Tracing the evolution and the standardization of rap song form: an analysis from 1980 to 2000

Abstract

Hip-hop culture, which began in the form of street party culture in 1973, gained popularity by the 1980s through albums released by independent rap record labels. At the end of 21 years, rap music had not only become a recognized musical style in the American music industry but also in many different places of the world. This study aims to visualize the standardization of rap songs through the formal analysis of 21 selected songs that are considered the most significant for various reasons over the course of the previously stated 21-year period. The period of the study, which spans from 1980 to 2000, has been determined with the aim of focusing on the years when hip-hop culture began to attract attention and rap music began to gain popularity in the American music market. Considering significant milestones in the history of rap music during these years, changes corresponding to these dates will be observed in the formal structures of songs. In this manner, a correlation between the evolution of song form and the popularity of rap music will be investigated. The formal structures of the pieces will be visualized using the form bar analysis method, which I designed based on a spreadsheet model; the verse sections will be visualized by using Kyle Adams' analysis method, which will be adapted for a different purpose from its original use, and changes in the repeated sections will be discussed and examined. Three methods have been determined for the analysis of selected pieces. The first method is the form bar analysis, which is designed to perceive the song's form on a single line. This way, all sections of the piece can be examined, and since they will also be presented with form bars of other songs, the forms of each song can be easily compared with one another. In this manner, changes in song form can be observed on an annual basis. The second method is about describing the repeated sections and interpreting the changes that occur in the repeated sections or phrases of the songs by using tables. This section will contain detailed interpretations of the form bar analyses specifically in terms of the repeated sections. The third method, designed to document the density of the words in the verse sections, involves statistical calculations to identify the songs that most significantly influence the average. These identified songs will be examined using the designated method. Two distinct sections of the thesis discuss my results. The first section will be about the interpretations of the outcome. The data collected from the three different analyses will be explained in the context of the standardization assertion. The results acquired from the methods will reveal what has changed, what has formed a standard, and what has remained unchanged over the 21 years. The second and final section of the thesis will be the conclusion section. The term "standardization" which forms the basis of the thesis will be discussed. The statements of different schools of thought regarding standardization will be debated, taking into account the perspectives of the audience, producer, and promoter while attempting to create a diverse approach. One of the main proposals of this study is to offer an alternative approach to analyzing a popular music genre by conducting a general analysis of the early stage of rap music. At this point, this study accepts music as a means of explanation through methods that are produced according to the intended outcome, rather than using music theory as a set of rules. This study is inventive in presenting a comparative analysis method in the field of popular music analysis and also offers a proposal for the formal analysis of rap music. One of the aims of this study is to provide an expandable analysis method, even though one song for each year may not provide sufficient scientific data. Another goal is for the study to have comprehensible methods for the listeners who don't have a music education. These methods have been determined for the sake of comprehensibility.