Definition of Hip-Hop Music

While usually referring to rap music, Hip-hop can also be instrumental, often consisting of heavy rhythm tracks and samples. Hip-hop also generally refers to the culture surrounding the music.

History

Hip-hop began in the 1970s in the Bronx in New York City. It is considered an African-American innovation.

Features

Hip-hop usually consists of DJs who manipulate sounds and beats on turntables. Other features often include break dancing and the performance of skilled rhyming using a combination of spoken word and scat singing, known as rapping.

Culture

Rooted in African-American jazz and poetry, the genre originated as a subculture wherein artists spoke out against their meager socio-economic circumstances.

Significance

Hip-hop became a commercial phenomenon in the late 1980s/early 1990s, gaining a mass audience as well as criticism. Some praised hip-hop for being a vehicle for social change, while others claimed it glamorizes violence, misogyny and criminal lifestyles.

Influence

Hip-hop sales have decreased in recent years, but the genre remains strong and continues to influence up-and-coming artists who continually redefine its parameters.

References

• "Rap Music and Culture"; Kate Burns; 2008
• "Hip Hop Matters"; S. Craig Watkins; 2005

Resources

• allmusic guide