Hip Hop

Hip-hop music is a style that has been turned into a movement and culture. This genre, founded in the South Bronx, is made up of stylized rhythmic music accompanying rapping. Kool Herc and legendary DJ Africa Bambaataa are known as the founders of hip-hop. In the 1970s, hip-hop music became recognized internationally. Its main components are rap, also known as MC’ing, break dance, graffiti, beat boxing, and turntables. This genre encompassed all forms of rap. As block parties became increasingly popular, hip-hop began to be captured for radio and television. The second wave that added a gangsta rap subgenre was the new school hip hop. The violent lifestyles and improvised conditions of black youth in the inner city were highlighted. N.W.A., Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac were well known for their music. Although this genre continues to evolve, hip-hop added political and social commentary, as a form of activism. The songs, however, are often particularly misogynistic, dehumanizing black women. Lyrical, poetic and rhythmic was the old school hip-hop. Hip-hop also gave birth to another subgenre, a trap that is very popular now.