Top Freestyle Artists Of All Time

The Beat Chicago plays music that makes you feel good, music that keeps you movin’ from great freestyle artists and more

You’ll hear great songs from many of the artists in this poll played on The Beat daily and in our mix shows like Friday Night Jams and Saturday Night Live Ain’t No Jive Chicago Party.</p? Many of the artists here are also honorary inductees into the U.S. Dance Music Hall Of Fame. The history of freestyle: Some called it Latin hip-hop, others called it heartthrob, in the end, it’s all freestyle. The sound was a fusion of synthetic instrumentation and syncopated percussion of the 1980s electro sound. It didn’t take long for freestyle to catch on with the rest of the country, or the world. While it got its start primarily in the Hispanic (Puerto Rican) communities of Upper Manhattan, The Bronx and the Italian-American communities in Brooklyn, from there, its popularity crossed the country, then the world. New Jersey had the fever, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Seattle, L.A., Phoenix, Las Vegas, New Orleans, even Europe. Radio stations like WBMX in Chicago, Hot 105 in Miami, KZZP in Phoenix, Power 106 in L.A. and other stations helped freestyle artists make a name for themselves. In 1984, a Latin presence was established when the first song recorded in the genre by a Latin American artist, “Please Don’t Go”, by newcomer Nayobe (a singer from Brooklyn and of Afro-Cuban descent) was released. Featured in the movie “Krush Groove”, the song reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In 1985, a Spanish version of the song was released with the title “No Te Vayas”. By 1987, freestyle began getting more airplay on American pop radio stations. Songs such as “Come Go with Me” by Exposé, “Show Me” by The Cover Girls, “Fascinated” by Company B, “Silent Morning” by Noel, and “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” by Pretty Poison, brought freestyle into the mainstream and is still loved today. So vote early, vote often to make your favorite artist the greatest of all time