essay on the history of hip hop

Hip Hop History: From the Streets to the Mainstream

From the street corner to the world stage, hip hop has grown into one of the world’s most prominent musical genres and cultural influences. Explore significant events in hip hop history and its explosive evolution.

In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force released “Planet Rock,” one of the most influential early hip hop songs. Instead of rapping over funk beats, Bambaataa created an electronic sound by sampling Kraftwerk and using the Roland TR-808 drum machine. The song helped popularize the TR-808, which became a staple of hip hop music.

Grandmaster Flash

In 2007, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five made history again. The group became the first hip hop act inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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The History of Hip-Hop Culture

Executive summary, introduction, key artists & musical works, business influence.

Hip-Hop culture emerged in the Bronx, in New York City some 30 years ago. It is the subculture that has been involved with four elements, rap, graffiti, break dancing, and disk jockey. Most of the historical studies prove the fact that Hip-Hop was the contribution of the low class, who occupied the empty buildings which were deserted by the middle class. Though different names have been heard associated with the origin of this culture, most believe that the seven boys of Bronx called “Savage Seven” as the inventors of this stream. Some also believe that it was Kool DJ Herc who migrated to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, and settled in the West Bronx of New York. Different factors have helped in the development of this culture.

The telecast of Hip-Hop dance and music on the television and the radio could create a stir in the minds of the audience and made many fans of this culture, especially music and dance. From the Bronx, it moved to a different part of the world. As African youngsters were the chief followers of this culture, it was coarse and aggressive at the beginning, but later it attracted the attention of many, including Fidel Castro, who appreciated it and commented that it is capable of producing enjoyment. Hip-Hop has exerted its influence in business life also. Now a day those who are in this fielded regard it as the most profitable field that offers monetary rewards as well as popularity to them.

Hip-Hop is an art form involved with various art forms that have overpowered the minds of people for a long time. Within the very limited period of its debut, it could exert its predominant place in the world of art and be capable of raising the aesthetic level of its different viewers. As it has become the part of daily life, later it has been named as the Hip-Hop culture or “the genre that emerged from basement parties in the Sedgwick Avenue apartment building of The Bronx, in New York City some 30 years ago, has ripened to a social, cultural and corporate phenomenon.”

(Robinson 2009). To study culture is somewhat difficult particularly when it is involved with various sections and various aspects and has exerted its great influence in the later history of the African American cultures. Even an onlooker is capable of realizing the magnificent effect of this culture in the social and cultural life of the African, American people. The beginning era of the Hip-Hop culture is marked with presentations of one’s innate qualities; his musical or lyrical qualities, dancing, and it was a podium for presenting a community’s struggles and shortcomings. A historical analysis will reveal the reality that Hip-Hop with the bundle of art, dance, culture, language, and fashion spread in the areas of the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is much later, as one can see, it developed in the U.S. and swelled in American cities. This report, with help of secondary research analyses the historical evolution of Hip-Hop culture; Hip-Hop music, dance, art, culture, language, and fashion. For better results of the report, web articles, books, journals, etc. are analyzed and evaluated.

Hip-Hop culture cannot claim the history of many years. The breaking and the original happy mood make it quite different in style. Improvisational nature, the cultural influence of African American and Hispanic groups, the music to which they danced are the surrounding elements of Hip hop. In the 1980s Hip-Hop music has changed and formed and established a new dance form. The new form was designed with lots of jumping instead of traditional dance steps with the number of ground steps. After the analysis of the steps of hip hop, one can easily find the strong influence of fad dance. Three major events took place in the city of the Bronx and these events led to the birth of the hop subculture.

One of the major events is that the replacement of the middle-class German, Irish, and Italians in the city of Bronx. It was replaced by poor Blacks and Hispanic groups. In his journal article entitled The Evolution of Rap Music in the United States, Henry A. Rhodes states that: “As a result, the middle-class Italian, German, Irish, and Jewish neighborhoods disappeared overnight. In addition, businesses and factories relocated and left this borough.” (Rhodes 2009). The migration of middle-class people from Bronx city to well-known apartments caused the formation of several empty buildings. The third and immediate cause for the formation of Hip-Hop culture is the emergence of a group of seven teenage boys who began to concentrate on the Southeast Bronx with the nickname ‘Savage Seven’ (Rhodes 2009). When analyzing the history of Hip-Hop subculture, one can find that the chief exponents of this movement were the members of different groups.

From the analysis of different historical studies, it is understood that the Hip-Hop genre emerged in the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia and later it spread almost all parts of the world, especially in America. Historical evidence shows that Hip-Hop genre began in the streets of New York for thirty years and has been subjected to various changes in the long run. Hip-Hop is comprised of four elements; rap, graffiti, break-dancing, and disc jockey.

Most of the studies prove that the Hip-Hop culture appeared first in “1970s upon the arrival of a one Kool DJ Herc . The chief proponent of this genre was Kool DJ Herc migrated to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, and settled in the West Bronx of New York.” (Alexander). Kool DJ Herc was a disc jockey who tried to apply his Jamaican style of music in disc jockeying. The disc jockeying of that time involved reciting improvised rhymes over reggae records. As he was not much interested in reggae, he tried his luck in other sounds that could please the audience. It is this attempt that led him to be the founder of one of the most popular genres of modern times, Hip-Hop genre. He invented by using an audio mixer and attempted to play any sound segment over and over and thus by extending the one segment of the entire song.

It created a stir in the urban community of New York, and many people were attracted to it and they felt it as a system that knew no boundaries. One of the main features that attracted them was it had no hard and fast rules, except with the rhyme and the beat of the music. One could sing of the issues that are related to one’s life of very simple things. As the popularity of Hip-Hop increased, many were attracted to it, and a lot of improvisations and techniques like “cutting” (moving between tracks exactly on the beat), “back spinning” (manually turning records to repeat brief snippets of sound), and “phasing” (manipulating turntable speeds), etc. have been attempted on it.

There had formed different rapper groups and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Sugar Hill Gangs were some of them. The rappers brought themes from ordinary life and expressed the hard realities of life in the ghetto. It may be assumed that the portrayal of real-life contributed that much popularity to the Hip-Hop culture. By the 1980s, as the historical evidence show, its popularity rocketed and many people began to recognize the profitability of this growing field. The television broadcast of Hip Hop, through channels like MTV (Music Television), brought its popularity even among the suburban people. From the Bronx, its popularity spread out to Los Angels and California. Even radio stations were being established in recognition of their vast popularity. Different rapper groups conducted various tour programs that attracted the attention of the main audience and it gained many fans.

Now one can see the influence of Hip-Hop in various parts of the world and it has become the language of the youth. Most of the third world countries have recognized it as a means to express resistance once. Some of the countries regard it as the voice of the oppressed people. In his article, “The Genre and the Rest of the World” Desi K. Robinson comments about the vast influence of this genre in the different parts of the world and makes the following comments. When he views Cuba, he remarks that in “Cuba, Hip-Hop was initially viewed with suspicion, not just by the government, but by many in the community as well.” (Robinson 2009). He continues to say that the Hip-Hop culture was just another American cultural invasion that caused violence and problems in the street. But later the concept changed and even Fidel Castro regarded it as a suitable revolutionary art form. The rap scene in Australia was somewhat different compared to other nations as it is involved with the continuous quest for identity in post-colonial and post-war Australia. It is Africa and the Caribbean that celebrated the international impact of Hip-Hop and they propounded a new style called “rapso” in Trinidad. When evaluating the rap scenes in Africa, Robinson comments that Hip-Hop had tremendous influence in Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. By quoting the words of the U.S. Department of State, Robinson writes, “now the center of a mega music and fashion industry around the world that crosses social barriers and cuts across racial lines.” (Robinson 2009).

It is difficult to put together a list of all-time greats in Hip-Hop primarily due to the personal likes and dislikes of individual music lovers. In such a situation, it is better to rely on reliable sources that have access to and compiled a list of artists from the preferences of a large number of music lovers. This is what is proposed in this section. According to America Online, the following artists are among all-time greats of Hip-Hop music. The top ten according to a web publication by AOL include “Soulja Boy Tell Em, T.I., Eminem, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Plies, Flo Rida, Bow Wow, Gucci Mane, and 2Pac.” ( Hip-Hop artists 2009). The above list is ranked by their current popularity and standings. But it should be noted that this list could change since the popularity in the music world is fickle and also very difficult to maintain. But it is proposed to have a brief review of the above ten since they are among all-time greats of this form of music. Hip-Hop is essentially an evolution of rap music as is seen from the biography of the individuals or groups mentioned above.

Soulja Boy Tell Em whose real name is DeAndre Ramone Way is now only nineteen years old. This is an indication that Hip-Hop is more of youth music when compared to older musical styles such as jazz, blues, or even rap. All these forms of music have been around for some time. In a sense, this form of music is very young in terms of its popularity and its stars. “ T.I. is a Southern-based rapper from Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Known for his rapid-fire delivery of lyrics, he is known as the “King Of The South”. He is also known as T.I.P. or The Rubberband Man.” ( T.I: biography 2007). So, Hip-Hop requires athleticism and rhythm even though the melody is not seen as a requirement in this genre of music. Eminem is also classified as a rap cum Hip-Hop artiste. Born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, has to his credit Academy and Grammy awards apart from a host of other recognitions. He must be among the older hip-hop artists since he is around twenty-seven years of age. Kanye West is more than a singer or rapper. His talent covers producing apart from being a rapper and hip-hop artist. The metal chin to replace the damage caused in a car accident while returning from a late-night recording adds to his allure as a musician. His debut album sold nearly half a million copies, and it speaks volumes of his talent in this genre. Curtis James Jackson calls himself 50 cents in his life as a hip-hop artist and rapper.

A boxer turned musician, he did not have any great initial successes like Kanye West and came up the hard way. So far, a majority of top artists in the Hip-Hop genre are colored which speaks about the musical and rhythmic talent that is seen in this community. It is no wonder that this community has been able to popularize other genres of music like jazz and blues. Hip Hopper whose real name is Algernon Lanier Washington is again a colored artist who has been able to make a name for himself in the world of American popular music. His elder brother was also a musician and helped him in his early years. He was a musician who tasted success with his debut album ‘Shawty’. Flo Rida born Tramar Dillard is again an African American like the majority of Hip-Hop rap artists mentioned above. “Through the music industry relationships he cultivated, Flo Rida met DeVante Swing of the group Jodeci and headed west to Los Angeles, California to pursue a music career.” (Lamp 2009). Flo Rida joins a group of young hip-hop artists who became famous with their debut albums. He started his career as a teenager and toured with his with 2 Live Crew’s Fresh Kid Ice and is popping up on high profiles. Bow Vow is one of the notable artists who gained popularity with his rap debut on Beware of Dog (2000).

