Classical hip hop is the merger of hip hop and classical elements. It is unknown when classical hip hop first appeared, however, The Simpsons 1996 episode Homerpalooza featured classical hip hop in the form of rap group Cypress Hill stealing the London Symphony Orchestra, intended for Peter Frampton, and then playing their 1993 hit Insane in the Brain with orchestral backing. In the 2000s, classical hip hop started to be embraced by more artists such as Nas, Kendrick Lamar, The Black Violin, and DJ Premier among others.[1] Classical hip hop's biggest hit so far would be the 2009 Jay-Z and Alicia Keys duet Empire State of Mind, which has been described as an orchestral rap ballad.[2]Post Malone would also flirt with the style as well on some of his songs.
Classical hip hop is hip hop music accompanied by orchestral sounds, either sample-based or recorded live. In addition, some hip hop songs may feature orchestral elements by way of sampling progressive rock tracks, such as Kanye West sampling 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson on his 2010 song Power.[3]
History
The exact decade in which classical rap originated in is unclear, however, a precursor of sorts can be found in the 1996 The Simpsons episode Homerpalooza. In the episode, rap group Cypress Hill steal the London Symphony Orchestra, which was intended for Peter Frampton. With the orchestra in tow, they perform their 1993 hit Insane in the Brain with orchestral backing. Warren G would embrace classical hip hop in a 1997 duet with Sissel on the track Prince Igor.[4]
Starting in the 2000s, classical hip hop started to pick up steam with artists such as Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, and Jay-Z (with Alicia Keys on Empire State of Mind) exploring the genre. In addition to West's progressive rock sampling track Power, he also worked with progressive rock artist Manfred Mann on his 2014 album Lone Arranger.
In the late 2010s, Dallas based rapper Post Malone would break out, becoming a huge sensation with a versatile music style that stretches from rock to pop and to various forms of hip hop including classical hip hop.
Popularity
Classical hip hop has never achieved widespread mainstream popularity, however, a few tracks have managed to scrape the mainstream, the most notable being Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and featuring Alicia Keys. The song hit number 5 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and topped the Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Songs, and the Rhythmic charts.[5][6][7][8][9] In the late 2010's Post Malone would incorporate classical hip hop on a few of his tracks as well.
^Dalton, Stephen (September 11, 2009). "Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3". The Times. UK: Times Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
