HIP HOP 101
What’s hip-hop? Music genre? Fashion? It’s an ATTITUDE! Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City. Since its emergence in the South Bronx, hip hop culture has spread around the world. Hip hop music first emerged with disc jockeys creating rhythmic beats by looping breaks. This was later accompanied by "rap", a rhythmic style of chanting or poetry, and beat-boxing, a vocal technique mainly used to imitate percussive elements of the music and various technical effects of hip hop DJ's. An original form of dancing and particular styles of dress arose among fans of this new music. These elements experienced considerable refinement and development over the course of the history of the culture. Some Hip-Hop music even makes political statements!