The Song Planner

Electro Hip-Hop

tagStarted 1982Peak 1982-1985Last big hit 1986

Located in 2 routes

Hip-Hop / Rap → Club / Dance / Electronic RapHip-Hop / Rap → Old School / Historical Foundations

Robotic, machine-driven hip-hop: the Roland TR-808's booming kicks and crisp claps, sequenced synth arpeggios, vocoder vocals and Kraftwerk-style melodies. Cold, futuristic and intensely danceable, it strips away live funk for pure electronics — spacey, syncopated funk for breakers and early club floors alike.

History

Crystallized by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force's 'Planet Rock' (1982), produced by Arthur Baker, which fused Kraftwerk's 'Trans-Europe Express' and 'Numbers' with the 808. Newcleus, Hashim, the Jonzun Crew and LA's Egyptian Lover spread the sound; Detroit's Cybotron carried it toward techno. The style defined early-'80s electronic rap.

Defining artists

Essential listening

← Explore Hip-Hop / Rap

Sources

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Rock_(song)
  • https://www.hiphopmusichistory.com/subgenres/electro-hop/
  • https://reverb.com/news/a-not-so-brief-history-of-electro