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The 1980s was the decade when hip hop began to really take off and gain popularity throughout the United States. Hip hop music, which really started to develop during the 1970s in New York City, began filling the streets and subways, and taking over clubs throughout the major cities. Hip hop started on the East Coast, and that’s where it stayed throughout much of the 80s. However, towards the end of the decade a new style of hip hop began developing out West. West Coast rap brought a new flare and style to the hip hop world. Two distinct styles of hip hop started to take shape and in a few short years, East Coast rap and West Coast rap would collide and develop an intense rivalry that ultimately ended in bloodshed. Hip hop during much of the 1980s was mostly created by artists on the East Coast. Rap’s most important early Old School artists like Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, and Run DMC were based in New York. East Coast MCs often prided themselves for their aggressive beats and distinct lyrics, from growing up in the ghetto to political views on the world. East Coast artists dominated the 80s, but little did they know that a new style of hip hop was slowly gathering momentum on the other side of th