Hip-hop is currently undergoing its second youth. Hip-hop culture – and rap behind it – has been breaking into the mainstream more and more boldly over the past few years. Today we tell you in a nutshell how hip-hop was born.
I have the impression that everything new and interesting is created in the United States. So it was with hip-hop. The date of its birth is considered as August 11, 1973. That was when Dj Kool Herc, not even 18 years old, was having a party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. However, Kool Herc decided to play only instrumental versions of songs. His bandmate (Coke La Rock), on the other hand, grabbed the microphone and decided to turn up the crowd – that, in a nutshell, is how hip-hop was born. From the beginning, it was not a culture that appeared in the mainstream media, or the media in general. This is due to the radical nature of its views – the representatives of this culture are not fond of commercial treatments or widely understood politics. The low media coverage is also due to vulgar language
Hip-hop would be nothing without the pillars introduced by DJ Afrika Bambaataa (he is considered the father of hip-hop along with Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc). These pillars are: rap, DJ-ing, b-boying and graffiti. Many representatives of hip-hop culture add one more pillar, in my humble opinion the most important. It is knowledge. Without it it is difficult to know and understand this unique and beautiful culture. And ignorance and lack of understanding lead to harmful judgments about the representatives of hip-hop. Of course, direct language, wide pants and a baseball cap are somewhat attributes of a hip-hop artist, but not of everyone
The first hip-hop song is considered to be “Rapper’s Delight” by the group The Sugarhill Gang. The number was written in 1979 and climbed all the way to number 36 on the US charts. “Rapper’s Delight” was also the first song to feature the name hip-hop. It is worth noting that hip-hop music, and with it rap, are very important elements of this culture. Not to be forgotten is the breakdance, which together with rap and sample music is the essence of hip-hop culture. The combination of all these elements are meetings, often called jams, where b-boys and b-girls fight with each other during dance duels, to which the music is created by DJs. Mc’s duel over words, and graffiti artists create visual representations of hip-hop culture
Hip-hop is perhaps the only subculture that reacts so quickly and bluntly to any social or political event. This is most often seen in the poignant lyrics of rappers or the murals created by talented artists. It is important to remember that hip-hop is authentic, filled with respect and love for another human being. Negative opinions about this culture result from clashing with false representatives of hip-hop. Very hurtful are also comparisons of hip-hoppers, graffiti artists or b-boys to vandals and hooligans. Although hip-hop culture is expressive, it is important to remember that it was created to alleviate and avoid gang fights in New York City, and it was to become a tool in the hands of black citizens to fight for rights and equal treatment. At the time, hip-hop culture saved many young people. After all, hip-hop is supposed to unite, not divide – this is the motto that hip-hoppers repeat most often
Main photo: Pixabay/pexels.com
