Hip Hop Vs Jazz Music

792 Words4 Pages
Music Analysis Essay Hip-Hop vs Jazz! Because of their iconic artistic legacy and their instinctive affection for music, African Americans have been in authority for the growth of two of the most widespread music genres: Hip-hop and Jazz. These two genres are closely joined because they share so many characteristics, Brendt Peter in his article mentioned hip-hop as the “jazz of the younger generation” (Peter, B. 2013). Hip-hop artists not only sampling Jazz records, but also hiring Jazz musician to come and play on their tracks. In this essay I will distinguish the differences and similarities between Jazz and Hip-Hop using the songs ‘Loungin’ by Guru from album Jazzmatazz Volume.1 and ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’ by Duke Ellington. What is most…show more content…
Other Afrocentric physical characteristics which can be distinguish in the music are: call and response, upbeat rhythm, repetition, falsetto, and gruff sounds. Some of the instruments used to achieve these sounds in early Jazz were the coronet, piccolo, alto horn, tuba, trombone, clarinet, piano, and later, the saxophone, along with the bass, snare drum, and cymbals (Rudi, B. 160). "It Don't Mean A Thing" by Duke Ellington is a perfect example of all the characteristics mentioned above. Polyrhythm is heard in the background by the drums and percussion, along with polyphony generated by the melodic- instruments, and the vocal tone accredited to wind instruments. Improvisation is a complicated part of this song. For example, the bulk of the song is improvised with gruff and…show more content…
In jazz and hip-hop there are many resemblances. “This is particularly proven through the acceptance that hip-hop was indirectly created from or influenced by the scatting and improvisation of jazz.”(Ericka, B. 1998) The fact is, improvisation is an intricate part of both musical customs. Also, both genres use their lyrics to express life and the world as it is assumed by the artist. Jazz and hip-hop also share many of the same Afrocentric features, such as polyphony, rhythm, repetition, and call and response. “Loungin” by Guru from the album Jazzmatazz Volume. 1 which is justly defining example for Hip-hop. In this track the general atmosphere is jazzy when "Loungin'" comes

More about Hip Hop Vs Jazz Music

Open Document