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What Is Hip Hop

WHAT IS HIP HOP?

Many individuals wonder about the term we know as Hip Hop. What is Hip Hop? The term "Hip Hop" was coined by a New York DJ by the name of DJ Kool Herc. He gave it this name because; “the beats (music) were hip hopping back and forth from one turntable to the other.” Hip Hop’s origins started with a type of music spawned from the creative minds of inner city youths in the late 1970’s. This music is called RAP. In today’s society, Hip Hop is not only defined by music, but it is now considered a culture. Hip Hop culture is a state of mind and a way of life. A generation’s thoughts, expressions and feelings are Hip Hop. Therefore, we are Hip Hop. Hip Hop consists of many elements, but in my opinion, Hip Hop has influenced music, fashion, and modern language across the world!
To begin with, the roots of Hip Hop culture descend decades deep into the soil of urban civilization. This urban phenomenon has spread across America and the world, mainly due to the increasing popularity of rap music. Rap emerged from the black and Puerto Rican neighborhoods in the Bronx (New York) in the mid-to-late seventies. The roots of rap are believed to have spawned from oral traditions of people of African decent in America. More importantly, the growth of rap music has been one of the most important components in making Hip Hop transform from a simple word to a culture. For example, break dancing, graffiti, baggy clothes are symbolic of rap music and its sub-culture. The mass appeal and media explosion of the music came after the advent of Hip Hop movies such as Wild Style and BeatStreet. It was then that Hip Hop music began its rise into mainstream society. I can remember as a little boy throwing a temper tantrum in the video store, because my mother would not rent the movie BeatStreet. I really wanted to see that movie, because I wanted to be just like my friends and they’d seen it already. It took me many years to fully understand and appreciate my own...