Americanization
Americanization of hip hop music in the netherlands
the creation of a new music genre
Hip hop culture originated in the United States in the 1970s, but as hip hop and rap music became more popular in the United States in the years after that, it also started to spread globally and it became a large influence for artists all over the world. Especially the most prominent characteristics of rap music, such as the expression of the struggles of black urban life and it often being performed in groups who compete against each other, have become an important source of inspiration for artists worldwide. As American hip hop music started to become popular in many countries, many local artists began adapting it to reach an audience in their own country, which was also the case in the Netherlands.
Nederhop
Interview with Osdorp Posse. Image © Baartman, Nicoline. “Twee van Hun Die Konden Mij, Ik Kreeg Er Nog Wat Wonden Bij.” De Volkskrant, 11 March 1994, resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010866672:mpeg21:p027
Hip hop started to become popular in the Netherlands in the late 1980s as a result of globalization. Just like in the United States, hip hop used to be mostly performed by groups in the Netherlands in the 1990s. One of the first groups that started making hip hop music in the Netherlands is Osdorp Posse. Like most other hip hop artists in the Netherlands, they were inspired by American hip hop. The group was inspired by American rap songs, but they also made their songs authentic as they sang in Dutch instead of English. As they did this, they created an entirely new language, which consisted of English slang, Dutch slang, and English slang literally translated into Dutch. Osdorp Posse was one of the first Dutch hip hop artists to mix aspects from American rap with their own Dutch culture, which is why they are often seen as one of the creators and pioneers of the Nederhop genre, the new Dutch music genre that was based on American hip hop music.
Pioneers
Nederhop does not only consist of rap music. Because Nederhop was an entirely new genre, Dutch artists had the freedom to be creative and make the music they wanted to make. As a result, many artists started to combine rap music with other genres, such as rock, metal, and reggae. One of the artists who did this and also became a pioneer of the Nederhop genre because of this is Extince. When Extince started his career, he mainly rapped in English. However, one thing he had taken away from American hip hop was that it was important to him to stay true where you come from. Although he was inspired by several American rappers, his own roots were in the Netherlands, which is partly why he also started rapping in Dutch. Another reason is that he was asked to collaborate with Osdorp Posse, one of the first artists to use the Dutch language in hip hop music. Extince was inspired by this and started to rap in Dutch himself. His creativity with language and mixing different genres are the reasons why he is also considered to be one of the pioneers of the Nederhop genre in the Netherlands.
Sources
Goldsmith, Melissa U. D., and Anthony J. Fonseca. Hip Hop Round the World: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2019.
Koreman, Rian. “Legitimating Local Music: Volksmuziek, Hip-Hop/Rap and Dance Music in Dutch Elite Newspapers.” Cultural Sociology, vol. 8, no. 4, 2014, pp. 501–519.
Price, Emmet G. The Rise and Spread of Hip Hop Culture. by Emmet George Price, Santa Barbara, CA: Abc-Clio, 2006.
Interview with Extince. Image © Kleijwegt, David. “Een Geboren Rapper.” Algemeen Dagblad, 22 Dec. 1995, resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:003135019:mpeg21:p00023.