Hip Hop has been around for 40 years. It is a culture that has grown from the streets of New York to become one of the most popular forms of music and dance in the world. There are many fun and interesting facts about Hip Hop culture. Take a look at some of these as we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this wonderful, creative genre.
Hip hop is a form of dance, music and art. The history of Hip Hop can be traced back to the 1920s where it was a form of street dance mainly performed by African Americans and Latino Americans during block parties in their neighborhood. As time passed by, hip hop became more than just a music genre or dance style. It became more like a culture that includes other elements such as fashion, language and graffiti art.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Hip Hop, here are 25 fun facts about hip hop culture:
1. The first hip hop record was “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang in 1979.
2. The term “hip hop” comes from MC Lovebug Starski and Keith Cowboy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five who used to say, “Hip/hop/hip/hop” as part of their routines when they were performing at the Disco Fever in New York City.
3. Hip hop came from African American street culture in the Bronx in New York City during the 1970s.
4. DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant, is the creator of hip hop music and the one who started it all back in 1973 at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York City.
5. The first emcee ever was Coke La Rock of Kool Herc and the Herculoids who started rapping in 1973 at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York City.
6. DJ Kool Herc created hip hop music by using two turntables and a mixer to extend the rhythmic breaks (also known as beats or percussion) in funk songs which he found people were dancing to the most at block parties back then
1. The first hip hop record to hit the Billboard Top 100 was “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang in 1979.
2. Hip hop music originated in the 1970s in the Bronx area of New York City.
3. Kurtis Blow is considered to be the first commercially successful rapper in hip hop history.
4. “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was one of the first hip hop singles to talk about social problems facing American inner-city youth, such as unemployment and drug abuse.
5. Run DMC made history when they became the first rap group to have a gold album and appear on MTV, “Walk This Way,” with Aerosmith in 1986.
6. LL Cool J’s debut album, Radio, sold over 1 million copies and is certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
7. Tupac Shakur (2Pac), born Lesane Parish Crooks, has sold over 75 million albums worldwide making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time as well as one of the best selling rappers ever! His double-disc album All Eyez on Me is one of the best-selling rap albums ever released.
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1. Hip-hop is a music genre that was developed in the late 1960s by inner-city African Americans and Latino Americans in New York City. A major part of hip-hop culture, rap, focuses on emceeing (or MCing) over a backing beat or musical accompaniment.
2. There are four parts to hip-hop: grafitti art, breakdancing, DJing, and rapping.
3. The first songs that qualify as hip hop were released in 1979 with debuts from Sugarhill Gang and Kurtis Blow.
4. The terms “hip hop” and “rap” have been used interchangably since the 1980s; while “rap” refers specifically to the vocal delivery of an artist, “hip hop” is a much broader term that encompasses all four aspects of the culture.
5. The top 5 best selling hip hop artists of all time (as measured by album sales) are: Jay Z, Eminem, Tupac Shakur, Nelly, and Kanye West.
6. Rap is considered a type of poetry; rappers often use poetic devices such as similes, metaphors and personification when performing their rhymes.
The Hip Hop dance style is a street-style dance which was made popular by African-Americans, Latinos and the Caribbean people. It started in the late 1960s and early 1970s due to block parties in New York City. These block parties were held by DJs who played music for people to dance to. The songs that were played at these parties had no words, just a strong beat. Dancers used these beats to improvise their own movements and eventually created their own dance styles.
Hip Hop Dance Styles
Many Hip Hop styles were created some of which include: breaking, locking and popping, krumping, boogaloo, hip hop freestyle, and house dancing.
Breaking
Breaking also known as breakdancing was originated in the 1970s by black and Latino youth’s in New York City. Breaking became very popular in the 1980s when it gained exposure through movies such as “Flashdance,” “Beat Street,” “Breakin,”and “Wild Style.” Breaking is comprised of toprock moves done while standing up, downrock moves done on the floor, power moves with acrobatic movements, freezes or poses done on the floor and footwork which are steps or traveling movements done on the floor. Today we see breaking performed in
For the past few years, hip-hop dancing has been growing in popularity. Even though the older generation may not be a fan of this newer style of music and dance, it is a positive outlet for teens today. It is also a fun way to get in shape!
Hip-hop dancing can be incorporated into a weekly workout routine by attending a class at the local gym or YMCA. The best thing about hip-hop dance classes is that they are taught by professional dancers who have years of experience. As they teach you how to pop, lock and drop it, you will realize that you are getting one heck of a workout.
Hip hop dance moves are known for their fast pace and impressive looking tricks. But don’t think that these moves are reserved for people who have been practicing for years. There are plenty of simpler hip hop moves that anyone can do, including kids!
Hip Hop is the style of dancing performed to hip hop music. It includes a wide range of styles primarily breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in the United States. The television show Soul Train and the 1980s films Breakin’, Beat Street, and Wild Style showcased these crews and dance styles in their early stages; therefore, giving hip-hop mainstream exposure. The dance industry responded with a commercialized version of hip-hop–sometimes called “new style”–and a hip-hop influenced style of jazz dance called “jazz-funk”. Classically trained dancers developed these studio styles in order to choreograph from the hip-hop dances that were performed on the street. Because of this development, hip-hop is practiced in both dance studios and outdoor spaces.
The commercialization of hip-hop dancing continued into the 1990s and 2000s with the production of several movies such as You Got Served, Stomp the Yard, Bring it On: All or Nothing, Honey, Save the Last Dance, Step Up 3D and television shows such as America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC). These elements were incorporated into mainstream pop during the late 1990s. Since being exposed to the public,