Though he faced difficulties at the beginning of his career, he managed to overcome them and now towers over other Hip-Hop artists by acquiring the eighth rank. He is now growing as a mature artist with his various albums. The Notorious B.I.G is an American rapper, one of the greatest rappers of America who became very popular in the world of rappers with his notable albums. Ready to Die is his debut studio album that was released on 13 th September 1994. Hardcore Hip-Hop is his partly autobiographical album that tells his own story as a young criminal. He refers to himself in the album as “the black Frank White”. It gained him much popularity as a rapper and it gained strong reviews and great commercial success. Ready to Die is one of the top hip-hop albums of all time. In this album, Biggie tells about everyday struggles and the hardships of coming up in B K. It contains much charisma, in-depth storytelling, and tricky word-play. Interestingly the production matched his grimy voice. So it attracts the listener on the very first listening. This is not exclusively for Hip-Hop fans but for all types of listeners who like music.

When looking at the business side of Hip-Hop one can see that it has now become one of the most profitable fields of the modern world. The participants and the practitioners of Hip-Hop music and Hip-Hop dance are now paid well and many youngsters come to this field attracted with the payment. An analysis will reveal the reality that Hip-Hop is the field that acquires more money than the traditional music genres like pop, rock, and country. These traditional music genres make money by selling albums and touring. But hip-hop has spawned an impressive cadre of musicians-cum-entrepreneurs who have parlayed their fame into profitable entertainment empires. The most famous name in rap is that of Russell Simmons. He is considered as the “Godfather of Hip-Hop.” He’s the businessman who took hip-hop music from the inner-city streets of New York to the shopping malls of Middle America. Eighty percent of the hip-hop audience is white and they have made it a ten billion dollar industry.

From the various researches conducted for the study, the researcher has concluded that Hip-Hop culture has been deeply rooted in the modern world. Hip-Hop culture is comprised of music, dance, art, and language. It is the field that attracts the attention of the youngsters who are bewitched by the sudden popularity and the monetary benefits. Though it originated in The Bronx, in New York City, later it emerged as a dominating culture that could exert its influence in various parts of one’s life.

Alexander, Bey, Hip Hop’s musical evolution of rap , Born and Raised in the New York City, Web.

Hip-Hop artists: hot Hip-Hop artists 2009, AOL Music, Web.

Lamp, Bill 2009, Flo rida: return to Florida , About.com: Top40/Pop.

Robinson, Desi K 2009, The genre and the rest of the world , NB The New Black Magazine.

Rhodes, Henry A 2009, The evolution of rap music in the United States, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, Web.

T.I: biography 2007, Hip-Hop Galaxy, Web.

2pac biography 2009, AOL Music, Web.

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How Do You Tell the Story of 50 Years of Hip-Hop?

Hip-hop is a fount of constant innovation woven into nearly every corner of American life. So don’t look for cohesion: Lean into the cacophony.

By Jon Caramanica

Hip-hop is a wondrous and centerless tangle, ubiquitous even if not always totally visible.

It is a fount of constant innovation, and a historical text ripe for pilfering. It is a continuation of rock, soul and jazz traditions, while also explicitly loosening their cultural grip. It is evolving more rapidly than ever — new styles emerge yearly, or faster, multiplying the genre’s potential. And it has impact far beyond music: Hip-hop is woven into television and film, fashion, advertising, literature, politics and countless other corners of American life. It is lingua franca, impossible to avoid.

It is far too vast to be contained under one tent, or limited to one narrative. The genre is gargantuan, nonlinear and unruly. It has its own internal quarrels and misunderstandings, and its stakeholders are sometimes friends and collaborators, and sometimes view each other warily.

So when trying to catalog hip-hop in full, it’s only reasonable to lean into the cacophony. The package that accompanies this essay does just that, collecting oral histories from 50 genre titans of the past five-plus decades. The number matters. It’s an acknowledgment that at 50 years old — a mild fiction, but more on that later — hip-hop is broad and fruitful, enthralling and polyglot, the source of an endless fount of narratives. Its fullness cannot be captured without sprawl and ambition. Many voices need to be heard, and they won’t always agree.

Side by side, there are stylistic innovators, crossover superstars, regional heroes, micromarket celebrities. There are those who insist on their primacy and see themselves as a center of gravity, and those who are proud students of the game and understand their place in hip-hop’s broader artistic arc. There are those who are universally recognized, and those known mainly by connoisseurs. There are agitators and accommodationists. The revered and the maligned. Some even play with the boundaries of what rapping is ordinarily considered to be.

All taken together, these artists form a family tree of the genre, one that highlights bridges between groups that are typically discussed separately, and that underscores the ways in which rappers — no matter the city they hail from, or the era in which they found their success — have been grappling with similar circumstances, creative questions and obstacles.

These 50 histories detail hip-hop from countless vantage points: the past forward, and vice versa; the underground upward; the less populated regions outward; the big cities out into the suburbs. They tell the story of a makeshift musical movement that laid the foundation for the defining cultural shift of the past few decades.

Fifty years ago, though, that outcome seemed fanciful at best. In the 1970s, Bronx block parties gave way to nightclubs, and talking D.J.s laid the foundation for dedicated M.C.s to begin taking over. Soon, the intrusion of capitalism removed and packaged the part of these live events that was the easiest to transmit: rapping.

Then it was off to the races. By the mid-1980s, the hip-hop industry was a small club but big business, as audiences around the country were primed by the commercial release of recordings from countless New York artists. A wave of soon-to-be-global stars arrived: Run-DMC, LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys. Hip-hop became worldwide counterculture.

By the dawn of the 1990s, it flowered everywhere in this country — the South, the West, the Midwest — and seeped into the global mainstream. In the mid-90s, thanks to the work of Biggie Smalls and Puffy, Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre, Bad Boy and Death Row, it became the center of American pop music, despite resistance from those convinced rock was destined to forever reign supreme.

Into the 2000s, the genre’s power center shifted from the coasts to the South, where the genre was flourishing (largely away from the scrutiny of the major labels) in Miami, Houston, Virginia, Atlanta and Memphis. 2 Live Crew, the Geto Boys, Missy Elliott, Outkast, Three 6 Mafia — each had absorbed what was being imported from the rest of the country and created new lingo and sonic frameworks around it. Hip-hop was becoming a widely shared language with numerous dialects.

All the while, the genre was expanding, becoming more commercially successful and inescapable with each year. It became centrist pop, which in turn spun off its own dissidents: the New York and Los Angeles undergrounds of the 1990s; the progressive indie scenes of the 2000s; and the SoundCloud rap of the 2010s. In the past 20 years, hip-hop has been responsible not only for some of the biggest pop music of the era — Drake, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Cardi B — but its templates have become open source for performers in other genres to borrow from, which they did, and do, widely. Hip-hop became a crucial touch point for country music, for reggaeton, for hard rock, for K-pop and much more.

What’s striking in the histories collected in this package is how no part of that ascent has been taken for granted. In every era, there were stumbling blocks. For each artist, there was a promise of a scene just out of reach. And for all of these rappers, that meant leaning in to a new idea of what their version of hip-hop could be, and hoping ears would meet them in this untested place.

There is also the matter of untold history — to read these recollections is to be continually reminded of those who are no longer here to share their tales. There is a punishing catalog of before-their-time deaths just below these stories, a reminder that canons can’t include songs that never got to be made.

As for the 50th anniversary, well, it is a framing of convenience. The date refers to Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc — in the rec room of the apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx — reportedly first mixed two copies of the same album into one seamless breakbeat. That is, of course, one way to think about hip-hop’s big-bang moment, but by no means the only one. If you think of rapping as toasting, or talking over prerecorded music, or speaking in rhythmic form, then hip-hop has been around longer than 50 years. Just ask the Last Poets, or DJ Hollywood, who would improvise rhymes on the microphone as he was spinning disco records. There are also, depending upon whom you ask, others who had previously mixed two of the same record.

But the canniness and the cynicism of attempting to enshrine a date that everyone can stand behind reflects a darker and more worrisome truth, which is that, for decades, hip-hop was perceived as disposable, a nuisance, an aberration. Commemoration and enshrinement seemed far-fetched. For a long time, hip-hop had to argue for its rightful place in pop music, and pop culture, facing hostilities that were racial, legal, musical and beyond.

Insisting that the genre has an origin point, therefore, is really just another way of insisting on its importance, its stability and its future. You can quarrel with the specific details — and many do — but not with the intent, which is to ensure that no one again overlooks the genre’s power and influence.

That said, hip-hop was never going anywhere, because no style of pop music has been as adaptive and as sly. Hip-hop directly answers its critics, and it voraciously consumes and reframes its antecedents. It is restless and immediate, sometimes changing so quickly that it doesn’t stop to document itself. So here is a landing place to reflect, and a jumping off point for the next 50 or so years.

Jon Caramanica is a pop music critic for The Times and the host of the “Popcast” podcast. He also writes the men's Critical Shopper column for Styles. He previously worked for Vibe magazine, and has written for the Village Voice, Spin, XXL and more. More about Jon Caramanica

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General Education

Although widely synonymous with rap music today, hip-hop actually got its start as a full-on cultural movement in the 1970s. For the first few decades that the term was around, hip-hop wasn’t just about music: it also referred to art, style, dance, and philosophy.

In this article, we cover the full history of hip hop dance and music and include a helpful hip hop history timeline for reference.

Origins of Hip Hop

Hip hop (or hip-hop, the two can be used interchangeably) began as a culture and art movement in the Bronx, where demographics were rapidly shifting in the early 1970s.

During the 1950s and 60s, many white, middle-class people left the cities to move to the suburbs. The African Americans and Latino Americans that were left behind in cities (or who moved to the cities in the intervening years) encountered many challenges in their neighborhoods, as budgets were slashed and resources diverted to the wealthier, whiter communities.

Faced with a lack of economic opportunity, as well as rising crime and poverty rates, the young people in the Bronx and nearby communities began creating their own kinds of cultural expressions. These forms of expression would come together to form the four pillars of hip hop.

The 4 Main Elements of Hip Hop Music

Most scholars agree that there are four main elements, or pillars, to hip hop music. These pillars originated in the 1970s and continue to represent hip hop culture today:

• Deejaying: making music using record players, turntables, and DJ mixers
• Rapping: rhythmic vocal rhyming style
• Graffiti painting: also known as “graf” or “writing”
• Break dancing: a form of dance that also encompasses an overall attitude and style

All four of these elements remain signifiers of hip hop as a larger cultural movement.

Hip hop is typically broken into three phases: old school, new school, and 21st century.

Old School Hip Hop

Old school hip hop typically dates from the origination of the movement in the early 1970s up until the mid-1980s.

