What is hip-hop culture

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Hip-hop is not an easy direction in the youth subculture, but a certain life credo of the younger generation, a peculiar way of its self-expression. We will tell you more about its appearance and features later in the article.

Subculture Development

Modern fashion trend originated in America. The first dancers and performers in this style were African Americans.

Speaking about what hip-hop is as a musical and dance trend of youth culture, one must take into account that initially this style had a very bright social orientation. He was a kind of challenge to the rich hypocrites and corrupt officials. Later, hip-hop became a fashion trend, which means that it began to be supported commercially.

The word "hip" was borrowed from the dialect of African Americans, it meant moving parts of the body. Its other meaning is "the desire for improvement." "Hop" means jump. When these two words are combined, it turns out - development, moving forward, rethinking life, and so on.

In 1974, DJ Africa Bambaata defined the 5 components of hip-hop, and rapper Keith Wiggins and Grandmaster Flash from 1978 began to develop the direction further. It all started with a simple joke. When the boys saw off a friendto the service, they laughed, marched and sang, echoing the rhythm, the word "hip-hop". This is how the musical rhythm of the described music was born.

One of the founders of this subculture is Kool-Herk. At his parties, he accompanied the sounding music with a recitative, later this manner of performance would be called Rap. So that the dancers could show their talents, Kool-Herk made musical breaks (breaks) between his performances. Thanks to this, those who wished came out in a circle and demonstrated their abilities in a dance.

Views

Hip-hop, being the direction of youth culture, calls for self-expression. Girls and boys in dance or music show their individuality. This current includes five directions:

• musical (rap);
• dance (break dance);
• artistic (graffiti);
• sports (basketball and streetball).

In the 90s, another direction developed - gangster rap, which was saturated with aggression and cruelty. It was a kind of propaganda of the criminal world and its values.

Dancing

What is hip-hop dance? Today it is a dynamic style. Hip-hop dances include elements such as movement, rotation, jumping, "bouncing" the body, and so on. Hip-hop dancers can demonstrate their swagger, ostentatious relaxation, softness, etc.

The origin of hip-hop dance falls on the 70s, and its basis is African-American jazz (translated as "improvisation"). It was conceived by the Americans as a confrontation with the outside world, a struggle for freedom. hip-hop dances suggest freedom in everything: in movements, clothes, emotions.

Now Afro-jazz is a separate direction. But if you look at it as a special dance of the black tribes, you can see a lot in common with the hip-hop dance of our time.

African-American youth dance around the campfire to reveal their feelings and emotions. There was some relaxation in their movements. According to local tribes, God lives in the earth. This religious moment is also reflected in Afro-jazz: many movements in the dance are turned to the floor. This explains both the low landing of the dancers and the slightly relaxed knees. All this allows us to talk about hip-hop as a street dance based on improvisation and freedom of movement.

Today, new trends are emerging, numerous dance schools are opening, and competitive hip-hop is one of the most popular dance styles around the world.

Music

What is hip-hop music? This direction, which is based on two main elements: rap (recitative) and the rhythm that sets the DJ. The performers of this music call themselves "MC". A rapper must master the art of rhyming. It is rap that is considered the ancestor of the described youth culture.

At first, hip-hop songs were the singer's own speeches, the purpose of which was to address the listener and the surrounding society with a certain issue (usually on social topics). Public Enemy is a previously known hip-hop group, thanks to which this direction began to develop.

Hip-hop is becomingpopular in the 90s, when this direction is advanced to the commercial level, more and more new trends appear in it. But they all have the same basis - reciting rhythmic recitative (turnip) to the melody and rhythm.

Features

Originated in America among ordinary African Americans, hip-hop has stirred up numerous problems at the public and political level. Therefore, this culture also implies extraordinary attributes:

• performers wear loose-fitting trousers or pants, hooded sweatshirts, baseball caps, ski hats, etc.;
• accessories - bright wide laces, massive chains, wristlets, etc.

To talk about what hip-hop is today is simple - it is an incredibly popular direction of youth culture of our time. Before mastering this musical or dance style, one must not only master the basic movements, but also understand the true meaning and basis of the modern subculture.