The Miseducation of Hip-Hop: Old School
Common misconception: "Old school" is a derogatory. I don't use it in that manner. To me, the term "Old School" represents the foundations and the base of the culture. Everything that happens in the period that goes from 1973 to 1986 are the building blocks of the metaphorical house of Hip-Hop. Without those moments, we do not see hip-Hop grow the way that it did.
Proto-Era can be simply conceptualised a sbeing a loose string-theory to some, but Old School is a concrete series of events. The period begins with the first Hip-Hop party, that of DJ Kool Herc, in August of 1973 on Sedgwick Avenue, in the Bronx. Basing himself on everything that had been previously elaborated upon in the proto article, he helped usher in a brand new sound in the streets of New York. With the help of Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa, they would create the base of the culture we know and love.
What becomes difficult in studying this period is how there are three distinct sub-periods in the history. The first period is the "lost years"; this can be summarized by explaining that there are little-to-no recordings of that period. This was in part because DJ's didn't want anyone to get the tape and then not go to the party. This thought would continue from 1973 to 1979. This first period ends with the release of "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill gang, the first rap song. This would start the release of floodgates, with artists such as Grandmaster Flash releasing tracks; his specific case being the seminal track "The Message". The final stage would be what I call the "R period": Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin creating Def Jam and their artists, release to a wider audience and reach the mainstream crowds.
Old School is a building block, but it is hard to study its beginnings, due to the aforementioned facts. Everything that happens is still easy to understand due to the relatively small geographical location that all of this occurs in. New York City is still the hub of the music, but seeds are beginning to be sowed in places due to the "R Period". Releases have reached places such as the Mid-West and the West Coast.
What ends this growing period of Hip-Hop? That can be up to debate. But to me, in my hypothetical timeline, it's the summer of 1986 that changes everything. There are two major moments in Hip-History that take place. The first one would be the release of Run DMC's and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". It took over the summer. More importantly than that, it opened Hip-Hop to a much wider and much more commercially viable audience. Run DMC had been big in the inner city and in certain areas, but now it was worldwide. The second thing that happened during that summer, which wouldn't make much noise then, is the creation of the NWA and Ruthless Records. It's the first time that the West had a notable voice, specifically one from Los Angeles. The careers of the members would be storied, and help launch a brand new generation of artists into the scene.
If anyone were to ask me, the best artist that would represent the period is RUN DMC; it's important to know that. They had the style, the swagger and the lyrics that superseded everyone else. They represented the Old School aesthetic and power. To conclude, they were foundational, which is what the Old School was, all the while being powerful enough to help usher in a golden age that would take center stage in front of America.