The first major hip hop deejay was DJ Kool Herc. Mixing percussive beats with popular dance songs, Kool Herc was instrumental in developing the sounds that became synonymous with hip hop, such as drum beats and record scratches.

Influenced by Kool Herc and his peers, hip hop deejays developed new turntable techniques, like needle dropping and scratching. Kool Herc also popularized rapping, which drew upon the traditions of West African griots, talking blues songs, and black power poetry, among others.

Towards the end of the old school hip hop era, the movement began to gain national recognition. The Sugarhill Gang’s song “Rapper’s Delight” (released in 1979) rocketed up the national music charts, ushering in a new wave of musicians, artists, and performers, while also introducing people around the world to this new type of music.

New School Hip Hop

By the mid-1980s, hip hop had firmly entered its new school era. The names that headed up hip hop’s new school are more recognizable to a contemporary audience: Run-D.M.C, LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy. Each of these artists is responsible for making hip hop what we know today.

Run-D.M.C brought hip hop to a larger audience through performances on MTV. The Beastie Boys pushed deejaying further with their digital sampling. LL Cool J and Public Enemy pushed rap in new directions: LL Cool J by bringing romantic themes into hip hop and Public Enemy by using rap to push forward political ideology.

Other artists that came of age during hip hop’s new school era include Queen Latifah, who, along with Salt-n-Pepa, brought women into the genre, the Fresh Prince, aka, Will Smith, and M.C. Hammer, all of whom popularized hip hop music even more.

As hip hop grew in popularity, it expanded beyond its regional roots, too. In 1989, N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton became the most prominent hip hop album to emerge from somewhere besides New York City. The East Coast - West Coast divide evolved into a full-on rivalry between the two groups, which ended with the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

From the ashes of the rivalry between the East and West Coasts came late 1990s hip hop, which saw artists like the Wu-Tang Clan, the Fugees, and Diddy reach new levels of popularity.

Hip hop became a worldwide phenomenon at this point, too, with new audiences and artists emerging in places like Tokyo, Cape Town, London, and Paris. By the turn of the century, hip hop was the best-selling music genre in the United States.

Hip Hop in the 21st Century

The 21st century was a tough time for the music industry. The advent of streaming services affected all genres, including hip hop. Despite the monetary effects of the shift in music delivery, hip hop retains its prominence, influencing musicians of all genres.

Over the last decade or so, hip hop has moved further from its East and West coast roots. New epicenters for the genre have emerged in New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston, and Detroit, as well as in other cities throughout the United States.

Building off of the original four pillars that defined the genre, hip hop artists touch every part of American culture, from dance (think Beyonce’s show-stopping productions) to fashion (where artists like Kanye West have launched lines) to politics (Barack Obama referenced Jay Z several times during his 2008 campaign).

While the future of the music industry remains uncertain, one thing’s for sure: hip hop is here to stay.

Major Moments in Hip Hop History

Throughout hip hop’s history there have been major moments, from the first time a drummer used a break beat on a record to the first time a hip hop album went platinum. Here are some of the major moments in hip hop history.

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Rap/Hip-Hop

• Electro-Funk
• Detroit Techno
• New Jack Swing
• Holy Hip-Hop/Christian Rap
• Jazz Hip-Hop Fusion

G-MAN Park Jam in the Bronx

Key Attributes of Rap/Hip-Hop

• Nightlife/Parties
• Economics/Poverty
• Social Consciousness

Musical Features

• Call and Response
• Electronic Sounds

Instruments

• Electric Guitar
• Electric Piano/Synthesizer
• Other Electronic Instruments

Rap music is stylistically and lyrically diverse, representing a range of experiences and worldviews that characterize the multiple and changing voices among African American youth.

Rap is original poetry recited in rhythm and rhyme over prerecorded instrumental tracks. Rap music (also referred to as rap or hip-hop music) evolved in conjunction with the cultural movement called hip-hop. Rap emerged as a minimalist street sound against the backdrop of the heavily orchestrated and formulaic music coming from the local house parties to dance clubs in the early 1970s. Its earliest performers comprise MCs (derived from master of ceremonies but referring to the actual rapper) and DJs (who use and often manipulate pre-recorded tracks as a backdrop to the rap), break dancers and graffiti writers.

Context and History

Old School Roots: early 1970s to the mid-1980s

From its humble beginnings in the Bronx, NY, rap music has moved into the mainstream, redefining the soundscape and character of American popular culture and contributing to the growth of a billion-dollar entertainment industry. Hip-hop music culture is a product of African American, Afro-Caribbean and Latino inner-city communities plagued by poverty, the proliferation of drugs, and gang violence in the 1960s and early 1970s. Some MCs and DJs were members or former members of gangs who used DJing, dancing, and MCing as an alternative to gang warfare. DJ Kool Herc gave the community its blueprints and its first brand of hip-hop music, called b-beat. Hip-hop DJs and MCs originally performed in local house parties and community centers, city parks, neighborhood block parties, and, eventually, local clubs. By the mid-1970s, performance venues included local clubs whose proprietors recognized the commercial potential of this artistic expression. Record and film producers then noticed and began to capitalize on hip-hop culture. Sylvia Robinson of Sugarhill Records introduced rapping into the mainstream with the release of “Rapper’s Delight” (1979) by the Sugarhill Gang. In the 1980s several commercial hip-hop films such as Wild Style (1982), Style Wars (1983), Beat Street (1984), Krush Groove (1985) and Disorderlies (1987) flooded the market with the sound of rap. Major record companies formed partnerships with independent labels and producers specializing in rap music. MCing evolved into the rap music industry while DJing went underground and re-established itself as turntablism (the art of manipulating music with LP records and mixers to create unique rhythms and sounds). Changes to the musical production of hip-hop, along with growing stylistic diversity and advances in technology, led to the community-imposed concept of an old and new school. The “Old School” is associated with the period from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. Initially, DJs were the featured attraction, juggling beats amplified through large sound speakers and shouting praises and catch-phrases to incite crowd participation. Pioneering DJs include Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Wizard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash, and Grandmixer D.ST. When their musical collages and turntable manipulations became so complex that they required their full attention, DJs included a crew of MCs to engage and interact with the crowd of dancers. Grandmaster Flash transferred his street or live mixing style to the studio on “Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981). A year later, Afrika Bambaataa ( “Planet Rock,” 1982) advanced the studio DJing tradition through the use of synthesizers, the 808 drum machine, computers, and analog and digital recording machines and other advanced technologies influenced by Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” (1977), and “Numbers” (1981) coupled with funk aesthetics such as Captain Sky’s “Supersperm” (1978) and the rock-style of Babe Ruth Band’s “The Mexican” (1972).

The Golden Era: Commercialization and the New School Artists (mid-1980s to the mid-1990s)

“New School” rap was coined by the 2nd generation artist (1984) to distinguish the pop sensibilities of the first commercial generation of rap artists and ranged from the pop-oriented humorous style of the Fat Boys (“Jail House Rap,” 1984) and D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (“Parents Just Don’t Understand,” 1988) to the rock-oriented sounds of Run-D.M.C. (“Walk This Way,” 1986). Women rappers like Roxanne Shanté, Salt-n-Pepa, MC Lyte, and Queen Latifah introduced Black women’s point of view to rap fans and proved that they were as skilled and commercially successful as the men. The chaotic sounds of Public Enemy ( It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back , 1988) and N.W.A ( Straight Outta Compton , 1988) became known as hardcore; the harsh lyrical content mirrored the deteriorating conditions of the inner-cities as evidenced by abandoned factories, boarded buildings, dilapidated houses, drug addicts, the homeless, and ongoing confrontations with the police. The hardcore sounds and lyrics of Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and KRS-One became known as “conscious” rap (also known as “message” and “Afrocentric” rap); those of N.W.A, Ice-T, Ice-Cube, and Eazy-E were called “gangsta” rap. Both styles dominated the hip-hop soundscape through much of the 1990s, but gangsta took over in the 21st century, influencing the styles of Master P, 50 Cent, T.I. and Young Jeezy. Despite this domination, an array of hip-hop styles coexisted, including hybrid productions that fused elements of R&B and/or funk with the beats of hip-hop such as those by MC Hammer, Heavy D and the Boyz, Sean “Puffy” Combs, and Kid ‘n Play. Afrocentric and conscious rappers like Lauryn Hill, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Gang Starr favored soul and jazz samples in their mixes.

Mainstreaming into the 21st Century: mid-1990s to the mid-2010s

In the 2000s, hip-hop music was mainstream. Kanye West’s production and lyricism redirected attention away from gangsta rap and explored a range of topics including his middle-class upbringing, anti-Black racism, corporatism, and his faith presented in full self-aggrandizing style. Additionally, Eminem will become a most revered lyricist, by rap artists and rap fans alike, breaking past an obstacle of white inauthenticity laid down by Vanilla Ice a decade earlier. Musically, music-making turned away from the East Coast and the West coast and found a new home in the South. Several epicenters develop influential styles: Miami (Miami bass), New Orleans (bounce), Houston (screwed), and Atlanta (crunk and trap). By the 2010s, socially conscious rap will crossover into the mainstream as R&B and rap artists respond to tension borne from increased police and vigilante shootings of unarmed Black men, women, and children, and from advances in technology for self-production and instant sharing through social media. Key artists include Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Joey Bada$$. Equally important in the 2010s is the rise of female MCs as producers of critically acclaimed albums, proving once again that rap consumers will purchase their music. Women leading the trend include Nicky Minaj and Cardi B.

Musical Features/Performance Style

Old school rap is associated with a party-oriented musical and lyrical style as heard in Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “Birthday Party” (1981). Performers of the old school (early 1970s–mid-1980s) gained their reputations from live performances. Their recordings are characterized by the use of live bands and/or Latin-influenced percussion; the incorporation of scratching and other turntable effects; call-and-response chants between MCs and crowds; and lyrics delivered in rhymed couplets (A-A-B-B).

New school artists such as Eric B. and Rakim (“Eric B. is President,” 1987) added a virtuoso twist to the A-A-B-B scheme by employing internal rhymes that pair words in the middle of a line rather than simply at the end. The “new school” substituted the aggressive sounds of the street for the party sounds of the old school. This hard-edged aesthetic emphasized dissonance and a heavy backbeat, incorporating real sounds of inner-city life such as gunshots, sirens, street cries, and the occasional political speech. In the 1980s and ’90s, electronic and digital productions of hip-hop increasingly replaced live performances. Synthesizers, drum machines, and computers became the primary instruments and eventually sampled materials from various sources, especially funk, provided the foundation for new songs.

