Hip hop music was created in the 1970s as an antidote to South Bronx gang culture. It symbolized resilience, understanding, community and social justice – values which continue to be valued today.
Music culture began with the Master of Ceremonies, or MC. They introduced DJs and used energetic language to get people pumped up. Over time it evolved into rapping and more intricate wordplay.
Origins
Hip hop music culture began in the Bronx, New York during the 1970s when African American youth mixed with children of Caribbean immigrants. One influential figure was Puerto Rican DJ Kool Herc who combined Jamaican dancehall, reggae and calypso rhythms with disc jockeying techniques.
His main innovation was rapping over breaks (toasting). This style involved combining short repetitive beats to form a rhythmic base, similar to Jamaican dub music and other dance hall music from the 1960s.
Later, other DJs such as Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash had an immense impact on hip hop music culture with their eclectic musical styles that used sampling, which is the practice of recording part of another song for use in production. While sampling had a major influence on this genre of music, it also caused issues for original copyright owners of these songs.
Rappers often address social issues in their music, leading the genre to gain popularity across America. Rappers spoke out against issues like racial inequalities, crime, violence and police brutality through their lyrics.
Some of the most influential rappers of the 1990s included Lil Wayne, Timbaland, Nelly, Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, DMX, Eminem and 50 Cent. Together they created numerous hit songs and albums which helped establish hip hop as a mainstream genre.
Hip hop music culture has had a profound effect on millions of lives around the world, from style and fashion to language and dance. It continues to innovate new forms of art and entertainment while inspiring millions with its positive energy.
Styles
Hip hop music culture is an expansive and intricate genre with many distinct styles. These range from rapping and break dancing, to graffiti art and DJing.
Rapping is a type of vocal chant that frequently rhymes or speaks, combining rhythm with words. It’s most popularly found in hip hop songs but other popular vocal styles include singing, spoken word and autotune.
In the 1980s, rapper LL Cool J and New York duo Run DMC began creating singles with catchy melodic hooks. Later they added hard rock guitar to their rapping style to create what became known as “rap rock,” or rap music.
One style of jazz rap popularized by artists such as De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest was jazz rap. This music employed both jazz and R&B samples, pushing the envelope for deejaying and sample manipulation techniques.
At this time, other artists such as Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa came of age and further popularized the genre.
In the 1990s, gangsta rap became increasingly popular in New York City and other urban areas. Many of these songs featured violence and gangster imagery for added impact.
After the 1990s, gangster rap fell out of fashion and alternative hip hop became increasingly popular. Artists like Kanye West helped shape this direction by releasing albums that were less violent and more artistic.
Hip hop music culture was founded on four elements. They provided young people with an outlet to express themselves and make it through in their neighborhoods, while simultaneously reflecting racial and social injustices they experienced firsthand.
Music
Hip hop music culture began in the Bronx, New York during the 1970s among African American and Latino urban neighborhoods. These communities faced a range of social problems including poverty and gang violence that plagued their neighborhoods. DJs and MCs from these communities served as powerful outlets for cultural expression during these trying times; using music as a way to break free of poverty and gang warfare that plagued their areas.
Hip hop culture produces a wide variety of musical genres, such as trap, emo and mumble rap. Furthermore, alternative hip hop artists like Atmosphere, Aesop Rock and Run the Jewels are pushing boundaries and exploring new musical sounds.
In the 2000s, rappers like Kanye West and Eminem revolutionized hip hop music by exploring different topics and challenging its stigma of gangsta rap. These musicians took hip hop into a more mainstream space and shifted attention away from gangsta rap towards issues such as middle class upbringing, anti-Black racism, and corporatism.
This period also saw the advent of autotune technology, making rap artists’ voices more captivating. This marked an important development in the genre and increased its appeal.
As such, hip hop music culture has been adopted by governments as a tool of communication with their citizens. Through rap music, governments can gain the trust of their citizens and facilitate easy communication with them. Furthermore, hip hop music serves as entertainment for the younger generations.
Lyrics
Hip hop music culture relies heavily on lyrics that form an integral part of its identity and history. Lyrics can often be used to address sociopolitical concerns, as well as for satire and humor.
Hip hop songs typically feature spoken-word or rapping verses that have been composed by rappers (MCs) or other artists with the help of friends. These lyrics are then spoken over instrumental music to create the desired effect.
Hip hop music is divided into distinct subgenres, such as gangsta rap, pop rap and dancehall rap. Each style and influence are unique to that genre; lyrics in these genres may also vary significantly from simple to intricate.
However, these genres are usually classified as subsets of hip hop music. Lyrics are typically written in the first person, addressing either an individual or group.
Hip hop music often contains explicit lyrics that may be perceived as sexually suggestive. For instance, Lauryn Hill’s hit single “Motherfucker” includes the line, “I got a motherfucker and she’s in the house/It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Other songs feature sexually suggestive lyrics but accompany them with an upbeat, positive message. For instance, Salt and Peppa’s hit single “Push It” contains the catchy line “push it,” which encourages women to pursue their ambitions.
Rap and hip hop music despite any negative stereotypes that might exist are still highly sought-after genres, particularly among younger audiences. Not only can these genres provide students with engaging topics to learn about in class, but they are also great opportunities to develop critical thinking and writing abilities.
Culture
Hip hop music has had a profound effect on society, shaping how people around the world live their lives. Although its culture has evolved and changed over time, its legacy still resonates today.
Hip hop’s roots can be traced back to the Bronx district of New York City. Due to its economic disadvantage, its residents were encouraged to create new sounds with their imaginations and creativity.
This gave rise to a diverse range of music genres, such as rap, funk, rock and hip-hop – which ultimately became the most popular form of popular music.
Hip hop culture evolved beyond just music, with other forms of art such as beatboxing, DJing, street art, graffiti, dancing and braided hairstyles becoming part of it. All these forms were integral parts of what made up hip hop’s unique culture that helped spread it throughout America.
Hip hop culture is also defined by its language. Street people use expressions such as bizzle, nzzle, dawg, biscuit, what it do, hood pig tight big face diss and more to communicate with one another.
Rappers often employ slang terms to express their thoughts on life, love and society. Additionally, they sometimes refer to their opponents as “bad guys”.
These lyrics have the power to convey powerful messages. Topics such as social injustices, poverty and violence can be addressed through these powerful lyrics. Furthermore, they illustrate how difficult it is to survive in today’s volatile world.
MCs are renowned for their impressive writing skills, which enable them to craft intricate stories with rhythm and rhyme. These abilities can be expressed through literary forms such as short stories, scripts, or poetry; alternatively they may prefer visual mediums like comic book-style graphic novels.