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Freestyle, Freestyle Mashups, in its early years, is a form of electronic music. Performers such as Sa-Fire, Information Society, Noel, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, TKA, George Lamond, and Exposé are notable performers of the genre. Freestyle Mashups continues to be produced today and enjoys some degree of popularity, especially in the urban Latino (Puerto Rican) and Italian-American community, as it did when it first came on to the scene. Another popular modern dance music genre, Florida breaks, evolved from this sound. Freestyle Mashups.
Freestyle Mashups music first developed primarily in New York City and Miami in the mid-1980s. Freestyle Mashups eventually spread to many other cities with Latin influences as in Hispanic and Italian populations. Initially, Freestyle Mashups was a fusion of the vocal styles found in 1970s disco music with the syncopated, synthetic instrumentation of 1980s electro, as favored by fans of breakdancing. Specifically, Freestyle's true roots is traced back to Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock" (1982) and Shannon's "Let the Music Play", which debuted in 1983. Freestyle Mashups was also influenced by sampling, as found in hip hop music.
Freestyle, Freestyle Mashups, reached its peak in 1987 before it fell in popularity and was slowly replaced by burgeoning house music in 1988. "Silent Morning", composed by Noel (poster boy for Freestyle), hugely boosted Freestyle's popularity and brought it to the forefront of the international scene in 1987, expanding its potential. Before Freestyle, Freestyle Mashups, could make a permanent impact, however, by the late 1980s and early 1990s, house music, a reincarnation of 1970's disco, challenged the original, upbeat 1980s Freestyle, Freestyle Mashups. Unfortunately, beginning in 1988 and on through the 1990s, the electro and Latin hip hop influences of Freestyle were supplanted by house music, which marked Freestyle's downfall.
Freestyle, Freestyle Mashups has continued to have a strong following in its two founding cities, although a club sound, Freestyle, Freestyle Mashups has begun to spread back into the mainstream media. Beginning in 1996 New York's KTU radio station began holding live concerts titled "Freestyle Free for ALL". Since its debut the concert reinserted Freestyle, Freestyle Mashups into the lime light paving the way for new releases later that year, such as "Do unto me" by Coro. After the popularity of Reggaeton began to diminish interest in Freestyle began to increase, with some radio stations giving up their Reggaeton blocks for Freestyle blocks. In 2006 KTU Invited Coro to perform in their "Beatstock" Concert which was very well received. Although Freestyle remained an "old school beat", Freestyle Mashups popularity continued to expand further than NYC and Miami, beginning to spread into Europe. In 2008 arguably the largest Freestyle concert in its existence was held at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The concert titled "Freestyle Extravaganza" Sold out and was one of the most celebrated concerts, with video clips all over Youtube and the rest of the internet's media. Freestyle has begun to influence Reggaeton with a few singles being released with Freestyle beats, as well as, remakes of old Freestyle songs, Freestyle Mashups; Pitbull and Stevie B releasing a remake of the hit "Spring Love".
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