In the late 1990s some new school artists like the Roots and Guru began reincorporating live instruments into their recordings and during live performances, such as “Loungin’,” Guru’s collaboration with jazz great Donald Byrd on trumpet and piano. Others, like Dr. Dre, controlled the production tightly by utilizing the basics of classic funk songs, but slowing down the tempo for riding in a car (not dancing), adding menacing, bass-driven grooves (stripping funk’s bright sounds from the brass section), highlighted by integrating high-pitched synthesizer and chopped samples as in “Nothin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” (explicit) . In the second millennium, the southern rap styles explode. Although there is no one southern style, they do share in common some characteristics: rhythmically and melodically minimalistic with coarse accents on the high and low ends leaving a lot of space for vocals.

Early foundations for southern rap emerge come from Miami bass in the mid-1980s made famous by X-rated rappers 2 Live Crew. The sound is grounded on a deep, bass-driven groove that speaks to this cosmopolitan area dance music scene, including Latin rhythms and African-Caribbean song styles like soca, cumbia, rumba, and plena. Southern rap diversified in the 1990s, reflecting local tradition but crossing over to national and international popularity in the 21st century.

Bounce from New Orleans incorporates parade-strutting beats that guide the energetic feel of the music and rappers’ cadences to get dancers to shake their backsides or “twerk.” Examples include David Banner’s “Like a Pimp” (2003), which also includes a signature “Triggerman” sample found in many bounce songs, and Big Freedia “Boot Whop” (2012). In Houston, DJ Screw invented the screw style but unlike other southern rap genres, he slows down the tempo so much that its hypnotic pace matches the dulling effect of the local party drink, sweetened codeine syrup. A song like UGK’s “Short Texas” after DJ Screw re-engineers the song draws out every syllable of UGK’s verses, slurred and deep, and sonically drowsy. By 2000, screwed music (also known as chopped and screwed) would be made more palatable for a national market with an early hit “Sippin’ on Some Syrup” (2000) by Three 6 Mafia and UGK and A$AP Rocky’s “Houston Old Head” (2011), a superstar of the style coming from New York. Both examples maintain the essential elements such as a tempo and groove that is recognizably the style DJ Screw gave Houston fans but with a less narcotic feel.

Atlanta and Memphis will create a new, high-energy club music crunk demarcated by grittier sounds, hoarse chants, antiphonic, repetitive refrains, and the barest-bones beats. Lil Jon’s “Get Crunk” (1997) and Ying Yang Twin’s “Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk!)” (2004) are definitive examples. The variety of southern styles will begin to wane by 2007 with the exception of a drug-trade revival style called trap, which will become the most common rap and pop trend in the 2010s. Most heavily produced in Atlanta, trap’s sound is an umbrella term linking various southern regional styles with older styles (like G-funk, house, and techno) and a home-spun, do-it-yourself, entrepreneurial spirit. Trap derives its name from the place (trap house) where drug dealers produce, sell, and use narcotics. Early artists like T.I. and Pusha T of the Clipse paved the way early in the 2000s to make it mainstream. However, the crossover successes of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” (2015) and Migos with Lil Uzi Vert’s “Bad and Boujee” (2017) made rap, R&B, and pop look to trap for musical inspiration. DJs build their sound on a laptop, midi (musical instrumental digital interface), synth pads, keyboards, software, and 808-drum machine. Its restrained simplicity is more complex than one might give credit—manipulating bell timbres, synthetic claps, stuttering the beat, half-time effects, among other DJing techniques. Chicago will borrow extensively renaming it drill rap. While lyrics focus on drug-sales, the sound has been incorporated by non-trap artists like Kendrick Lamar on “Humble” (2017) or cross-over artists like Cardi B on “Bodak Yellow.”

Hip-hop is rooted in the African American oral traditions of “boasting” (self-aggrandizement), “toasting” (narrative poems that sometimes bestow praise), “signifyin’” (indirect insults), and “playing the dozens” (competitive and recreational exchange of insults). “Old school” lyrics are characterized by a recreational party style that exploited the art of boasting. MCs, rapping in rhyme, bragged about their verbal skills and/or the technological manipulations of DJs who “rocked the house.” Performances were competitive within and against other crews as heard in the mock MC battle “Showdown” (1981) by the Sugarhill Gang vs. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. Kurtis Blow’s “Hard Times” (1980) set the stage for an East Coast style that commented on the economic woes, social ills, and deteriorating conditions of inner-cities, but it was “The Message” (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five that established this direction as “New School.” Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions and Sister Soulja transformed these social messages into nationalist political commentary, calling for African Americans to reject the destructive forces in their communities and to embrace racial pride as a means toward empowerment. On the West Coast, N.W.A., Ice-T, Ice Cube, 2 Pac and others sought to resist oppressive forces by arming and defending themselves with weapons. These artists use the lyrics of gangsta rap, which provide graphic descriptions of gang culture and the social ills of inner-city communities, to “murder” and “rob” their competitors through street and gang “banging” metaphors. Combining old school boasting with “bad man” imagery, the microphone becomes an automatic weapon for an MC to “murder” his competitor.

Ice-T’s “Grand Larceny” (1988) employs the metaphor of “robbing” to brag about stealing the show through his superior rapping skills. Such songs have been misinterpreted as being real acts of violence. Gangsta themes continue to overshadow other styles and artists would prove their authenticity as converted, former drug-dealers like Notorious B.I.G. (New York) and UGK (Houston) in the 1990s, 50 Cent (New York) and T.I. (Atlanta) in the 2000s, and Chief Keef (Chicago) and Fetty Wap (New Jersey) in the 2010s. However, with the rise of shooting deaths of unarmed Black men, women, and children by law enforcement officers and vigilantes in the 2010s conscious rappers will re-emerge alongside the activism generated by the Black Lives Matter coalitional movement sparking protests nationwide. J. Cole’s “Be Free” (2014), Joey Bada$$’s “Land of the Free” (2017), and even trap rappers like Pusha T’s “Sunshine” critique the justice system and the lack of accountability. Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” (2014, featuring Pharrell Williams) becomes an anthem of hope and provides a chant for the young, Black protesters: “We gon’ be alright. We gon’ be alright.”

Women rappers in the 2010s took crafting rap music out of the hands of industry moguls and released self-published songs to the delight of rap fans and rappers anxious to collaborate. Nicki Minaj’s clever rhymes and multiple voices on Kanye West’s “Monster” (2010) highlighted that the new kid among a roster of superstars like Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Rick Ross could outshine the masters. Cardi B’s “I Like It” (2018) is an homage to the 1967 Cuban boogaloo classic “I Like it Like That” by Pete Rodriguez with a hearty, trap rap take that proudly asserts sex-positivity and self-sufficient business women making money through art while paying tribute and owning her Africana-Latina identity.

Bibliography

• Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. Picador. 2005
• Orejuela, Fernando. Race and Hip Hop Culture. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. 2020.

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• Hip Hop Culture

Hip Hop: A Culture of Vision and Voice

Hip hop is global, lapping on every shore and landing at every airport. But what does hip hop  mean? Is it the music with a chest-thumping beat? The rapid-fire lyrics rapped into a handheld mic? Gravity-defying dance steps? Writers turning walls into canvases with larger-than-life letters and illustrations?

Lesson Content

DJ Tony Tone and DJ Kool Herc, 1979 © Joe Conzo, Jr. photographs and ephemera, #8091. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.  

DJ Kool Herc is credited with throwing the switch at an August 1973 dance bash. He spun the same record on twin turntables, toggling between them to isolate and extend percussion breaks—the most danceable sections of a song. It was a technique that filled the floor with dancers who had spent days and weeks polishing their moves.  The effect that night was electric, and soon other DJs in the Bronx were trying to outdo Herc. It was a code that has flowed through hip hop ever since: 1) Use skills and whatever resources are available to create something new and cool; 2) Emulate and imitate the genius of others but inject personal style until the freshness glows. Competition was, and remains, a prime motivator in the hip hop realm. Like a powerful star, this dance-party scene quickly drew other art forms into its orbit. A growing movement of hopeful poets, visual artists, and urban philosophers added their visions and voices by whatever means available. They got the word out about what was happening in their neighborhoods—neighborhoods much of mainstream, middle-class America was doing its best to ignore or run down. Hip hop kept coming, kept pushing, kept playing until that was no longer possible. Today, some hip hop scholars fold as many as six elements into hip hop culture. They include:

• DJing —the artistic handling of beats and music
• MCing , aka  rapping —putting spoken-word poetry to a beat
• Breaking —hip hop’s dance form
• Writing —the painting of highly stylized graffiti
• Theater and literature —combining hip hop elements and themes in drama, poetry, and stories
• Knowledge of self —the moral, social, and spiritual principles that inform and inspire hip hop ways of being.

From its work-with-what-you-got epicenter in the Bronx, hip hop has rolled outward to become a multibillion-dollar business. Its sounds, styles, and fashions are now in play around the world. DJs spin turntables in Sao Paulo, Brazil. MCs rap Arabic in the clubs of Qatar. B-boys and b-girls bust baby freezes in Finland. Graffiti rises on the Great Wall of China. Young poets slam poetry in D.C. So what is hip hop? All of the above and more—whatever we love enough to bring.

The Evolution Of Hip Hop [1979-2017]

Breaking: The Dance Style of Hip Hop

Richard Colón was just 10 when his cousin took him to his first schoolyard bash in 1976. “Ah, I was just blown away,” he says in Jeff Chang’s history of hip hop,  Can’t Stop Won’t Stop . “I just saw all these kids having fun...checking out the whole scene, and it was my first time watching the dance with the music being played...I just immediately became a part of it.”

He soon became a  big  part of it. By his early teens, the boy now immortalized as “Crazy Legs” became a trendsetter for breaking—a dance revolution still popping, locking, and rocking the world.

Making a B-line from the Bronx

As hip hop culture rose from the streets of the Bronx, breaking spun up and stepped out from the concrete itself. Early b(reaker)-girls and b-boys like Crazy Legs and his Rock Steady Crew earned their skills on that hard ground, admiring each other’s cuts, bruises, and “battle scars” as they pushed one another to evermore audacious displays of style and guts.

In keeping with hip hop’s ethic of improvisation, breaking is often a create-on-the-fly dance style. It mixes super-quick footwork with body-torquing twists. Robotic movements flow into smooth whole-body waves before dropping into acrobatic leg flares that suddenly halt in mid-spin freezes that seem to defy gravity. Breaking is the ultimate 3-D dance—flipping high, spinning low, and putting a premium on physical imagination and bravado.

Getting on the Good Foot

Breaking has copied from many dance styles to generate this uniqueness. These styles include the Charleston from 100 years ago that loaned its characteristic leg kick and arm swing as a top-rocking move. The ad-libbing of the Lindy Hop, popular from the 1920s on, also lives in breaking’s style. For individual inspiration, though, no one can best soul singer James Brown. His high-energy dance moves in the 1960s and 70s have inspired b-boys and b-girls ever since, and his song “Get on the Good Foot” is one of breaking’s early anthems. Tap, steppin’, ballet, disco, and modern all continue to contribute.

