Hip Hop is a popular culture that emerged among African-American communities in suburban New York in the 1970s. Music is the main artistic expression of hip hop, which also has strong representation in dance and graffiti.
From the United States, hip hop culture has spread around the world. In Brazil, the city of São Paulo is the one with the largest number of fans and a relevant artistic production.
Although there are some translations of the expression hip hop as swaying the hips, in this case the word hip in English has the connotation of "what's in, happening right now", and hop it would be a dance move.
And yet according to North American records, the term hip hop is actually the sound of the cadence of march of the soldiers, which was compared to the rhythm of the MCs on stage, alongside the DJS, when uttering the rap music. Hip hop was reportedly recorded for the first time in 1979, in the recording of the song "Rapper's Delight", from the Sugarhill Gang.
But the expression hip hop doesn't have a single source and several figures have claimed its creation, such as DJ Lovebug Starski, Afrika Bambaataa, Keith owCowboy’ Wiggins and Grandmaster Flash.
With its origins in the suburbs of New York, American hip hop ended up becoming the most famous expression in musical terms.
Hip hop gospel is one of the styles coming from this street culture, with strong perpetuation among young evangelicals from the periphery. The lyrics of gospel hip hop songs discuss social reality, but always with a lesson and message of faith.
Origin of Hip Hop
Hip Hop as an urban culture emerged on the outskirts of New York, among Caribbean, African-American and Latin American communities in the 1970s. The social context was one of violence and crime in these neighborhoods, and the only possible form of leisure for young people was on the streets. They found in music, poetry, dance and painting a way to manifest their reality and contestation.
The founder of hip hop would have been Clive Campbell, or DJ Kool Herc. The first event in hip hop history took place on August 11, 1973, at the birthday party of the DJ's sister, Cindy Campbell, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, in the Bronx, New York.
Another date that is a landmark in the history of hip hop is November 12, 1973, the day the NGO was founded Zulu Nation that promoted hip hop culture as a way to keep young people away from crime and violence.
Little by little, poetry in music, represented by rap, gained space in clubs, which until then never tired of playing the hits of the disco era. The pairs of DJs and MCs gained prominence and competed against each other, the rap battles, made only for cultural expression and without the connotation of violence. The graffiti on the walls was the expression of painting in hip hop culture, and the break was the dance that left the streets for parties throughout the city.
History of Hip Hop in Brazil
The Hip-Hop Cultura de Rua album marks the arrival of the movement in Brazil. There are several rappers that participate in the album, among them Thaíde and Dj Hum, until today the main names of national hip hop.
But hip hop culture first arrived in Brazil through break dancing. Before the album, Brazilian hip hop had its place on the streets of São Paulo, more precisely on the São Paulo subway Bento, in which the artists performed their performance for anyone passing by the street and willing to contribute.
Hip Hop Features and Elements
Hip hop has four main elements: rap, DJing, breaking (practiced by b-boys and b-girls) and graffiti art.
When hip hop came along, it focused on disc jockeys that created rhythmic beats, they were small pieces of music with an emphasis on repetitions, later, it was accompanied by rap, identified as a musical style of rhythm and poetry, along with improvised dances such as breakdance, the popping and locking.
The relationship between graffiti and hip hop emerged when new forms of painting were being carried out in areas where rap, dj and dance were practiced. Among the different artistic manifestations of the hip hop movement, music is included as the main role, with DJs, MCs (master of ceremonies) and Rap.
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