Presented by Lexus, proud supporter of Black Music Month, this episode examines the period from the early 2000s to the 2010s, when hip-hop not only dominated the charts, but also became a global phenomenon. We will discuss how digital downloads, streaming and social media revolutionized the music industry and propelled hip-hop to the forefront.
Dyana Williams:
The 2000s. That era is when we saw the explosion of hip-hop and radio stations that were specific to hip-hop culture.
Laurieann Gibson:
It’s now the 2000s — hip-hop is making a fortune. All the men in hip-hop are making a fortune, and all the women are still wondering where the checks are.
Trevor Anderson:
Moving into the 2000s, hip-hop became probably the most dominant sound on the Hot 100 for the entire decade. This is a time when you got your clear rap hits, but also other genres are starting to borrow from hip-hop as well. If you want to know how big hip-hop was in the early 2000s, you go look at the Oct. 11, 2003, Hot 100. The entire top 10 is Black artists either doing R&B or hip-hop tracks. Hip-hop is not just in the mix at that point — hip-hop is the mix. Some of the top hip-hop artists of the 2000s decade include Eminem, Jay Z.
Laurieann Gibson:
Nas, Lauryn Hill. There’s Missy Elliott, a plethora of superstars reigning supreme.
Yo-Yo:
They were like rock stars, they had a whole band. I mean, they just started just taking hip-hop to another level.
Trevor Anderson:
When Kanye West hits the scene in 2004, one of the things that really happens quickly was establishing that all his albums generate massive attention. He has this perfect streak of No. 1s.
Keep watching to learn more!
