Professor Josh Ehrig, Professor James B. Peterson - Hustle Hard - Week Three lyrics

Week 3 - Dan Charnas, The Big Payback Album Three: The Beat Box & Album Four: Hip-Hop Nation In the early 80s, Russell Simmons emerges as a premiere figure within rap. As Simmons was busy promoting, managing, and producing artists, there was a white, Jewish college kid from Long Island becoming very curious about Hip-Hop, named Rick Rubin. Rick and Russell would meet and eventually create Def Jam Records. In 1984, Def Jam solidifies itself as the premiere, authentic Hip-Hop label. The label has signed acts such as Run-DMC, The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, and Whodini. Hip-Hop is bigger than ever in the mid 1980s, records are being made, radios are starting to play more records, and television is attempting to broadcast this new artistic and cultural movement. Hip-Hop movies were also being made during this period and rappers were now providing soundtracks for these films. Three critical films of the period are Wild Style, Beat Street, and Run-DMC starring Krush Groove. Also, during this period, Rick Rubin signs three major acts, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and The Beastie Boys. These newly signed artists will go on to be the next generation of rap stars. Def Jam is in full wing and becomes a legitimate name in the music industry. As many small, independent labels like Def Jam, Sugar Hill, and Profile began selling millions of records, the majors decided that they wanted their piece of Hip-Hop. Album Four: Hip-Hop Nation As Hip-Hop is growing in popularity on the East Coast, the West Coast began to develop their own artists and their own styles. Charnas tells the story about a LA DJ named "Disco Lonzo" and how he turned DJing into a business for himself, making $150 a week. Disco Lonzo found another talented DJ named Dr. Dre and allowed him to join his group, The World Cla** Wreckin' Cru. Hip-Hop continued to grow on the West Coast, and just like New York City, radio stations and DJ began to spin rap records. The most notable station in LA to start playing rap records was KDAY. KDAY, which became the premiere rap station on the West Coast, also showed the power that Hip-Hop possessed through their "Day of Peace" in LA, promoting peace in communities filled with gang violence and d**. As Dr. Dre broke away from the Wreckin' Cru, he decided to form his own group with some friends from the neighborhood. This group was not going to be the "glitter and silk suits" culture of the disco clubs, but rather a true look into inner-city West Coast life. The group decided to called themselves N.W.A. (n***az Wit Attitude). At this time MTV was not airing rap videos on television. As rap grew in popularity, there were folks at MTV who decided that the time was right to try to air some videos. The first chosen were pretty safe. Run-DMC, The Beastie Boys, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince were amongst the first group of videos shown. After the success of these videos, MTV decided to produce a rap video show. They called it "YO! MTV Raps" and it was the first of its kind. Fab 5 Freddie became the host of the show and went onsite to interview rappers all over the country. Years later, Ed Lover and Doctor Dre (different from Dr. Dre) become the hosts of the show and now it recorded on a set with guests coming to MTV. N.W.A.'s videos for "f** the Police" and "Straight Out of Compton" and deemed unsuitable and are banned from the station. Ironically, this only propelled the group to new heights and marked them as the most "authentic" and "real" rap group in the industry. As rap music is selling albums and radio and TV are supporting the artists, it was only natural for publications to come next. Dave Mays starts "The Source Magazine" in Boston in 1988. The Hip-Hop magazine held an "Unsigned Hype" column, helping to break some of the biggest rap stars to date, the most popular being The Notorious B.I.G. Other publications began to form after the success of The Source. Quincy Jones' "Vibe Magazine" arrives and challenges The Source, only to help it become solidified as the most authentic voice in Hip-Hop journalism. Hip-Hop is becoming a huge economic endeavor for all involved. Week Three's Playlist