A hip hop culture consists of four elements that are fundamental to the movement. Hip hop culture transcends music and includes art. These four forms of expression have also evolved into further subcultures of hip hop news sites which have left lasting legacies. DJing/turntablism, MCing/rapping, B-boying/breaking and visual/graffiti art are the four main elements of hip hop culture.
Explore hip hop’s explosive development, including significant events in its history. Hip hop has grown from the street corner to the world stage to become one of the most prominent music genres and cultural influences of hip hop news sites. A cultural revolution was also created by the intersection of these four elements. Hip hop culture has influenced everything from fashion to technology to art to entertainment to education.
As of today, hip hop is still a global phenomenon, evolving into new forms of art that have a profound impact on new and old generations alike. The origins of hip hop can be traced to the Bronx in New York City during the early 1970s. Hip hop evolved from post-industrial decline, societal discourse, and rapid economic change. During this time, we witnessed a recession in New York City.
The city’s manufacturing industry declined, and construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway sparked a decline in the city’s economy. In response to social and economic challenges, the white middle class moved to the suburbs, resulting in a change in demographics and subdivided communities. As a result of urban despair, crime, gang violence, and poverty rose in African-American, Puerto Rican, and Caribbean neighborhoods.
As a result, businesses shut their doors, leaving jobs and economic opportunities to evaporate. For this reason, urban youth turned to the streets as a source of recreation and self-expression. Abandoned buildings and parking lots created the conditions for block parties. Jamaican culture introduced the “Sound Systems” used by DJs and MCs to create the music for these block parties. These block parties became the beginning of the early hip hop culture.
Brick walls became graffiti canvases, and cardboard sheets became dance floors for break-dancers. The emergence of hip hop in the late 1970s brought anger, hardship, and abandonment to the forefront. There were numerous creative outlets for dealing with this anger, hardship, and abandonment. The hip hop movement became a way of dealing with the social issues of racism and violence.
In hip hop, many pioneers played a crucial role, but DJ KoolHerc, AfrikaBambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash are considered to be the “Holy Trinity” of hip hop innovators. A Jamaican immigrant regarded as hip hop’s founding father, DJ KoolHerc was one of the most influential hip hop pioneers. People also danced the most during a song’s break section where break-dancers would circle up and save their best moves for a few seconds.
