Hip Hop Vs. Country Music & E.T.

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Which would you rather lick: E.T. (the extra terrestrial), Country Music, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Cats (the play, not the species), The Cosby Show...or Hip Hop Culture? Visit the U.S. Postal Service and you'll discover, "You've already voted for the nifty fifties, the groovy sixties, and the rockin' seventies. Now it's time to vote for the awesome eighties!"

That's right, the Post Office is making the 1980's line-up in their official 20th century commemorative stamp series and Hip Hop Culture is an official contender. And, to be sure you're not casting your vote in ignorance, each category has an informative "'80's facts" page.

Of HHC, they say, "DJs spun record turntables while an MC (master of ceremonies) "kicked" (rapped) rhymes to the beat," "it's "def" (cool) to be "chillin'" (hanging out) with your "crew" (friends)," and it, "shows us that despite physical differences, everyone shares common emotions like love and loneliness." Oh, sorry, that last one was from E.T.'s description.

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  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
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  MOVIES 'This Is the End' Brings the Goods
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  TV The Women of 'Mad Men'
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  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

More Song Stories entries »

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