*1987 *
* **Boogie Down Productions** releases their debut album, "Criminal Minded." Building on Run DMC's hardcore, minimalist approach and focusing more on the harsh realities of ghetto life; it becomes an instant classic among hip-hop fans. Lead MC, KRS-One; becomes an especially respected rapper among culture aficionados.
BDP - Jack of spades
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BDP - My philosophy
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*** Public Enemy release their debut album, "Yo! Bum Rush the Show," **on Def Jam. While it is praised by critics, it fails to make an impression on the charts.
Public Enemy #1
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* Cameron Paul, a San Francisco DJ; remixes 'Push It,' a tune from Salt-N-Pepa's (year-old) album, "Hot, Cool & Vicious." The single is released nationally and becomes a hit; hitting number 19 on the pop charts and is nominated for a Grammy.
** * A former L.A. drug dealer named Eazy-E (born Eric Wright) uses his money to finance a small indie rap label called Ruthless Records. He signs a local group called H.B.O. as his first act. He also recruits Andre 'Dr. Dre' Young-- a DJ/Producer from the R&B group World Class Wreckin' Cru; and Oshea Jackson, an up-and-coming MC who calls himself Ice Cube.
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*** Eric B. & Rakim release their debut album, "Paid In Full," kick-starting hip-hop's love affair with James Brown samples. The emergence of Rakim, in particular, heralds the dawn of the modern MC.
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*** L.A. rapper, Ice-T, releases his debut album, "Rhyme Pays," and becomes one of the first West Coast MCs to garner national attention. His single, 'Six In the Morning," is groundbreaking in it's harsh and explicit depiction of street hustling and the criminal lifestyle.**
6 in the morning - Ice T
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**The song was first of its kind and is considered to be one of the defining tracks of the Gangsta Rap genre.
Also in 1987, the movie Colors was released featuring a rap song by Ice T "Colors". The song and movie are about two notorious gangs in LA namely Crips (favoring blue clothing and apparel) and Bloods (favoring red).
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Colors - Ice T
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Gangsta Rap is born.
* Philadelphia duo **DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince **debut with "Rock the House." With their fun, good-natured rhymes and humorous videos; the twosome become a favorite on MTV and the album goes gold. Fresh Prince later went on the star in the TV series "Fresh Prince of Bel Aire" and the the famous movie actor** Will Smith.**
The magnificent jazzy jeff - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
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Girls aint nuthing but trouble
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* After H.B.O. fails to make an impression on the L.A. rap scene; Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and DJ Yella, (also from the World Class Wreckin' Cru), form a new group called N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitudes). They rush-release an EP for fledgling Ruthless Records called "N.W.A. and the Posse." It goes nowhere. Eazy then recruits Lorenzo 'M.C. Ren' Wright, a young rapper from South Central, to join them as they go back into the studio to revamp their sound.
* MC Hammer, an Oakland-based dancer-turned-rapper releases his debut album, "Let's Get It Started." It generates a few moderate hits, and Hammer gains attention for his exuberant dance moves and simple party raps.
* After their show in Los Angeles ends in violence, Run DMC is blamed in the press for inciting the riot. The group calls a press conference to defend itself, and hip-hop is immediately thrust under a microscope by moral watchdogs and right-wing politicians.