Generating page narration, please wait...

Overview

As both a musical genre and a mass culture movement, hip-hop was developed in the United States by inner-city African American and Latino American youth in the Bronx borough of New York City during the 1970s. Since then, the genre has developed more complex styles and spread around the world.

Be ready to:

Describe the four elements of hip-hop and explain their significance to hip-hop.

Identify members of the holy trinity of hip-hop and understand nonviolent ethos.

Name two individuals responsible for establishing the DJ as an authority figure.

Define gangsta rap, including notable artists and their songs.

Articulate how and why new jack swing and other hybrids emerged during the late 1980s.

Discover Music

Discover Video

Keywords

Listening Guides

References

Listening Guide: "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by The Sugarhill Gang

"Rapper's Delight"♫ by The Sugarhill Gang
Instrumental introduction-piano, bass, congas, cowbell	[00:00-00:17] 00:17
The bass plays a more melodic passage in a syncopated manner	[00:17-00:34] 00:17
The first rapper-Wonder Mike-is announcing how he and his friends are going to encourage them to dance	[00:34-00:52] 00:18
Wonder Mike continues by greeting all people of different ethnicities; at the end of his rap, he introduces Hank; the guitarist enters with a syncopated riff	[00:52-01:18] 00:26
Second rapper-Hank-describes himself as a Casanova, Dr. of the mix. "He's 6'1" and lots of fun, has lots of clothes, bodyguards, two cars-a Lincoln continental and Cadillac"	[01:18-02:01] 00:43
Hank continues and encourages a group of voices to speak in a call and response manner; at 02:18, he introduces Master Gee to rap	[02:01-02:22] 00:21
Third rapper-Master Gee-raps about being popular among women around the world; he talks about hearing treble and bass sounds, feeling the beat, and starting the freak dance	[02:22-04:06] 01:44
Wonder Mike returns rappin' the same line as done at 00:34, and he improvises lines as the song fades	[04:06-04:19] 00:13

Russell Simmons

The thing about hip-hop is that it's from the underground, ideas from the underbelly, from people who have mostly been locked out, who have not been recognized.

Quincy Jones

I guess hip-hop has been closer to the pulse of the streets than any music we've had in a long time. It's sociology as well as music, which is in keeping with the tradition of Black music in America.