Terrylynn Banks
COM/CAP 325
Nicholson
Codes and Abstraction in Hip Hop Culture
A new and unique style arose from the streets, among the urban youth of the Bronx in the late 70's. This artistic movement was first identified through a musical style that was characterized by the isolation and the extension of a percussion break found in funk, rock, or disco music, through the use of an audio mixer and two records. DJ Kool Herc, the first hip hop DJ, a Jamaican immigrant, made this style popular in the south Bronx at many neighborhood block parties and thus was his claim to fame. DJ's such as DJ Afrika Bambaataa, a former gang leader turned community leader from the South Bronx, Grandmasterflash and many others soon became a popular force within hip hop culture. The term hip hop was coined by DJ Kool Herc and DJ Afrika Bambaataa who used the term to describe the style of music during a competition. DJ competitions introduced an array of individualized techniques that was each DJ's signature of their own unique style. The four main characteristics of hip hop; when it began, was MCing, DJing, graffiti, and Break dancing. DJing and MCing are the two distinctive styles that is the root of rap as we know it today. A DJ uses a instrumental track usually referred to as a "beat", and the MC entertains the crowd with rapping (the rhythmic delivery of rhymes). With its roots in Jamaican toasting and dubing, rapping has developed significantly since its introduction to hip hop. Along with rap other characteristics have been added since hip hops emergence into main stream america such as the baggy clothing, oversized chains and medalions, amd of coourse the language.
The language of hip hop is the most prominent factor of this culture. It is the link that ties this culture together. Cultures from the entire world have borrowed and contributed to the slang of hip hop, changing the meanings of certain words to fit their own uses. The language of hip hop is said by... [continues]
COM/CAP 325
Nicholson
Codes and Abstraction in Hip Hop Culture
A new and unique style arose from the streets, among the urban youth of the Bronx in the late 70's. This artistic movement was first identified through a musical style that was characterized by the isolation and the extension of a percussion break found in funk, rock, or disco music, through the use of an audio mixer and two records. DJ Kool Herc, the first hip hop DJ, a Jamaican immigrant, made this style popular in the south Bronx at many neighborhood block parties and thus was his claim to fame. DJ's such as DJ Afrika Bambaataa, a former gang leader turned community leader from the South Bronx, Grandmasterflash and many others soon became a popular force within hip hop culture. The term hip hop was coined by DJ Kool Herc and DJ Afrika Bambaataa who used the term to describe the style of music during a competition. DJ competitions introduced an array of individualized techniques that was each DJ's signature of their own unique style. The four main characteristics of hip hop; when it began, was MCing, DJing, graffiti, and Break dancing. DJing and MCing are the two distinctive styles that is the root of rap as we know it today. A DJ uses a instrumental track usually referred to as a "beat", and the MC entertains the crowd with rapping (the rhythmic delivery of rhymes). With its roots in Jamaican toasting and dubing, rapping has developed significantly since its introduction to hip hop. Along with rap other characteristics have been added since hip hops emergence into main stream america such as the baggy clothing, oversized chains and medalions, amd of coourse the language.
The language of hip hop is the most prominent factor of this culture. It is the link that ties this culture together. Cultures from the entire world have borrowed and contributed to the slang of hip hop, changing the meanings of certain words to fit their own uses. The language of hip hop is said by... [continues]
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