freestyle
what it is
Freestyle music or Latin Freestyle, also called Latin Hip Hop in its early years, is a form of electronic music which emerged in the early 1980s and declined around the early 1990s. The music first developed primarily in its founding cities New York City and Miami in the early 1980s. Initially, it 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.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make freestyle a playlist
turn these 25 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is freestyle?
Freestyle music or Latin Freestyle, also called Latin Hip Hop in its early years, is a form of electronic music which emerged in the early 1980s and declined around the early 1990s. The music first developed primarily in its founding cities New York City and Miami in the early 1980s. Initially, it 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.
What are good freestyle albums to start with?
Try Exposure by Exposé, Nothing Matters Without Love by Seduction, The Mega Mix by Lil Suzy, and What Are You Lookin' At? by Rockell.
Who are some women making freestyle?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/freestyle/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making freestyle, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20