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The music genre known as hip-hop combines rap with a backing beat. These two styles are so intertwined that they cannot be differentiated.

Hip-hop is both a musical genre and a cultural movement that emerged in the Bronx in the 1970s, blending rhythm, poetry, dance, and visual art. Rap, as its vocal expression, became the defining element of hip-hop.

Often attributed to DJ Lovebug Starski, who used the phrase playfully in the late 1970s, the term hip-hop combines hip, meaning trendy or in-the-know, with hop, evoking movement and dance. The phrase quickly became shorthand for the broader cultural phenomenon that encompassed music, dance, and art.

Hip-hop began at block parties in the Bronx, where DJs like Kool Herc extended breakbeats from funk and disco records. These gatherings fostered a new culture of dance (breakdancing), graffiti art, and MCing (rapping). Hip-hop drew from African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and Latino traditions, blending storytelling, rhythm, and community expression.

Old School (1970s to mid-1980s) hip-hop was characterized by simple beats, party themes, and pioneers like Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. In the Golden Age of hip-hop (mid-1980s to early 1990s), innovation flourished with artists like Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, and A Tribe Called Quest. Lyrics became more socially conscious, and styles diversified. Gangsta Rap (1990s) was characterized by West Coast artists like N.W.A. and Tupac Shakur, who popularized gritty narratives. At the same time, East Coast acts like The Notorious B.I.G. shaped the Mainstream Expansion. The Bling Era (late 1990s to 2000s) focused on wealth, fame, and commercial success, with artists like Jay-Z and 50 Cent. In the Modern Era (2010s to present), hip-hop became the dominant global genre, with trap, drill, and experimental subgenres, with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Cardi B redefining its reach.

The word rap comes from the English verb "to rap," meaning "to strike" or "to speak sharply." By the 1960s, it was slang for "talk" or "discuss." In hip-hop, rap refers to rhythmic, rhymed speech delivered over beats.

With origins in African oral traditions, rap's roots lie in griot storytelling, call-and-response, and rhythmic speech used to preserve history and culture. In early hip-hop (1970s), MCs like Coke La Rock began speaking over DJ Kool Herc's beats, energizing crowds with rhymes and chants. Rap became central to hip-hop during the 1980s and 1990s, with diverse lyrical themes ranging from social justice (Public Enemy) to street narratives (D.W.A.). Beginning in the 2000s, rap has evolved into countless styles, influencing fashion, language, and activism worldwide.

Various styles of rap include Conscious Rap (focused on social issues and empowerment), Gangsta Rap (raw depictions of urban life), Trap (Southern style with heavy bass and hi-hats), Battle Rap (competitive, lyrical dueling between MCs), and Experimental and Alternative Rap (artists pushing boundaries with abstract flows and beats).

At its vocal core, rap transformed oral traditions into a global art form, evolving through eras and styles.

 

 

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