The Origins and Core Elements of Hip Hop Culture

What is Hip Hop?

Hip hop is an art movement that emerged in America in the late 1960s in African American and Latin American neighborhoods of New York City, specifically in the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. From the beginning, typical manifestations of hip hop origins stood out, including:

• Music: Funk, rap, blues, DJing
• Dance: Hustle, uprocking, lindy hop, popping, locking
• Visual Art: Spray painting, bombing, murals, political graffiti

The union of two elements, the MC (Master of Ceremony) and DJ (Disc Jockey), forms the musical style of hip hop: rap.

Graffiti and the Writers

Graffiti is the visual art branch of this culture, applied to urban areas. The aesthetics of graffiti have influenced comics (such as the strips of The Boondocks), clothing design, record covers, and other objects. Those who practice this facet are called writers.

There are other styles of graffiti that are distinct from traditional hip hop graffiti, including:

• Radical and political graffiti
• Street art and post-graffiti (i.e., graffiti about politics)
• Computer-generated graffiti

History of Hip Hop

Hip hop music began in the late 1960s with street festivals or block parties in New York City, especially in the Bronx. This occurred because residents often could not afford or access the exclusive clubs and discos located in wealthier areas of the Big Apple, such as The Loft and Studio 54 (two mythical clubs of the 60s).

The street parties were accompanied by funk and soul music until the first DJs began isolating and extending the percussion breaks, making the songs more danceable.

This adaptation of rhythms was later accompanied by a new technique called rapping (a vocal technique based on rhythm and improvisation), which led to modern hip hop.

The Role of the DJ

A Disc Jockey (DJ, deejay, or disk click) is the technical professional responsible for creating a musical environment and culture within an open or closed venue.

Today, with the consolidation of professional technical schools, the role of the DJ has evolved. New generations must master the knowledge of early DJs, computer software, electronic instruments, digital and analog turntables, basic electronic and acoustic music theory, harmony, and composition. To truly hold the title of DJ, one needs both practice and theory.

DJs are often confused with "disk clicks" (or simple audio operators). A "disk click" merely features audio equipment and is responsible for playing audio tracks sequentially without considering transitions. The true DJ, however, must account for these transitions, either through mixing tracks, using effects boxes, or employing vinyl scratching techniques (scratch).