A Closer Look at Jazz’s Influence on Hip-Hop

Jazz music is one of the most revered genres in music history, with a past, present, and future filled with powerful stories, iconic musicians, and significant culture influence. While the majority of music lovers believe they possess a certain understanding of jazz music, many may be surprised to learn the massive impact it’s had on many modern-day music genres. In fact, the reach of jazz music is so substantial that if you were to dive into the musical influences and inspirations of a handful of your favorite artists, you’d be likely to follow those roots directly to jazz.

What genres did jazz influence?

Jazz music has played an important role in shaping a wide variety of music genres, each one borrowing different elements of the jazz genre and incorporating it into their genre’s signature style.

The genre most commonly associated with jazz influences is blues. Blues music has a history that harkens back to the African American spiritual, with strong connections to jazz, gospel, and even rock and roll. To even the inexperienced ear, the relationship between jazz and blues music is unmistakable.

Rock music has also used aspects of jazz music, most notably the concept of musical improvisation. During the 1960s and 70s, acclaimed rock groups and musicians such as Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Neil Young often utilized improvisation during their performances. Rock musicians have also experimented with extending their chords with the addition of chord tones, a characteristic that many attribute specifically to the jazz style. Even today, acts such as Sting draw on the musicality that so many talented jazz musicians were known for.

Interestingly, jazz has also helped shape modern pop, specifically through the teams supporting many big-name pop musicians. Because so many background players in the pop world first began in jazz, they contribute a specific musical flavor in the accompaniments, arrangements, solos, and rhythms they create for pop artists.

Finally, among countless other genres, hip hop is perhaps the one that is most connected to the jazz genre. While this musical relationship may be news to many hip hop listeners, there’s no doubting the clear and unbreakable bond between the genres.

How was hip hop influenced by jazz?

There are several elements of hip hop that illustrate the jazz influence, but one of the most obvious is the massive number of samples used from the jazz genre. From rhythms to accompaniments, jazz music is looped, edited, and spliced to provide an ideal canvas for hip hop lyrics. Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and George Benson alone have had their music sampled a combined 600-plus times, making generous contributions to the genre of hip hop.

In addition to serving as a musical backdrop, jazz music has also gifted hip hop artists a unique sense of creativity, open to improvisation, pushing musical boundaries, and defying convention.

Experience New York City’s Vibrant Jazz Scene at BIRDLAND

Whether you’re a jazz music devotee or interested in learning more about this time-honored music tradition, one of the best ways to enjoy the genre is in the audience of a live performance. BIRDLAND has been a revered jazz venue in New York City since 1949, hosting industry greats such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, and John Coltrane. Today, the iconic club has relocated and evolved into a one-of-a-kind music venue in midtown Manhattan, offering locals and visitors alike an incredible space to enjoy performances by many of the biggest names in jazz.

Check out our calendar of upcoming performances and events to start planning your visit to BIRDLAND today.