What is Hip Hop?

First and above all hip-hop is a form or style of art. It is closely entwined within this era, where everything urban is fashionable.

Hip-hop is more than just a gritty and evoking form of music, it is a lifestyle and a representation of a culture screaming to be heard. From the form of dress, style of dance, and above all music; hip-hop is its own sub culture.

Hip-hop is often believed to be the evolved descendant to the music of African slaves in the United States. A tradition within this culture, passed down for many generations. A closer ancestor to this style of music would be that of Jazz, a form of music closely linked to a time period of atrocities and pains in racist America.

Early hip hop has often been credited with helping to reduce inner-city gang violence by replacing physical violence with hip hop battles of dance and artwork. However, with the emergence of commercial and crime-related rap, an emphasis on violence was incorporated, with many rappers boasting about drugs, weapons, misogyny, and violence.

While hip-hop has indeed deep African roots, it has evolved into it’s own subculture, belonging to a younger, grittier, tougher, and lower class population. Even though it first belonged to an all black culture, it has further evolved to include all cultures, whether it be Latino, White, African or even Asian.