Hip Hop Genre & Characteristics

Hip hop music originated in the 1970’s, block parties in New York City. Block parties usually where a neighbourhood community would get together in a house and entertain themselves with dancing and singing. The culture of hip hop consists of rapping, beatboxing, scratching, graffiti and break dancing, to feel the rhythm of the music created and to carry on promoting it so forth. The large parties, originally outdoors, were thrown by owners of expressing and expensive stereo equipment, which they would share within their community to compete amongst themselves, sharing lyrics and dance moves to each other. Mc’s began speaking over beats that were created as an artist. 'Rappers Delight' by the SugarHill Gang is the first song that was recorded & released by a rap crew, and therefore is considered the first true hip hop release –Wikipedia.

In the lyrics that the Mc’s used to use, were usually a mixture of slang and bad English, this meaning using shortened words and also self created. The culture of hip hop has productively spread across the word, introducing new music and expression to the genre. Early hip hop has often been credited with helping to reduce inner-city gang violence by replacing physical violence with dance and artwork battles to convey youngster’s emotions and feelings towards life. This brought out the positive aspects to their life, to see it a refreshing way by using the sound of Hip Hop. The fans of hip hop started to wear heavy gold jewellery and baggy pants, originated in the 2000. Alternative hip hop really borders itself from a mixture with other genres, it cuts deep through the real meaning of hip hop (this of which I have discussed). It uses lyrics to display their unique concepts. Verbal hip hop is to battle against each other using generally insulting lyrics to self glorify themselves to the audience, this being their evidence for success, and prophecy. Conscious rap is usually to promote knowledge and person discovery within the Mc’s life. Crunk was invented in the 1990s as a sub-genre of southern rap. This consists of high energy and oriented beats usually portrayed by the artist Lil Jon. Southern rap relies on straightforward lyrics usually consisting of slang, to capture their lifestyles of car culture, fashion nightlife and uniqueness.