HIP HOP(1970-PRESENT)

What makes up Hip Hop

Hip Hop is the culture from which rap emerged.

It consisted of four main elements; graffiti art, break dancing, dj (cuttin and scratching) and emceeing (rapping).

Hip Hop is considered a lifestyle with its own language, style of dress, music and mind set that is constantly evolving.

How Hip Hop Started

Hip Hop started on the East coast in low social economic urban areas, mainly in the Black and Latino population.

It started on the play grounds with criss-cross style jump roping. Each time the person jumped they had to say a word and had to create phrases that rhymed.

From here it evolved in people just emceeing or rapping out in the street about the times and also just to clown each other. Clowning some one was basically when you would diss the person you were rapping against.

How Hip Hop Started Cont.

The music side of hip hop started in 1973 when Kool Dj Herc dejays his first block party in Bronx, New York which was for his sister’s birthday. Herc meshed two long playing discs together with a turn table.

In 1975 Herc was hired as a DJ at the Hevalo Club. He later gets Coke La Rock to utter crowd-pleasing rhymes at parties. Ex. “DJ Riz is in the house and he’ll turn it out with out a

doubt.” The crowd-pleasing rhymes would later be called a MC

technique to get every one up and start dancing to the beats.

The break dancing part of hip hop started from the dancers at the parties. These dances evolved in to what is now called break dancing.

How Hip Hop Started Cont.

Both graffiti and fashion played a huge roll in the Hip Hop culture.

Graffiti was public art that was used to display how the people felt about political and social issues as well as gangs to mark territory.

The fashion of the hip hop culture was largely used to express individuality; it had a functional purpose as well.

Graffiti

Graffiti

As I have mentioned Graffiti was one of the four main elements of hip hop.

Graffiti represented the visual part of hip hop. It paints the ways the music flows.

Graffiti artist were also usually break dancers, emcees and DJs.

At the hottest parties you might have seen writers doing their thing on the wall while the DJ spins and scratches records , the emcee revs up the crowd and the break dancers battle it out on the dance floor.

Fashion

•Fashion in the Hip Hop culture has changed throughout time but still seems to express individuality.

Fashion and Trends

At first break dancers dressed for comfort and practicality. They would wear loose clothes like

baggy pants, colorful t-shirts and comfortable sneakers, usually half laced.

Fashion and Trends Cont.

When Run-D.M.C hit the scene, so did the look that would, at least in part be emulated for years. The look now changed to black leather

jackets and pants, black fedora hats, large, chunky chains and a pair of Adidas.

Fashion and Trends Cont.

Run D.M.C helped spark a variety of new hip hop designer labels. Ex.- Baby Phat, Phat Farm created

byRussell Simmons Ecko, FUBU, G-Unit, Rocawear and Sean

John

Fashion and Trends Cont.

Not only the clothing side of fashion changed but so did jewelry.

Kurtis Blow gave gold a good name by wearing several chains, some with medallions.

Run D.M.C took this further by wearing thick chains that resembled rope.

As time went on gold gave way to Platinum.

Rap music in the Hip Hop Culture

Some artist would take Mcing to the next level by putting entire verses together with chorus in between to create songs.

Some examples of the first rappers would include Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, LL Cool J and Salt’n’Pepa.

These rappers mostly rapped about sex, drugs , partying, dancing and dissing others.

Language

The language of hip hop was largely influential in rap music.

It is a battle between the artists to be credited with the new catchy slang term.

Some examples would be: Fo shizzle- for sure Smokin Trees- Smokin Marijuana Bling Bling- Flashy or elaborate jewelry Hater- Some one who is dissing you.

Movies

Hip hop movies display the aesthetics and culture of hip hop

It features hip hop music, has a theme related to hip hop culture and sometimes even include hip hop artist in them.

Movies

An example of a hip hop movie would be 8 Mile, starring rapper Eminem.

This movie was basically about a struggling rapper living in a trailer park trying to launch his first studio album.

This movie is related to hip hop because its based in an urban area and depicts the entire culture of hip hop. Everything from dejaying and emceeing to

the fashion and language.