Breaking has rummaged beyond the dance floor and stage to find many of its most dramatic moves. The whirling torsos and legs of gymnasts on the pommel horse are seen in leg flares, for example. Down-rocking reflects techniques from gymnastic floor routines.The world of hand-to-hand combat has also provided inspiration for b-boys and b-girls. Hip hop scholars often link breaking with  capoeira , a martial arts dance with roots in Angola and Brazil that displays acrobatics, grace, and power. A full-blown showdown makes it clear why breaking contests are referred to as “battles” as dancers mix dance moves with shadow kicks, leg sweeps, and fake attacks in the faces of the competition.

Breaking is much more than a sum of moves from various dances and disciplines, though. It is a living, breathing art form unique every time dancers take their turn in a cypher (see sidebar). Through the years the Rock Steady Crew, the Mighty Zulu Kings, the Lockers, the Electric Boogaloos, and thousands of other individuals and crews have continuously renewed and refreshed the style with original spins, fresh freezes, and new twists on power moves—often laced with body-bending humor. Competition and innovation in breaking—as with all things hip hop—is essential and inspired, and today its style inspires wherever people dance.

Flying Legs Crew: Kings of New York

Hip Hop Vocabulary

B-Terms to Know

The basic vocabulary of breaking—hip hop’s dance style include:

popping  fluid movements of the limbs, such as moving arms like an ocean wave, that emphasize contractions of isolated muscles  locking  snapping arms or legs into held positions, often at sharp angles, to accent a musical rhythm  top-rocking  fancy footwork performed upright  down-rocking  dance moves performed on or close to the ground  up-rocking  martial arts strikes, kicks and sweeps built into the dance steps often with the intent of “burning” an opponent  power moves  acrobatic spins and flares requiring speed, strength, and agility  freeze  sudden halt of a dance step to hold a pose, often while balanced on a hand, shoulder, or head  cypher  group of b-boys/b-girls taking turns in the center of the dance floor

DJing: The Artist at the Turntable

DJs are the soul behind the beat that pleases, surprises, and puts people on the dance floor. The best DJs have an almost mystical sense of mood at a party or club. They sense the right moment to cue the right song using the right technique to take the party where it’s ready to go. It is that insight, a passionate knowledge of music, and technical know-how that make DJing one of the pillars of hip hop culture.

Working the Sound System

A DJ’s sound system is a laboratory for making music magic. Twin turntables are standard, allowing the DJ to switch easily between songs, or spin and manipulate records in tandem to create effects or unique musical combinations. The turntables are wired to a receiver, amplifier, and earthquake-causing speakers. The DJ may use headphones to cue up the next song or song segment as the current music plays. Then he or she uses a mixer, or fader, to make transitions from one turntable to the other—hopefully without missing a beat. Today’s DJs often incorporate digitized and computerized components, as well. But most hip hop purists frown on DJs who button-push preprogrammed playlists. Hip hop culture saves its greatest praise for inspired improvisation.

Before the rise of hip hop, the DJ’s basic role was relatively simple—spin records at a party, club, or on the radio. DJ Kool Herc’s keen observations changed that game. He noticed the energy on the dance floor went off the charts during the “breaks” of songs. Breaks are the instrumental sections in many pop and rhythm & blues numbers that highlight percussion and rhythm.

Herc experimented with methods to extend these sections by playing the same record on both turntables, a technique refined by fellow pioneering DJ Grandmaster Flash. With needle-fine timing, they switched back and forth between the turntables to multiply the break. Crowds, especially dancing b-boys and b-girls, couldn’t get enough. Since the beginning, hip hop DJs have been instrumental in channeling youthful energy away from trouble and toward creative fun.

Good DJs constantly explore ways to pleasantly shock their audiences. They may give people the songs they expect, planning out smooth transitions by matching beats and musical keys from one number to the next. They also innovate by listening for songs within songs, lifting and linking snippets to take the music somewhere new.

In the never-ending quest to distinguish their mix, DJs often haunt used-record stores. They are on the prowl for long-lost songs or sounds they can make new again through the magic of hip hop. Legendary DJ and all-around hip hop luminary Afrika Bambaataa is famous for creating sets that spin from the Pink Panther theme to Kraftwerk to calypso to speeches of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. All that is good from the past and present has a place at the hip hop turntable.

Scratching and Turntablism

As part of the hip hop style of life, DJs are constantly experimenting to set themselves apart from competition. One technique DJs embraced is scratching. To scratch, the DJ physically manipulates the record beneath the needle. Grand Wizzard Theodore stumbled on the technique in the mid-70s. He was a young teen blasting his music when his mom scolded him to turn it down. He fumbled the needle, liked the effect, practiced it, and began using it in shows. Other DJs quickly added scratching to their repertoire as a way to inject more personal style into the music flow.

More recently, turntablism has become an astounding source of new style. It involves extensive real-time sampling from spinning records to create something funky and fresh. Watching an experienced turntablist create in real time is an awe-inspiring experience.

Kool Herc "Merry-Go-Round" Technique

DJ-Terms to Know

The basic vocabulary of  DJing —hip hop’s music style include:

back spinning  turntable technique that quickly “rewinds” a section of a recording beat juggling  manipulating two or more recordings to create a unique musical arrangement beat matching  following a song with another that uses an identical or similar rhythm break , or  breakbeat  instrumental section of a song that emphasizes percussion and rhythm cue  positioning a recording to play at a specific point DJ  short for “disc jockey,” a person who plays recorded music for an audience drum machine , or  beat box  electronic device used by DJs to synthesize drum beats looping  replaying a section of a song to extend it sampling  lifting a section of a recording and using it in a different number or recording scratching  technique of physically manipulating a recording to create a unique effect turntablism  live and extensive manipulation of recordings to create a unique song

MCs: Masters of Rhythm, Rhyme, and Flow

Today, MCs like Jay-Z, MC Lyte, and Kendrick Lamar fly high profiles in the world of hip hop. But that wasn’t always the case for the poets of the microphone.

In hip hop’s early years, its music scene focused on the disc jockey and the dance floor. The MC—short for “master of ceremonies”—was often a kind of sidekick to the DJ. In  Yes Yes Y’all , an oral history of early hip hop, Grandmaster Caz describes the rise of MCing this way: “The microphone was just used for making announcements, like when the next party was gonna be, or people’s mom’s would come to the party looking for them, and you have to announce it on the mic.”

Before long, though, MCs wanted to showcase their own talents. Grandmaster Caz continues: “Different DJs started embellishing what they were saying. I would make an announcement this way, and somebody would hear that and they add a little bit to it. I’d hear it again and take it a little step further ’til it turned from lines to sentences to paragraphs to verses to rhymes.”

More and more, MCs earned the right to grab the mic using freestyle skills to entertain and command a live audience. A “master of ceremonies” might make all the needed announcements; but the job of an MC then and now is to guide everyone’s good time with their energy, wit, and ability to interact with people on the floor. And good MCs don’t just demand the mic—the audience honors their skills by demanding they take it.

Rappers emerged as a somewhat distinct group as rap gained commercial success. They were the voices and characters that created and sold the records. In some ways, the talents and responsibilities of rappers overlap with MCs, and an MC might also rap. The interaction with the audience is the big difference.

In 1979, a trio of MCs rapped over the break from Chic’s “Good Times.” The result was The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” rap’s first hit. Three years later, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five released  The Message , a funky but unblinking account of hard times in an inner-city neighborhood. As the 1980s unrolled, MCs and rappers rose rapidly from second fiddles to big dogs including Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, and Public Enemy. They created personas, cooler-than-life characters that might be super-smooth or gangland tough. They boasted about their style and talents and made sure to honor the DJ. MCing and rapping went from sideshow to main event as one of hip hop’s essential elements.

Hip Hop’s Rapping Poets

An MC or rapper’s “flow” is crucial to his or her performance. The flow is the combination of rhyme and rhythm to create the rap’s desired effect: fluid and soothing to communicate romance, for example; staccato and harsh to signal anger and conflict.

Before hip hop and rap took hold in the United States, spoken-word poetry occasionally worked its way into jazz performances. Many history-minded rappers also connect their art to The Last Poets, a Harlem-based group, and The Watts Prophets out of Los Angeles. Both emerged in the late-1960s and paired political poetry with improvisational jazz. Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” resembles rap before it got the name.

Increasingly, students of hip hop culture recognize the best MCs as accomplished formal poets. They rap complex rhyme schemes, most built on a rock-solid four-beat rhythm, or meter. But again, a good MC surprises audiences with syncopation and other off-the-beat techniques. hip hop aficionados reserve special respect for MCs with freestyle skills—the ability to improvise fresh rhymes while standing in the heat of the spotlight.

The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight

MC-Terms to Know

The basic vocabulary of  MCing —hip hop’s vocal style:

end rhyme  rhyming words at the end of lines flow  a rapper’s vocal style freestyle  improvised rapping griot  (gree-OH) oral storytellers and historians of West Africa internal rhyme  rhyming words within the same line MC  short for “master of ceremonies”; also performer who uses rap techniques to interact with an audience meter  rhythm of a poem persona  character assumed by a performer rap  spoken-word lyrics performed to a beat; one of the elements of hip hop rapper  performer that rhymes lyrics to a rhythm spitting  speaking, performing a rap syncopation  shifting a rhythm away from the normal beat

Writing: Graffiti and Hip Hop Culture

One element of hip hop predates the music and dance scene itself—graffiti writing, or simply  writing  as the artists themselves call it. But it blossomed at the same time the music and dance scenes were finding their feet, and its wild and color-outside-the-lines improvisational style were influenced and inspired by the desire to create something new and fresh.

Graffiti has been around since humans first painted, etched, or carved on rock walls. But urban youth put a new spin on it in the 1960s. In 1967, a Philadelphia teen named Darryl McCray spray painted his alias “Cornbread” wherever he could reach on walls and trains. (He was striving to impress a girl named Cynthia.) In 1968, the budding art form made the jump to New York City. The names JULIO 204, TRACY 168, and TAKI 183 became familiar sights here, there, and increasingly everywhere.

Writing’s Heyday

The number and talents of writers spiked in the mid-1970s as hip hop’s competitive drive kicked in. They added illustrations and second colors to outline stylized bubble and block lettering. The writers—many if not most of them young teens—jumped the limits of size, complexity, and color. Their finest designs seemed to bring life to whatever they graced. They called it  wild style —and it was.

They also jumped over fences, snuck into subway tunnels, and trespassed in nighttime yards where subway cars slept. There, they practiced their art with blank walls and unstained trains as their canvases. When opportunities arose, they painted the whole sides of subway cars and even entire ten-car trains with their elaborate, colorful designs.

