viewers outside the East Coast to the genre. In 1983,
Run-D.M.C.’s “Rock Box” became the first rap video
to air on MTV. Lesser-known acts also had videos
in rotation at the network. In 1986, Run-D.M.C.
teamed up with the hard rock band Aerosmith to re-
cord a cover version of the band’s hit single “Walk
This Way” in the first rap-rock crossover. During the
early 1980’s, LL Cool J became the first artist to sign
to Def Jam Recordings. By 1985, his first album had
sold one million copies.
The same year that Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith
fused two genres that seemed on the surface to be in-
compatible, the Beastie Boys, white rappers from the
New York area, released their first album. Every song
on the album was a fusion of rock and rap. The
Beastie Boys’ first album,Licensed to Ill, went plati-
num multiple times.
By the late 1980’s, female rappers had come to the
forefront of the genre. Salt-n-Pepa, Queen Latifah,
and MC Lyte were all part of rap music’s early video
age. Their videos were played on MTV (often in the
rap music showYo! MTV Raps) and in more regular
rotation on Black Entertainment Television’s (BET)
Rap City. Female rap artists also sold millions of al-
bums but typically lacked the attention that male
rappers received.
Many rap groups tackled social and political con-
cerns, and Public Enemy was no exception. The
group crafted politically infused and often contro-
versial rap lyrics, demonizing contemporary politi-
cal figures as well as popular culture icons such as El-
vis Presley and John Wayne.
In 1988,Yo! MTV Rapsbegan airing on MTV. Dur-
ing the mid-1980’s, a form of rap music evolved on
the West Coast. Known as gangsta rap, it was a partic-
ularly aggressive rap subgenre that documented
young, African American males’ inner-city lives and
often combative and antagonistic relationship with
police authorities. One of the most notable groups
was N.W.A., a group from Compton, California.
Dance Music and Female Performers Some of the
highest-grossing female performers of the 1980’s
had been stars in previous decades. Diana Ross, for-
merly of the Supremes; Cher, of Sonny and Cher;
Tina Turner, from Ike and Tina Turner; and Chaka
Khan were among the notable female performers of
the decade. Representing pop rock, hard rock, and
heavy metal were artists such as the Go-Go’s, the
Bangles, Vixen, Lita Ford, and Doro Pesch.
Still, there were new female performers who
found a place for themselves within the ever-expand-
ing categories of pop music in the 1980’s. Madonna,
for instance, emerged with a style that combined
overt sexuality with bass-heavy dance music; her
singles placed on both R&B and pop charts. In the
middle of the decade, Whitney Houston, a young
African American, began her public career. Both
Houston and Madonna frequently created videos
that demonstrated cutting-edge clothing, hair, and
dance styles.
Further bridging the gap between pop and R&B
were new female groups, including the multicul-
tural Mary Jane Girls (formed by R&B innovator
Rick James); Climax, an African American group;
and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.
The 1980’s was the decade in which break-
dancing—a form of dance that evolved with hip-
hop—became popular. Parachute pants, loose-fitting
nylon trousers, or track or sweat suits, and athletic
shoes and gold jewelry made up typical breakdance
outfits. The fashion also became associated with rap
culture itself.
In terms of equipment, the boom box was an inte-
gral part of the decade’s dance and rap music scene.
Portable, and capable of being quite loud, the boom
box was ideal for impromptu dance sessions around
urban neighborhoods. Also, the cassette tape was an
important development, replacing the eight-track
tape popular throughout the 1970’s.Teen Performers After the censorship controversy
surrounding rap and heavy metal, teen pop per-
formers, as solo artists or groups, offered an unblem-
ished music genre to parents concerned about lyri-
cal content and suggestive images. A notable group
was New Edition, an African American, all-male
group that included future R&B star Bobby Brown.
The group’s success paved the way for future boy
bands such as New Kids on the Block.
Toward the end of the 1980’s, there was a tremen-
dous interest in teenage female solo artists, in particu-
lar Debbie Gibson and Tiffany (full name Tiffany
Renee Darwish). Both were roughly sixteen years old
when their careers began. They were the quintes-
sential inoffensive pop stars. Their clothing styles—
always tasteful and not overtly sexual—captured the
interest of young girls who wanted to emulate the
teen singers, and their songs reached the pop charts
in the late 1980’s.The Eighties in America Music 685