Entertainment Music East Coast Hip-Hop Share PINTEREST Email Print WireImage / Getty Images Music Rap & Hip Hop Basics Top Picks Rock Music Pop Music Alternative Music Classical Music Country Music Folk Music Rhythm & Blues World Music Punk Music Heavy Metal Jazz Latin Music Oldies Learn More By Henry Adaso Henry Adaso Henry Adaso has written about hip-hop since 2005 and founded the award-winning blog The Rap Up. He has written for "Vibe," MTV, Rap Rehab, and more. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 01/08/18 East coast hip-hop is sometimes referred to as New York Rap because it originated from block parties thrown on the streets of New York City in the 1970's. East coast hip-hop was dominant during the late 1980's and mid-90's (the golden era of hip-hop, and is still relevant today. The Evolution of East Coast Rap East coast hip-hop has undergone a series of musical surgeries, from the lyrical subgenre that gave yield to Rakim and Nas, to the conscious approach made famous by Public Enemy and Beastie Boys, and later the mafioso rap blueprint popularized by Kool G Rap, Raekwon, and AZ, and now back to the lyrical. Elements of East Coast Hip-Hop Unlike the simplistic rhyme pattern utilized in old school rap, or the call and response style present in crunk, east coast rap is almost synonymous with lyrical dexterity. More often than not, east coast rap is characterized by multi-syllabic rhymes, complex wordplay, continuos free-flowing delivery, and intricate metaphors. Notable East Coast Artists Rakim Nas The Wu-Tang Clan Ghostface Killah KRS-One Jay-Z Kool G Rap Big Daddy Kane GangStarr A Tribe Called Quest Mobb Deep The LOX AZ Recommended East Coast Albums for Beginners Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban LinxNas - IllmaticNotorious B.I.G. - Ready To DieJay-Z - Reasonable DoubtA Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders