Evolution of Hip-Hop
Hip-hop is known as the poetry of the streets, giving voices to the previously silenced poverty-stricken community and creating an anti establishment movement and way of life. The roots of hip-hop can be traced back to poor West African and Jamaican immigrants who filled the Bronx. From these roots a new genre of music emerged from the melting pot that was 1970’s New York, reflecting the harsh realities of the lower class African-American. A large part of 1970’s New York and one that greatly shaped Hip-Hop was gang culture. The four pillars that comprised the Hip-Hop lifestyle were DJing, Breakdancing, Graffiti art, and Emceeing. On the basis of these tradional notions Hip-Hop peaked towards the end of the 90’s with the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G and Tupac.
Roots
In the beginning there was Africa, and it is from Africa that all today’s black American music, be it Jazz, R’n’B, Soul or Electro, is either directly or indirectly descended. The ancient African tribal rhythms and musical traditions survived the shock of the transportation of milllions of Africans as slaves to the Americas, and after 300 years of slavery in the so called Land of the Free the sounds of Old Africa became the new sounds of black America. Rapping, the rhythmic use of spoken or semi-sung lyrics grew from its roots in the tribal chants and the plantation work songs to become, an integral part of black resistance to an oppresive white society. From these immigrants one could never hope to believe that it would become one of the most successful and profitable genres of today outselling both Pop and Rock.
The Term Paper on African Food Africa Africans Popular
This paper will compare and contrast the different eating habits and examine the cultural dining of West Africa to East Africa. Africans like most of the world outside of American and London aren't fanatical on fast food even though it is becoming more popular most people eat at home or at relatives or friends home. Even Africans living outside of Africa love to cook rather than dine out in most ...
Kool Herc/Block party’s/Anti disco
hip hop is an urban culture and an expressive art form of the ghetto, giving a creative outlet and something to relate too for the gangs and hoods of New York, who felt so far removed from the high class disco fever of the 1970s. It was during this time that the hip-hop we know and love started to develop with block parties becoming more popular in The Bronx. But without a doubt the funkiest party’s went down on DJ Kool Hercs block where he would put an emphasis on funk and soul music. This funk and soul wasn’t being played on the radio at the time and provided an alternative to the popular disco movement that the lower class felt removed from in the slums. If there was a silver lining in disco for the likes of the punks and pushers in New York, it was Disco’s strong danceable beats. Hip-hop utilized these beats, while simultaneously providing a creative outlet for masses that despised disco. It was on these terms that hip hop was born.
Afrika Bambatta/gangs/
Gang culture shaped Hip-Hop as it developed, but in the 1970’s Hip hop shaped gangs. Afrika Bambatta was the gang leader of one of the roughest, toughest, largest gang in New York, the Black Spades. It was while Bambatta was warlord of the Black Spades he discovered something that would change him and his gang forever it was DJ Kool Herc and his Block partys. Afrika started attending these block parties and was inspired by the innovative music that he was hearing and wanted to be a part of it, he bought all the gear to be a DJ and never looked back with so much influence over the ghetto anything was possible. When Bambatta diverted his efforts to Hip hop and stepped down from the head as the Black Spades, he created a new organization called The Zulu Nation, a group dedicated to hip hop and improving the community. The majority of the Black Spades gang members still loyal to Bambatta followed him with his vision, spreading Hip-Hop all throughout New York. Bambataa brought peace to the gangs as many artists and gang members say that “hip hop saved a lot of lives”.
The Term Paper on Analysis Of Gangs Of New York
In 2002, Martin Scorsese teamed up with Miramax Films to direct _Gangs of New York,_ a film he had dreamed of making since the 1970s. With a $97 million budget, the film was a box-office flop, grossing only $190 million worldwide. Nevertheless, _Gangs of New York_ earned 10 Academy Award nominations, and won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Director and Best Song, “The Hands That Built ...
Four pillars of hip hop
These early DJ’s like Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa began isolating the percussion breaks in hit songs realizing that these sections were the most danceable and entertaining. These DJ’s started using more than one turntable, so that they could loop these 20-second breaks and turn them into all a full track, this cemented the foundations of Hip-hop. As the block party’s continued artists started getting up and speaking while the music played, these artist were initially called MC’s. Originally it was the emcees focus to make announcements and give shout outs to the crowd (Call and response).
These early artists frequently emceed for hours at a time, with some improvisation and a simple four-count beat, along with a basic chorus to allow the performer to gather his thoughts (such as “one, two, three, y’all, to the beat, y’all”).
Later, the MCs grew more varied in their vocal and rhythmic approach, incorporating rhymes, often themes related to gangs and life as the lower class, in an effort at differentiating themselves and entertaining the audience. MC’s would rap at block parties with no anticipation of recording or getting “paid”, these artists that were involved in hip hop would pass down all the skills informally to other musicians Hip Hop rather than expensive lessons thus making Hip-Hop a form of folk music. Another big part of Hip Hop is breakdancing. During the early 1970s, breakdancing arose during block parties, as b-boys and b-girls as they were known at the time got in front of the audience to dance in a very athletic and distinctive style dancing to the percussive break thus giving it the name breakdancing, break-dancers would dance against each other to gain reputation and battle it out to be known as the top dancer in New York.
Hit its peak what is hip hop doing now?
Hip-hop was constantly evolving but it hit its peak in the 90’s with the arrival of 2 of the influential contemporary MC’s to bless the mike, I’m talking about The Notorious BIG and Tupac.
http://www.globaldarkness.com/articles/roots_of_hiphop.htm
The Term Paper on Hip Hop Music Culture Rap
HIP HOP'S AFFECT ON CULTURE Hip hop has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion. Because of its crossover appeal, it is a great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the streets, hip hop's influence has become well received by a number of different races in this country. A large number of the rap and hip hop audience is non-black. It has gone from the ...
www.youtube.com “The Hip Hop years”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa
