Hip hop music and culture has emerged as a global movement since the 1970s. Its distinctive clothing styles and hair designs have become part of mainstream fashion while street slang has made its mark across society.
Hip hop’s sampling of older music has led to legal battles with original copyright owners, with rappers increasingly shifting away from rhythmic chants toward more abstract lyrics exploring different topics.
Origins
Hip hop culture emerged during the 1970s in New York City through an exchange between African Americans and children of Caribbean immigrants – especially Jamaica – who came together with urban youth who experimented with new ways of spinning records, dancing, poetry writing and visual art that expressed their feelings. Their energy refused to be contained, eventually coalescing into an entire music genre and culture movement known as hip hop.
Hip hop’s signature sound is its strong, rhythmic beat. This beat can range from fast and aggressive to relaxed and laidback; regardless, its distinctive qualities give hip hop its distinct style; many rappers (known as MCs ) incorporate this beat into their performances to build relationships with listeners while conveying a sense of unity.
Hip hop culture emphasizes education and knowledge as central tenants. This movement’s foundation lies in its belief that individuals can gain control of their lives and communities through self-expression; as well as encouraging MCs to hone their craft by studying other artists’ work. Knowledge influences style and technique while uniting all hip hop MCs against an uncertain world.
Hip hop music has long been recognized for breaking down barriers between urban and suburban America, black people, and white people. Since its debut, this form of expression has taken hold worldwide and become an outlet for marginalized communities around the globe to express themselves freely. Hip hop has long been considered the “people’s music”, as its message of unity and inclusion becomes evermore significant against rising racism and anti-immigrant sentiments.
Influences
DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaata, two pioneers of hip hop culture, were pivotal in turning feelings of disenfranchisement and abandonment into an impactful musical movement that revolutionized urban culture. Influential MCs such as LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Beastie Boys used their voices to uplift listeners and share personal perspectives about life with listeners.
Hip hop music draws heavily upon elements from both funk and soul music genres, employing disco bass lines and guitar rhythms in early rap rapping sessions; many MCs would also incorporate R&B or jazz vocal styles, especially during Run DMC and other hard rock-rap groups’ 1980s boom in popularity. By the 1990s, however, commercialized versions of hip hop had emerged with artists like Ja Rule and 50 Cent becoming mainstream performers and creating hybrid productions of rock, funk, soul, and hip hop that could be heard on both radio and dance clubs alike.
As hip hop evolved, a growing movement of poets, visual artists, and urban philosophers joined its ranks to spread messages of hope and empowerment through art. They captured the essence of street life which middle-class America either ignored or dismissed.
In the 2000s, hip hop became even more mainstream, and a new generation of rappers emerged who pushed its boundaries artistically and lyrically. Pioneers like Kanye West and Eminem used their lyrics to address race, politics, social injustice, religion and religious intolerance; also drawing heavily from punk, alternative rock and electronic genres into their productions. Southern rap was also pioneered during this era with artists such as Geto Boys and UGK pioneering this sound.
Styles
Hip hop music, dance, art, and culture originates from marginalized urban communities. Hip hop first emerged as an urban movement from New York’s Bronx in the 1970s as an outlet to express racial tensions, economic hardship, political oppression in urban America. Pioneering artists including DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata, Grandmaster Flash developed innovative forms of music, dance art and language which had an immense impact on youth from urban areas around the globe.
Graffiti writing, also known as wild style graffiti writing, emerged at the same time as hip hop’s music and dance scenes. Young graffiti writers would sneak through fences at night to practice their art. Their preference was for bright colors with stylized designs that provided vibrancy and energy; their pieces could be found adorning walls, buildings, subway tunnels or even ten-car trains with vibrant designs that became instantly recognizable. Graffiti writers quickly gained fame for being adept at switching styles effortlessly.
Hip hop music and its artists have long used their talent to fight injustice and inequality, such as Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy who used their songs and lyrics to highlight such concerns and call upon all races and cultures to unite against inequality.
Hip hop’s musical roots lie in jazz and rock music, both known for experimentation and improvisation. Since its founding, its music has blossomed into various subgenres including trap, grime, gangsta rap, rap rock (or nu metal), crunk, and mumble rap; as well as being influential to other styles such as funk jazz rock.
Symbolism
Hip hop has long been used as a vehicle to advance social causes and political activism, with artists often taking strong stances against issues such as police brutality, inequality and climate change. Hip hop also serves as an empowerment mechanism for marginalized groups such as women, gay and lesbian people and immigrants; moreover it serves as a cultural space where youth can express themselves freely while exploring their identities; however hip hop also faces threats such as censorship from mainstream institutions and backlash from its audience.
Hip hop changed significantly throughout the 1970s from rhythmic chants to metaphorical lyrics with more intricate instrumental arrangements. Artists like Melle Mel, KRS-One and Rakim played pivotal roles in developing hip hop lyricism and creating lyrics about personal struggles, family matters and political oppression – including using internal rhymes (rhymes that appear midline rather than at its conclusion).
Hip hop’s early days saw the introduction of breakbeats. Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc is widely credited with creating them by looping and extending percussive breaks from funk records. At parties held in his Bronx apartment, these beats would be played, inspiring MCs who used toasting as inspiration to rap over them.
As the genre gained popularity, artists such as Eric B and Rakim pioneered a new school style by replacing aggressive street sounds with harder sounds while incorporating real inner city life into their music. They employed sophisticated rapping with an A-A-B-B rhyme scheme as well as adding an A-C-D-F pattern into their tracks.
Hip hop has since become an international cultural phenomenon, embraced by artists from every nation on earth. While its critics claim it promotes violence, materialism, and misogyny; many artists use hip hop as a platform to foster positivity and self-reflection through music.
Social impact
Hip hop gave underprivileged youth an outlet to protest injustices that others overlooked, from early rhythmic chants in the 1970s through to more complex lyrics exploring various subjects like KRS-One, Rakim and Chuck D who all helped to popularise this form of hip hop culture. Hip hop music also became more sophisticated over time by including elements of jazz, rock and funk into productions by musicians.
Hip hop subculture blossomed as a global phenomenon during the 1980s. Its work-with-what-you-have mentality had profound effects on fashion, technology, art, language, entertainment and dance – as well as artists and scholars’ claims that hip hop should not just be classified as music genre. Influences from this subculture extend far beyond United States borders with DJs playing records in Sao Paulo clubs as MCs rapped at Arabic clubs in New York City while graffiti appeared all across New York and graffiti artists were busting freestyle moves globally b-boys busting moves globally!
Many rappers may remain politically-indifferent; however, others remain passionate about social justice issues. Some feel that mainstream media unfairly stigmatize their music; they also claim that white politicians and members of the general public don’t understand their lyrics and culture – some even asserting it was forced upon them.
Hip hop has had a lasting influence on society. Its influence can be seen everywhere from clothing styles and dance moves we enjoy to how people interact and learn; hip hop has even changed society itself as new models for learning emerge among young people – changes which reflect in everyday living conditions today and show why knowledge about it is essential for future success.