Hip-Hop

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Hip-Hop

When you hear the phase "Hip-Hop" what do you think of? Music, Dancing, Rapping? Well, it's all of that and more hip-hop is a culture. According to Webster's dictionary, culture is defined as "the concepts, habits, skills, arts, instruments, institutions, etc. of a given people in a given period; civilization." One artist defined hip-hop as "a set of expressions in vocalization, instrumentation, dancing and the visual arts." More specifically, hip hop is a combination of graffiti, breakdancing, djing and mcing (also known as rapping), that creates a lifestyle with its own language, style of dress, music and mind set that's continuously evolving. Most of these art forms originated in New York City in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The only form that didn't begin in New York is mcing. Mcing is thought to have began in Jamaica with the influence of reggae sounds and it later became an art form. Major credit is given to a man named DJ Kool Herc for bringing such sounds from Jamaica. Herc moved from Jamaica to the West Bronx area of New York. Herc's initial style incorporated a lot of Jamaican style, but New Yorkers were not into reggae yet. He then adapted his style by chanting over the instrumental portion of the songs. Herc was then credited for developing a style of spinning that emphasized rhythmic passages.

After Hip-hop became "Americanized," the other forms of the culture became prevalent. For example, art has been drawn on walls since the beginning of time, but a new type of graffiti wall art came of the hip hop culture in the late 1960's and early 1970's (when hip-hop was thought to have begun). Although teenagers were scribbling their names on walls, signs and other places since the 1950s, more and more kid...

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...d on the (rap) wagon" and many movies have been made about rappers and starring rappers, for example, Ice Cube, Boyz In The Hood.

In summary, hip-hop is the culture from which rap emerged but it initially consisted of the four main elements of Graffiti, Breakdancing, Djing and Mcing (Rapping.) Although breakdancing and graffiti are not as widespread as it once was, it should be noted that all aspects of hip-hop culture still exist they're just on new levels. Today the hip-hop movement is coming on strong. The movement is trying to teach people about hip-hop and it's four elements. Hip-hop has helped to shape America today. It helped to turn on a light that could (may be would) not be seen. The hip-hop culture is now incorporated in everything today for example, movies, TV, clothes, plays, etc. The hip-hop culture has touched the World in ways that are intangible.

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