Hip Hop Culture

Hip hop as a cultural movement manifest in B-boying, graffiti writing, DJing and eMCeeing – is an artistic commitment to seize freedom from oppressive social conditions. This artistic commitment inherent in Hip Hop culture expresses a reality of human transcendence which was originally born out of the creative impulse and cultural improvisation of the oppressed African American, Afro-Caribbean and Latino American communities of New York City in the late 1970s. It was DJ Afrika Bambaataa that outlined the five pillars of hip-hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking, graffiti writing, and knowledge. Other elements include beatboxing, hip hop fashion, and slang. Since first emerging in the Bronx, the lifestyle of hip hop culture has spread around the world. When hip hop music began to emerge, it was based around disc jockeys who created rhythmic beats by looping breaks on two turntables, which is now more commonly referred to as sampling. This was later accompanied by "rapping" and beatboxing, a vocal technique mainly used to imitate percussive elements of the music and various technical effects of hip hop DJs. An original form of dancing and particular styles of dress arose among followers of this new music. These elements experienced considerable refinement and development over the course of the history of the culture.