They had no illusions their creations would last long. But the opportunity to see their art rolling through the subway was the ultimate payoff for writers like DONDI, LADY PINK, FAB FIVE FREDDY, KASE2, and ZEPHYR. It was outrageous to think thousands of New Yorkers saw their creations each day in one of the richest cities in the world. “If art like this is a crime let God forgive me!” wrote the writer known as LEE of the Fabulous Five crew. They embraced the identity of outlaw artists and admitted the dangers and thrills were part of the appeal. They were on missions to prove they were not only the most imaginative and talented writers in their neighborhood, but the most fearless.

Not surprisingly, NYC officials were not amused. Cops cracked down on writers, and train yards were encircled with new security. At the same time, the art world was catching on that something fresh was happening in the city beyond their fancy uptown galleries. Graffiti-inspired exhibitions popped up, and some writers took the opportunity to commit their passion to canvas instead of granite and steel.

Wild, Hungry, Inspired

Writing's place in hip hop culture was cemented by the early 1980s. Early rappers used wild style on their album covers. Writers painted cool kids’ clothes with designs and got paying gigs painting murals. And two movies— Style Wars  and  Wild Style —debuted. The films made the case that a similar hungry, inspired creativity flowed through writing as well as hip hop’s music and dance scene.

Today, graffiti-influenced writing styles show up worldwide in graphic design, fashion, and street art. Outlaw artists like Banksy are still out there painting trouble. But the vision, passion, and humor the best of these writers display—legit or not—give people the chance to see the work-a-day world in new ways. They seem to say if we pay attention, we can find beauty, meaning, and art most everywhere we look.

Dan One: Alphabetical Engineer

Writing Terms to Know

The basic vocabulary of  writing graffiti —hip hop’s visual art include:

all city  being known for one’s graffiti throughout a city; originally referred to the artwork on subway cars appearing in all five New York City boroughs bite  to steal another writer’s design or style black book  sketchbook used by graffiti writers bombing  to paint many surfaces in an area burner  elaborate, large designs crew  team of writers that often work together gettin’ up  developing one’s reputation or “rep” through writing graffiti graffiti  writing, or drawing on surfaces in public places, usually without permission kings  or  queens  highly respected, experienced writers with most tags piece  short for “masterpiece,” a large, complex graffiti design stencil graffiti  premade designs of paper or cardboard that allow quicker, more exact transmission of images or lettering tag  or  scribble  stylized, but basic graffiti writer’s signature throw up  quick execution writing; generally one color outline and one color filled in toy  inexperienced writer wild style  style of writing that usually involves bold, interlocked letters writer   graffiti artist who has a distinct way they design their letters

Knowledge: A Philosophy of Hip Hop

The 1970s were lean, mean years in sections of New York City. This was especially true in the Bronx and the city’s other low-income areas. Much of the optimism of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement had faded. New York was broke. City officials sliced and diced basic services, school funding, arts education programs, and job training. Life-destroying drugs and crime haunted the streets. Absentee landlords neglected properties until building after building fell into disrepair or went up in flames.

In the face of all that, however, the energy of urban youth refused to shut down. Young people, many of them teens, created new ways of spinning records and dancing. They experimented with new styles of poetry and visual art that revealed their thinking and feelings. Eventually, the elements grooved together into a culture. A name started to stick to it: hip hop .

The Fifth Element

Hip hop’s fifth element of “knowledge” teaches the hip hop community about its identity and ways to express that identity. It places great importance on claiming a stake in one’s own education. “Knowing where YOU come from helps to show YOU where YOU are going,” writes legendary MC KRS-One. “Once you know where you come from you then know what to learn.” (By the way, “KRS” stands for “Knowledge Reigns Supreme.”)

Hip hop believes that people can take control of their lives through self-knowledge and self-expression. Knowledge influences style and technique and connects its artists under a collective hip hop umbrella. It engages the world through hip hop’s history, values, and ideas, and adds intellectual muscle to support and inform its music and moves and its poetry and art. Most importantly, it allows for a shared experience against an uncertain world.

Bambaataa Brings It

Afrika Bambaataa deserves much credit for putting this concept of knowledge into word and action. Bambaataa is a pioneering DJ and MC from the Bronx. A one-time teen leader of a gang, Bambaataa had universal respect and a powerful ability to make peace with and between enemies. His legendary music and dance parties brought together rivals to party in peace. “Free jam!” his flyers announced. “Come one come all, leave your colors at home! Come in peace and unity.”

The young Bambaataa was also a devoted student of history. He absorbed the tactics and strategies of historical leaders—from the French emperor Napoleon to the South African chieftain and military commander Shaka Zulu. He grasped the power of music as a strategy for clearing barriers that divided people, whatever their backgrounds.

By the 1980s, Bambaataa and his large and growing crew had founded the Universal Zulu Nation. Dedicated to hip hop values, the organization’s motto is “Peace, Love, Unity, and Having Fun.” They developed “Infinity Lessons”—principles and codes of conduct for living an honorable hip hop life. They emphasize community, peace, wisdom, freedom, justice, love, unity, responsibility, respect for others, and respect for self. He put his knowledge into words, and the words radiated around the Bronx, throughout New York, and across America.

Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy

Knowledge Terms to Know

The basic vocabulary of  knowledge —hip hop’s philosophy include:

culture  the behaviors and beliefs of a particular group of people didactic  intended to teach a lesson, especially a moral lesson empowerment  increasing of economic, political, social, educational, gender, or spiritual strength of individuals or communities praxis  process when a theory, custom, or lesson is practiced society  social, economic, and cultural system strategy  plan to reach a desired result worldview  ideas about how the world works

Hip Hop Theater and Literary Arts

“Be warned, this  is  theater—but it’s hip hop  theater,” a loud voice booms before the curtain rises for  Into the Hoods . This show has been blowing away London audiences since 2008. It is an urban re-visioning of the fairy tale-genre, following a pair of school kids into a tough part of town instead of a haunted forest. But as with all fairy tales, not everything or everyone is what they seem. Ultimately the stage blazes with wild style art, DJ voiceovers, beats from multiple musical styles, b-boys and b-girls breaking in high-flying choreography, and fresh takes on familiar characters. (DJ Spinderella or Rap-On-Zel ring a bell?)

More and more, the stage has been welcoming hip hop’s elements, energy, and world view. Graffiti writing may splash across the scenery. DJing, rapping, and breaking are likely to take turns in the spotlight. Some shows, like  Into the Hoods , tell their tales mainly through dance and music, while others lay hip hop style over more traditional scripts. Hip hop artists are tackling drama, comedy, and tragedy, and some classic material is getting the hip hop makeover. Will Power’s  The Seven , for example, retells the ancient Greek tragedy  Seven Against Thebes  by Aeschylus using a DJ and rapping cast.

Collaboration and Content

Collaboration is a core ingredient for most hip hop theater groups. In the tradition of the culture, producers, directors, and playwrights stress input and participation by stakeholders—the very people the play is intended to speak to and entertain. Long-time hip hop theater writer/actor/director Danny Hoch says it this way: “Hip-hop theatre… must be  by ,  about  and  for  the hip hop generation, participants in hip hop culture, or both.”

This collaborative process clearly informs the content in hip hop plays and musicals. Plots often tackle current social issues, especially as they relate to urban communities, with characters exploring the strengths and limits of activism and empowerment. Questions of identity are often front and center, including race, class, gender, sexuality, and anything regarded as “different.” The struggle between the individual and society is a central theme as characters seek to create meaning in their lives while struggling to claim their place in the world.

Hip Hop in Prose and Poetry

MCs tell complex stories in rhythm and rhyme. Rappers write and polish their lyrics before delivering them in raps. The secret is out: hip hop poets love words. “The toughest, coolest, most dangerous-seeming MCs are, at heart, basically just enormous language dorks,” cracks music critic Sam Anderson. “They love puns and rhymes and slang and extended metaphors ….” These skills can translate smoothly into literary forms—short stories, novels, scripts, poetry, and comic book-style graphic novels. Some works relate the gritty realities of poverty or inner-city living; others find the humor there and wherever; all describe trying to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Rapped aloud or published on paper, hip hop-influenced literary forms have roots in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s. BAM inspired a generation of African American, Latino, and feminist writers, including Amiri Baraka, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, the Last Poets, and many others, to share stories and views often overlooked or outright rejected by mainstream America. Along the way, spoken word—a forerunner of rap—injected energy into performance. Through poetry slams, it has developed its own fans with its forceful, fun wordplay.

As in theater, the literary world is making more space for hip hop style, subjects, and themes. Scholars Andrew DuBois and Adam Bradley recently edited and published  The Anthology of Rap , a huge collection of lyrics. Says Bradley: “[R]appers are perhaps our greatest public poets, extending a tradition of lyricism that spans continents and stretches back thousands of years… They expand our understanding of human experience by telling stories we might not otherwise hear.”

Some hip hop-savvy teachers are bringing the best of hip hop literature into their classrooms. And writers for kids, teens, and young adults are telling hip hop tales in books like  Think Again  by Doug E. Fresh, Debbie Allen’s  Brothers of the Knight , and the  Hip-Hop Kidz  series by Jasmine Bellar.

Theater and Literary Terms to Know

The basic vocabulary of hip hop theater and literary arts  include:

choreography  arrangement of dance moves collaboration  working together content  subject or information genre  category of literature, such as fairy tales or historic fiction lyricism  poetic or musical style metaphor  symbolic figure of speech scenery  backdrop for a theater production stakeholder  someone who shares interest or responsibility

All The Way Live - Hip Hop Connections

Sean McCollum

Lisa Resnick

October 30, 2019

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Hip Hop — The History of Hip Hop Music

The History of Hip Hop Music

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Hip-Hop Music Essay

Introduction, creations of hip-hop, history of hip-hop, socio-cultural influences of hip-hop music, reference list.

Hip-Hop is perhaps the form of music that has attracted the most controversy. Many people have blamed hip-hop for a number of societal issues like violence, promiscuity, bad language, etc. Whether or not these people are right in blaming hip-hop for these societal problems is still a matter of heated debates among interested parties.

Hip-hop refers to a form of music that is a part of popular music, and that is mainly comprised of deejaying and emceeing. It is associated with other aspects and forms of music that some people view as standalone aspects of popular culture, while others view them as integral aspects of hip-hop.

These aspects are discussed in the “creations of hip-hop” section. This paper is a detailed description of hip-hop music that also gives a sociological analysis of the same.

The most important creation of hip-hop music is, perhaps, rap music. Rap music refers to a form of hip-hop music in which artists sing by talking poetically and rhythmically. It has become so common that some people view it as a popular culture genre by itself while in fact it is a creation of hip-hop music. Other creations of hip-hop are the components of the hip-hop lifestyle.

