東海岸說(shuō)唱/Hip-Hop 總的來(lái)說(shuō)比其西海岸說(shuō)唱保留了更多的老派風(fēng)格。Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Run-D.M.C. 和其他精華的東海岸藝術(shù)家直接引鑒他們的前輩的簡(jiǎn)樸與直接性，與西海岸的華麗風(fēng)格形成對(duì)比。由此產(chǎn)生了更有棱角的節(jié)奏和嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)而又有力的韻律。
隨著東西海岸的融合，說(shuō)唱成為兩岸文化的合金，清晰明快的東海岸之聲繼續(xù)蓬勃發(fā)展，涌現(xiàn)了一批如Nas, Mobb Deep 和Juru the Damaja 之流的年輕有為的創(chuàng)新藝人。?
說(shuō)唱樂(lè)（Rap）一開(kāi)始幾乎全部來(lái)自美國(guó)東岸（East Coast），而早期重要的說(shuō)唱歌手（Rappa）也大都出現(xiàn)在紐約，如老派說(shuō)唱（Oldschool）的傳奇人物DJ KoolHerc（來(lái)自牙買加的嘻哈之父）、“閃手大師”（GrandmasterFlash）、“祖魯幫首領(lǐng)”（AfricaBambaataa）、“糖山幫”（The SugarhillGang）、柯蒂斯?布洛（Kurtis Blow）以及“饒舌先鋒”（Run DMC）等，直到80年代說(shuō)唱樂(lè)逐漸成長(zhǎng)且變得更加多元化，也開(kāi)始在美國(guó)各地萌芽。
雖然東岸的說(shuō)唱開(kāi)始并無(wú)統(tǒng)一性，但從80年代中期至晚期還是可以聽(tīng)的出來(lái)它們較傾向于強(qiáng)烈的音樂(lè)節(jié)奏及取樣（Sample）技術(shù)。在說(shuō)唱歌手部分，它們較擅長(zhǎng)于反映時(shí)事政治并較能引人思考其主題，這也從一定程度上提升了說(shuō)唱的層次。
東岸說(shuō)唱的黃金時(shí)期知名的說(shuō)唱歌手有“埃里克?比與拉基姆”（Eric b &Rakim）、“搖擺制造”（Boogie DownProduction）、“獨(dú)眼里克”（Slick Rick）他們用老派說(shuō)唱等自夸的文字寫作并進(jìn)行說(shuō)唱，EPMD以及“人民公敵”（Public Enemy）強(qiáng)烈的音樂(lè)性和內(nèi)容的批判性帶領(lǐng)東岸說(shuō)唱樂(lè)茁壯成長(zhǎng)，“探索一族”（A Tribe Called Quest）、“追魂者”（De LaSoul）、“叢林兄弟”（Jungle Brothers）等多數(shù)來(lái)自紐約的團(tuán)體，也是影響80年代后期的重要團(tuán)體。
他們的特點(diǎn)是帶有爵士味道的音樂(lè)性及正面的歌詞；自90年代后期，東岸又涌現(xiàn)出一批更鞏固?hào)|岸力量的“中堅(jiān)分子”，如穩(wěn)坐東岸頭一把交椅的“聲名狼藉先生”（Biggie）、街頭詩(shī)人“納斯”（Nas）、硬核（Hardcore）團(tuán)體“武當(dāng)派”（Wu-TangClan）、把爵士說(shuō)唱進(jìn)行到底的“根”（TheRoots），爵士說(shuō)唱節(jié)奏（Jazz Beats）大師皮特?羅克（Pete Rock）以及吹牛老爹（PuffDaddy）的商業(yè)化的“派隊(duì)說(shuō)唱”（Party Rap）……這些人無(wú)不對(duì)東岸的嘻哈有著莫大的影響。在多樣化的音樂(lè)發(fā)展下，東岸的說(shuō)唱樂(lè)逐漸近化成一種音樂(lè)藝術(shù)文化，使得東岸說(shuō)唱樂(lè)進(jìn)而被劃分出來(lái)，成為社會(huì)上倍受尊重且表現(xiàn)細(xì)膩的一種音樂(lè)。?
At the dawn of the hip-hop era, all rap was East Coast rap. All ofrap's most important early artists were based in the New York City area —old-school legends like DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, theSugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, and Run-D.M.C.?
As rap grew and became more diverseover the course of the '80s, productive scenes began to spring up in otherlocations around the country; nonetheless, East Coast rap dominated throughmost of the '80s. Although the sound of East Coast rap wasn't completelyuniform, from the mid- to late '80s it tended to gravitate to more aggressivebeats and sample collages, and many MCs prided themselves on their technicaldexterity in crafting lyrics. In other words, with some exceptions East Coastrap became a music intended more for intense listening than for the dancefloor,helping develop the genre into a respected art form as it grew more elaborateand complex.?
Typifying this golden era of the East Coast sound were artistslike Eric B. & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions, and Slick Rick, all of whomboasted immense lyrical skill rooted in old-school style, as well as theharder-hitting sounds of EPMD and Public Enemy.?
Also based on the East Coastwere the Native Tongues, a collective of positive, Afrocentric artistsassembled by Afrika Bambaataa; while De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, theJungle Brothers, and other, mostly New York-based groups had a major impact onhip-hop in the late '80s, they were more readily identified with their musicaleclecticism than any specific geographic location.?
N.W.A's 1989 album StraightOutta Compton served notice that the West Coast had toughened its sound to goalong with its already gritty, street-level subject matter; combined with WestCoast rap's ability to retain its primary function as party music, this helpedmake it the dominant force in hip-hop during the '90s.?
The rise of Southern rapfurther ensured that East Coast rap could no longer dominate as it once had,but the '90s were hardly a wash for the region. In addition to Puff Daddy'shugely lucrative, pop-accessible Bad Boy label, the East Coast produced itsshare of varied, highly acclaimed artists, including lyrical virtuoso Nas, theeclectic Fugees and Roots, and the hugely influential hardcore unit Wu-TangClan.