Music has significantly transformed, especially in recent years. While genres like disco and pop used to reign, hip hop, rap, and electronica have found huge success, taking over radio stations and Spotify playlists worldwide. Jesus Brillo is a hip-hop artist passionate about the genre, and he’s an expert on its history.
Hip hop’s subculture emerged in the Bronx in New York City in the early 1970s. It came out of great economic collapse during this time due to the failing manufacturing industry. Many white people had moved away to the suburbs, so hip hop was invented by people of color, specifically Black people. “It’s hard to stomach that it took so much suffering for hip hop to emerge,” Brillo said. “It’s often thought of as a fun, exciting, irreverent genre, but its roots come from something serious.” Businesses were closing around the city, so the youth had nowhere to go to hang out. This led to them using abandoned buildings and streets for block parties. DJs and MCs would set up mobile equipment to entertain everyone. “I wish I could be there and see it for myself. This was a hard time, but an amazing time in the history of the genre.”
The golden age of hip hop occurred between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. It is considered a turning point for diversity and the mainstream success of the genre. Hip-hop moved to other cities, which led to different styles of music developing. “I specialize in rap, reggaeton, and trap, which wouldn’t be possible without this era.” During this time, some of the most popular artists were Tupac, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, and De La Soul. “They’re some of my biggest influences. I could listen to these guys all day. They really remind me of my roots and what I stand for as an artist.”
Current hip hop is still changing, and it’s one of the most important genres in our culture. “Kanye West, Jay Z, Drake, and 50 Cent are some of the people who have influenced modern hip hop. They show how far the genre has come and illustrated where I want my music to take me.”
Jesus Brillo started his music career just last year, but he’s already gained a great deal of attention for his style, which is a really unique sound. His biggest hits are “La Paca” and “Detecto La Dema,” and the videos for these songs have over 2.5 million views. He has over 12,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, which is more than he ever could have expected. “I want to see my name up there with other famous hip hop artists. I know I can be a huge influence in the industry if I keep trying.”
Hip hop is an incredibly influential genre, and excitement for it is only growing. As more and more artists like Jesus Brillo are entering the scene, we might be entering another golden age of the genre soon.