These include the hip-hop lingo, the hip-hop dress code, graffiti, and breakdancing. The lingo has been the main source of public backlash at hip-hop. For instance, in the year 2007, Don Imus, a radio host, referred to a women’s basketball team as “some nappy headed hos” (Sanneh, 2007, p. 1).

This not only led to him losing his job, but it also led to a spirited discussion of the inappropriateness of hip-hop language in public places. The genre of hip-hop has therefore earned an unmatched global reputation for promotion of crime, misdemeanors, and the promotion of the use of bad language. Among the misdemeanors is graffiti, which is illegal in many countries.

Hip-hop started in Bronx, a New York City borough, when a Jamaican DJ started the deejaying and rapping. The DJ’s name was Kool Herc. Rap is actually a product of the integration of different cultures, which got its popularity after the invention of the hip-hop art of deejaying. It is an integral part of the ancient culture and oral tradition of Africans (Adaso, 2012, p. 1).

Kool’s deejaying style was composed of the reciting of rhymes over instrumentals. He was invited in house parties during which he would use in-house references while rapping with the microphone. Artists in Manhattan and Brooklyn copied this style of entertaining people in house parties, and eventually Herc and other DJs spread hip-hop messages in towns and won many followers.

Hip-hop had humble beginnings. At first, as evidenced in the discussion above, hip-hop comprised of live raps accompanied by instrumentals. This implies that hip-hop artists were not recording songs at that time.

However, with time, artists started recording songs, hip-hop became more popular, and its commercial potential was seen. The earliest rap songs that were recorded include “ King Tim III (Personality Jock) by Fatback Band and Rapper’s Delight by the Sugarhill Gang” (Adaso, 2012, p. 1).

Rapper’s Delight reached number 36 on the charts, which was a big achievement in the 1970’s, and therefore it demonstrated the ability of hip-hop music to draw commercial appeal. Up-to-date hip-hop is still evolving. The good thing about hip-hop is that it can be merged with other genres and styles to make it more appealing.

Contemporary hip-hop has largely borrowed from Jazz, soul, live instrumentations, and other music resources to make it more eclectic. Kanye West is currently championing a movement known as the soulful rap movement. This combines aspects of soul music with rap music, which has served to enrich rap music (Adaso, 2012, p. 1).

Hip-hop has had many influences on the society. Most of these influences are on the social aspect of societal life. A number of unacceptable behaviors in the society have been encouraged by hip-hop leading to a conflict between the ambassadors of hip-hop and the ambassadors of good behavior in the society. One aspect of hip-hop that has attracted substantial controversy, and which has led to various social effects is graffiti.

Hip-hop fans tend to adore graffiti, which is a socially unacceptable behavior. This has led to untidy public places and even offensive writings in public places. In fact, there was so much graffiti in the U.S. during the growth of hip-hop that the government had to illegalize the art of graffiti (Codrington, 2006).

Hip-hop has encouraged social activism. After the birth of hip-hop in South Bronx, hip-hop artists targeted the poor and urban youth with their messages. They became the voice of the voiceless by singing about slums (ghettos) and even mentored rappers from the ghettos who ghetto youth greatly appreciated.

One legendary rapper Chuck D, who was a member of a group called Public Enemy once called the hip hop music genre “the CNN of the Ghetto” (Muhammad, 2008, p. 1). This group also started rapping about the history of Afro-Americans and the plight of black people in the U.S., which attracted youth of virtually all races into social activism and consciousness.

Contemporary rappers are borrowing from these hip-hop legends and rapping about the issues that are affecting the youth in the modern society. This has made them darlings to the youth who have become involved in contemporary social activism due to the political and social commentaries that the hip-hop artists sing.

“This is something that you might not know by looking at many of the controlled news channels which are much more likely to report a hip-hop artist’s run in with law enforcement than their philanthropic deeds and service” (Muhammad, 2008, p. 1). In light of this, politicians are increasingly endorsing the hip-hop lifestyle in order to get support from the youth (Forman, 2010).

Hip-hop has been blamed for the use of bad language in the society. The hip-hop lingo has been quite influential affecting people of all age groups. In the discussion above, it has been stated how a radio host lost his job after referring to basketball players as ho’s. Ho’s is a hip-hop lingo for a prostitute. The hip-hop language has adversely affected the youth in particular.

The uses of offensive language like the aforementioned ho, bitch, and the like, is commonplace in the society courtesy of hip-hop influence. The youth associate the use of such language with sophistication, and thus the language has adversely affected the society.

In the contemporary society one can listen to a conversation between two young people and leave thinking that the two are angry at each other yet it is just normal conversation. It has reached a point where other leaders like political leaders who associate with hip-hop artists are also associated with the hip-hop lifestyle (Stelter, 2011, p. 1).

Hip-hop has also been of great influence on the rates of crime in the contemporary society. Rap and hip-hop artists are considered the best if they were once imprisoned. This is the reason behind such labels like Konvict Muzik owned by Akon. It is common to hear the sound of gunshots in rap music.

The lyrics of many rap songs are also full of instances in which the artists praise violence and openly advocate for revenge and vendettas. By so doing, opponents of hip-hop music consider the genre to be recruiting the youth to crime and encouraging criminal behavior in the society.

Hip-hop artists, on several occasions, have been imprisoned for possession of illegal firearms. This information is normally in the public domain and thus youth who adore such artists would be delighted to own illegal firearms like their hip-hop celebrities. This has led to substantial increase in criminal activities.

Initially men dominated hip-hop, which, together with the promotion of violence, irresponsible behavior, and Ebonics made hip-hop a sexist genre. The raps soon became rants about how undeserving women were. Some artists would even rap about their girlfriends calling them unprintable names, and telling of how undeserving they were. In fact, the integration of love expression in hip-hop is a recent phenomenon.

Up to this date, rap artists still sing negatively about members of the opposite sex, with some men even ridiculing their fellow female rappers. In effect, hip-hop has been a sexist genre and it has negatively affected the society since the youth look up to these artists. The youth are therefore likely to be sexists like their celebrities leading to a society that does not appreciate gender diversity.

Hip-hop has also had an effect on the youth’s valuing of materialism. Rap and other hip-hop videos are normally made with flashy cars, jewelry, and even cash money, which the artists brag about in their songs. This is bound to have an effect on how the viewers of such videos value materialism.

Hip-hop has also had an effect on how people dress. It is common to see young people in sagging trousers, which is a trademark for most hip-hop artists. Youngsters are also sporting more jewelry and tattoos courtesy of hip-hop influence (Ogbar, 2009). The dress code of baggy jeans is also common among the youth due to the influence that hip-hop has had on them. This is because many hip-hop artists wear baggy jeans.

Just like any other invention, hip-hop has been innovated with time leading to a more perfected genre. What started out as a combination of instrumentals and rap in Bronx is now a multibillion-dollar industry that has made many youth rich. The creations of hip-hop are also very much alive today with youth in almost all corners of the world engaging in graffiti, practicing breakdancing, and producing rap songs.

The most commendable influence of hip-hop is perhaps its socio-cultural influence, which many have regarded as negative.

Hip-hop has influenced the way a large faction of the youth world-over talk, the way they dress, the way they treat the opposite sex, their involvement in social activism, their behavior in relation to criminality and even the way the youth value wealth. Hip-hop can therefore be regarded as the invention that has had the greatest influence on the youth.

Adaso, H. (2012). A Brief History of Hip-Hop and Rap . Web.

Codrington, R. (2006). In the Beginning: Hip Hop’s Early Influences . OUPBlog. Web.

Forman, M. (2010). Conscious Hip-hop, Change, and the Obama Era. American Studies Journal, 54 (3), 1433-5239.

Muhammad, A. (2008). Hip Hop: The voice of youth and social activism. Web.

Ogbar, J. (2009). Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap . Lawrence: University Press of Kansas.

Sanneh, K. (2007). Don’t Blame Hip-Hop . The New York Times . Web.

Stelter, B. (2011). Fox News Site Calls Obama Party a ‘Hip-Hop BBQ’ . The New York Times . Web.

• Chicago (A-D)
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IvyPanda. (2019, December 19). Hip-Hop Music. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-music/

"Hip-Hop Music." IvyPanda , 19 Dec. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-music/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Hip-Hop Music'. 19 December.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Hip-Hop Music." December 19, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-music/.

1. IvyPanda . "Hip-Hop Music." December 19, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-music/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Hip-Hop Music." December 19, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-music/.

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The History Of Hip-Hop Essay Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Hip , Culture , Music , Flash , World , Graffiti , Movement , Gang

Published: 01/18/2022

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Hip-Hop is considered to be of the largest and the most popular cultures in the whole world. It took its roots in the 70s and had undergone a long way before gaining its popularity and becoming one of the most influential cultures. Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Herc and Grandmaster Flash are known as the founding fathers of hip-hop music. Their talent and dedication to what they were doing definitely brought hip-hop on a new level. All in all, it is essential to learn their history in order to understand the process of the development of hip-hop culture. Surprisingly, but it all started in the Southeast Bronx with gang movement with Bambaataa being one of the gang members. However, Bambaataa was not a typical gang member. He was not interested in shootings and constant terror. Instead, he showed a great interest in music and politics. He had a number of various records with all kinds of music. Especially, he was fascinated by DJ Herc’s funky music. Herc played his music at various parties talking on the microphone during them. Furthermore, Herc's music gave rise to a new movement - “break-dance”. The dancers were called B-boys - the ones that break. At first, they used simple moves which later became more and more sophisticated. Indeed, “break – dance” turned into a large movement as well. Inspired by this movement, Bambaataa formed a social group Zulus which was an extension of the B-boy style and managed to substitute gang movement. Thus, Hager in his article “Afrika Bambaataa’s Hip Hop” states that “while the intense competition between DJs was considerably less dangerous than the gang scene, it could capture the excitement of a rumble” (Hager). No one was interested in violence any longer. Therefore, it is possible to say that the appearance of the hip-hop culture was essential for the society. It appeared just at the right time. Another important figure that influenced the development of hip-hop is DJ Grandmaster Flash. It is mainly Flash who began to revolutionize rap music. It is important to note that Flash started his DJ career in local parks providing the public with free concerts. The DJ played short cuts from different records keeping to a steady dance beat. He was also one of the first people who started to experiment on beat box. Recalling on this period, Flash claims that for him “the beatbox was an attempt to come up with something other than the techniques I created on the turntables to please the crowd” (qtd. in George). The DJ wanted to create something different. Moreover, “depending on what type of record he used, Flash discovered he could produce a variety of weird effects using the scratching technique” (Hager). It should be also noted that Flash collaborated with a group of rappers (Furious Five). This collaboration gave his music more rhythm and rhyme. As Hager states, “relying on an inventive use of slang, the staccato effect of short words and unexpected internal rhymes, the Furious Five began composing elaborate rap routines, intricately weaving their voices through a musical track mixed by Flash” (Hager). Bambaataa also successfully collaborated with MC groups. It is also worth of note that graffiti had a certain influence on the development of hip-hop culture. As Bambaataa states, “the gangs would've started dying down, but you still had the graffiti crews coming up into the hip-hop culture” (qtd. in George). Once Bambaataa received a call from a graffiti artist and was asked to perform at the opening of the gallery. It became a great experience for the DJ and he became truly impressed by the enthusiasm of the crowd and by their special energy. All in all, it is clear that hip-hop is a unique culture. According to Hager, “the B-boys, rappers, DJs, and graffiti writers develop their unique artistic vision in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world” (Hager). They were continuously making new records that would stir the audience’s imagination. They had great electronic experience and always improved their skills working on something new. It is clear that hip-hop totally changed the mass media culture. In fact, in order to explain it, it is essential to learn its history and the history of its founding fathers. Hip-hop came to the world in the 70s and since that times it became one of the most widespread and influential cultures in the world. This culture belongs to people who were extremely creative and were ready to share their enthusiasm with the rest of the world. Hager believes that “few New York subcultures in the past decade have been so relentlessly creative as the one that has given us rap music, graffiti writing, and break dancing, perhaps the first youth culture to put its highest premium on individual imagination” (Hager). Thus, for a good DJ it is not enough merely to make a record – it should definitely touch the audience. For any graffiti writer it is not enough simply to write one’s name or some abbreviation. They are ready to spend hours and hours to write a breathtaking and spectacular mural. They always use their imagination and always want to achieve more. Probably, that is the main reason why hip-hop culture is so popular in the modern world.

