroline, Chacun Fait (C'Qui Lui Plait), Chagrin d'Amour, De La Planete Mars, Dissertation, European Hip Hop, France, Francophone Rap, Hip Hop, IAM, Introduction, Italy, Jazz Rap, Je Danse Le Mia, Journalism, Kurtis Blow, La Haine, L’ecole du micro d’argent, Marseilles, Mathieu Kassovitzin, MC Solaar, Music, NTM, Ombre Est Lumiere, Origins, Paris, Prose Combat, Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo, University, USA1 Comment

After looking through some of my old work, I stumbled across the disseration that I wrote for my final project at university back in 2016, and decided to give it another read. Lockdown boredom may have reached new heights, and brought me to an educational read which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Perhaps as it brought back the memories of writing it, which with the benefit of time and rose-tinted glasses seemed great, but the sleepless nights and Red Bull driven researching weren’t. Whilst I’ve ditched the Red Bull, and seem to be sleeping fine, going back down memory lane and the same rabbit holes as I orginally had, seem like the perfect distraction to another stressful time, as we are in now. As you may have ascertained from the title of this post, my disseration was about European hip-hop, in particular the development and impact of the genre in France, Italy and Germany during the 1980s and 1990s. In that, I waffled on about Globalisation, Americanisation and the history of hip-hop, but I’ll save you from the academic jargon, and dive right into the various scenes themselves.

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Dissertation: European hip-hop: an in-depth analysis of the development of hip-hop in France, Italy and Germany during the 1980s and 1990s

February 20, 2017July 10, 2020Posted in Academic WorkTagged Dissertation, European Hip Hop, France, Germany, Italy, MC SolaarLeave a comment

Abstract:

This dissertation will provide an in-depth analysis into the development of hip-hop in three European countries: France, Italy and Germany, during the 1980s and 1990s. Drawing from the ideas of important theorists such as Andre Prevos, Tony Mitchell, Mark Pennay, and Dietmar Elflein, and a variety of relevant online articles, documentaries and films, it will show how each country adapted the musical idioms and styles of American hip-hop to create unique offshoots. Discussing the key artists within each country, and how hip-hop impacted on society. The key theories of Globalisation and Americanisation will be used to show how hip-hop arrived into Europe from America, and an overall background of the birth and growth of hip-hop from the depravity of the New York projects will also be given.

Read in full here: European hip-hop: an in-depth analysis of the development of hip-hop in France, Italy and Germany during the 1980s and 1990s

First published: May 9, 2016

Where?: For academic purposes BA (Hons) Popular Music Journalsim 2015/16 – Southampton Solent University