Hipster hop (also known as hipster rap) is a term that was used by music bloggers and critics in the 2000s and early 2010s to describe hip hop music that was perceived to be influenced by the

hipster subculture The 21st-century hipster is a subculture (sometimes called hipsterism). Fashion is one of the major markers of hipster identity. Members of the subculture typically do not self-identify as hipsters, and the word ''hipster'' is often used as a pe ...

. The term has been applied to artists such as

The Cool Kids The Cool Kids are an American hip hop duo composed of rappers Sir Michael Rocks and Chuck Inglish. The Cool Kids' music had been released primarily to the independent Chocolate Industries via their own label C.A.K.E. Recordings. Reed and Inger ...

and

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...

, though it has not been embraced by such artists.

Characteristics

Hipster hop is generally characterized as having a lighthearted mood. Miles Raymer of the ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...

'' stated that "hipster rap embodies the same sort of utopian, big-tent ideal that old-school hip-hop did, treating the music as a force for bringing people together". Hipster hop artists have also been described as having lyrical content ranging from the "emotionally vulnerable" to the "ironic rcomedic". A ''

Miami New Times The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District. Overview It was acquired by Village Voic ...

'' article characterized

Spank Rock Naeem Juwan, better known by his stage name Spank Rock, is an American rapper and songwriter from Baltimore. He rose to fame with his 2006 album ''YoYoYoYoYo'', which was produced by former group member Alex Epton (XXXChange). A harbinger of po ...

as hipster hop for having lyrical content that focused "almost exclusively on partying". Musically, the "hipster hop" label has been used to describe a wide variety of styles, ranging from "a sonic explorer like Kanye... oretro revivalists like the Cool Kids". However, some authors have identified highly electronic production that verged on dance music as a trademark of the hipster hop scene.

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...

has also been described as a sonic influence on hipster hop. In addition to its musical characteristics, hipster hop has been defined by hipster-inspired fashion. Clothing choices such as

skinny jeans Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...

and brightly-colored apparel have been identified as prominent markers of hipster hop artists.

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

has been described as a model for hipster hop fashion, due to his "sleekly fashionable, high concept" image. The term "hipster hop" is often viewed as pejorative; while it became popular among critics, few artists have used the "hipster hop" label to describe themselves.

History

Artists such as Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...

have been identified as forerunners of hipster hop.

Sir Michael Rocks Antoine Reed (born December 24, 1987) is an American rapper better known by his stage name Sir Michael Rocks (or Mikey Rocks). He started his music career in 2005 as a member of the hip hop duo The Cool Kids, and later joined the groups All City ...

of the Cool Kids has stated that those three artists popularized the idea of being "an eclectic black guy", thus creating a niche for other artists to expand the aesthetic boundaries of hip-hop. The terms "hipster hop" and "hipster rap" declined sharply in the 2010s, although they have occasionally been used to describe post-2010s artists such as Razzlekhan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hipster Hop Hip hop genres Microgenres Hipster (contemporary subculture) 2000s in music 2010s in music

Characteristics

History

See also

References