Works cited

Hager, Steven. “Afrika Bambaataa’s Hip Hop”. And it don’t stop: the best American hip-hop journalism of the last 25 years. Ed. Cepeda, Raquel. New York: Foreword, 2004. 12-26. Print. George, Nelson. “Hip-Hop’s Founding Fathers Speak The Truth”. Pdfspath. n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016

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12 Books That Teach the History of Hip-Hop

A s celebrations for hip-hop's 50th anniversary continue, we're sharing books that'll inform kids about the influential music style.

Before I could even read or write, I memorized the lyrics to Salt-N-Pepa’s entire debut album. My mic sounds nice, check one. My mic sounds nice, check two. As a 4-year-old, I had no idea what I was even rhyming about, but as a family we watched the rap duo’s videos for hours on end. I wanted to rock the lopsided bob and the big gold chains. In my room, I pretended to be DJ Spinderella, blending recorded tunes as best I could from a tape deck. 

Hip-hop raised me — and I grew up during its “golden era.” My middle and high school years were shaped by the sounds of Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Lauryn Hill, and Wu-Tang Clan. Their songs not only became the playlist of my life—musicians, fashion, art, and language shaped an entire culture. From Bad Boy to DeathRow , the Dirty South to the Midwest, hip-hop evolved as a form of storytelling that has been shared all over the world. 

This month, hip-hop celebrated turned 50. To commemorate this golden anniversary, I'll continue to school my children on its history, as well as the timeless lyrics from the artists that shaped me.

There’s no better way to spark important conversations and support this learning than with reading. Here are 12 hip-hop reads for kids of all ages that’ll inform and keep the celebration going.

The Legends of Hip-Hop Board Book Series (ages 0-5)

Pen Ken (Author), Saxton Moore (Illustrator)

This cute board book series has two titles coming that'll be available for the tiniest readers. Through inventive rhyme and lively illustrations, readers are introduced to hip-hop legends like Queen Latifah and Tupac Shakur. Music producer Pen Ken and award-winning animator Saxton Moore created a delightful way for children to practice their ABCs and 1-2-3s while learning about dope emcees.

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop

Carol Boston Weatherford (Author), Frank Morrison (Illustrator) 

The opening of this book includes a note to readers from rapper and DJ Swizz Beats. He wants readers of all ages to experience the roots of rap and hip-hop culture through literature. Boston Weatherford’s poetic explanations coupled with Morrison’s masterful artwork allows this to be a centerpiece for any celebration.

A Child’s Introduction to Hip-Hop (ages 4-8)

Jordannah Elizabeth (Author), Markia Jenai (Illustrator)

A comprehensive guide to hip-hop, this book delves into its rich history and impact as both a music style and cultural phenomenon. Written by acclaimed journalist and music critic Jordannah Elizabeth, it provides context for young readers in an easy-to-follow format, while celebrating some of hip hop’s most decorated artists. From Tupac Shakur to Tyler, the Creator, children learn about the roots of this music revolution while being inspired to continue uplifting hip-hop as a critical storytelling modality. 

Daddy and Me And the Rhyme to Be (ages 4-8)

Chris Bridges, Halcyon Person (Authors), Parker-Nia Gordon (Illustrator)

Based on a true story (and with a Netflix series to match), rapper, actor, and entrepreneur Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and his daughter published an adorable picture book. Just like dad, Karma is a lyricist. They love making music together, but when Karma is tasked with creating a rap for her dad’s birthday, she doesn’t know where to start. This book is a wonderful way to get parents rhyming with their younger children.

All Good in the Hood (ages 4-8)

Dwayne Reed (Author), Gladys Jones (Illustrator) 

Dwayne Reed, a.k.a. America’s Favorite Rapping Teacher, delivers a rhythmic celebration of a Chicago neighborhood during a Juneteenth celebration. Onomatopoeia and phrases that come straight from the hip hop cannon support the narrative of sibling love perfectly.

Darryl’s Dream (ages 4-8)

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Shawnee Warfield, Johnny Warfield, Adam Padilla (Authors), Tristan Tait (Illustrator)

Founding member of legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC Darryl McDaniels tells the story of third grade Darryl who enjoys writing but is bullied for his big glasses. Through hip-hop, Darryl gains confidence and steps into his power at the school talent show.

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (ages 5-11)

Nikki Giovaani (Author), Alicia Vergel de Dios, Damian Ward, Kristen Balouch, Jeremy Tugeau, and Michael Noiset (Illustrators)

Written by the incomparable Nikki Giovanni, this book examines the similarities of poetry and hip-hop. Through more than 50 poems and songs, young readers will learn how the two genres are intertwined. Artists like Queen Latifah, Jay-Z and A Tribe Called Quest are spotlighted alongside notable poets like Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks. The joyful illustrations, created by various artists, bring the upbeat tunes and rhythmic words to life.

When The Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip-Hop (ages 5-12)

Laban Carrick Hill (Author), Theodore Taylor III (Illustrator)

This book artfully tells the backstory of how DJ Kool Herc created unique ways of transitioning and playing music between songs in 1970s Bronx.

Simon B. Rhymin’ (ages 8-12)

Dwayne Reed (Author)

In this lively middle grade novel series from Dwayne Reed, Simon Barnes is a beat-dropping, rising rapper. He wants to be famous one day, but can this 5th grader overcome his shyness and fears? With hip-hop as the entry point, Simon (and young readers) learn the art of gaining confidence. The sequels, Simon B. Rhymin’ Takes a Stand and Simon B. Rhymin’ Gets in the Game , combine rap with social justice as Simon examines inequality in his school and neighborhood.

The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip Hop (ages 14 and up)

Clover Hope (Author), Rachelle Baker (Illustrator)

Through biographical portraits, the author shares the stories and contributions of over 100 of hip-hop’s leading ladies. From MC Lyte and Monie Love to Foxy Brown and Nicki Minaj, she pays homage to the women who helped shape hip-hop culture.

Shop here. 

The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs (adult)

Felicia Pride (Author) 

This book will help parents focus on the messages of hip-hop as they prepare to share them with their children. Felicia Pride’s The Message , is a thoughtful exploration of all the lessons learned from hip-hop lyrics. This book is a great springboard for getting your children to dig deep and talk about what hip-hop lyrics mean to them and what they mean in the greater context of our society.

The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip Hop (adult)

Jonathan Abrams (Author) 

This book is a multi-decade overview of hip-hop. It covers all the major ways the genre has evolved and has contributed to a global revolution. The author interviewed more than 300 contributors, including artists, DJs, executives and journalists, to introduce readers to the under told stories of hip-hop’s massive climb.

Tonya Abari is a Nashville based freelance journalist, author and book reviewer. Her words and reviews have been published in Publishers Weekly , Romper , AARP Sisters Letter , USA Today , Raising Mothers , Good Housekeeping , and many more. She enjoys spending time with her family, discovering new places and homeschooling her inquisitive and free-spirited children. You can find her online or hanging out on Instagram @iamtabari.

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Read the original article on Parents .

Offset Surprises Detroit Students With Personal Meet & Greet, Cash, And More

Offset continues to use his icon status for good.

Offset is keeping up his streak of charitable efforts, recently rewarding a group of students in Detroit for winning a Black history essay contest. Local artist Mr.1204 invited him to the event last week, where he surprised the group with a meet and greet. On top of getting to meet the hitmaker, each of the students went home with $100 and an autographed poster courtesy of Offset.

Mr.1204 shared a clip of the sweet moment on his Instagram, sharing more details of the fun surprise in his caption. “NOT ONLY DID THEY GET A PERSONAL MEET & GREET BUT ALSO RECEIVED PERSONAL AUTOGRAPHED POSTERS AND $100 EACH!!” he wrote. “NO KID KNEW WHERE WE WERE GOIN OR WHO THEY WERE GOING TO MEET! I SIMPLY TOLD EM… 'I WANT Y’ALL TO MEET SOMEBODY!!' FOUR OF THE STUDENTS WON A FREE TRIP TO AFRICA BY ENTERING A BOOK ESSAY!”

Read More: Offset Hilariously Slams Bra To The Ground After Fan Throws It On Stage

Offset Rewards Students For Winning Black History Essay Contest

This is far from the first time Offset's used his icon status for good in recent months. Just after embarking on his eagerly anticipated Set It Off tour, he visited students at a high school in Baltimore, where he gave away $30K in groceries and gift cards . He also honored Caden Bowie during his visit, a student who got accepted into an impressive 40 colleges. Offset personally congratulated the senior for his accomplishments onstage.

During a recent stop in Philly, he also treated some local teens to a shopping spree alongside Gillie Da Kid and Wallo, praising the kids for their creativity, hard work, and talent. What do you think of Offset surprising Detroit students at a meet and greet? What about him giving them cash and posters for their work on their Black history essays? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Cardi B Beefs With TikToker Over 50/50 Relationship Advice, Says Offset's "ALWAYS BEEN RICH"

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