Elements Of Hip Hop Culture

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Hip Hop can be defined as a culture containing the following elements: Bboying/Bgirling, Tagging, DJing, MCing, and Knowledge. Hip Hop also has an influence in other areas such as media and fashion. Hip Hop is not to be confused with rapping, because rapping is a subset of the overall umbrella that is Hip Hop. In today’s society, many people fail to realize that in order to be a true Hip Hop artist they must incorporate more than one element into their career.
Bboying/Bgirling, people often refer to as breakdancing, is an artistic form of dancing in Hip Hop. This dance form is built on a foundation of popping, locking, and bboying(breaking). In terms of dancing, being accepted as a b-boy is one of the highest achievements a dancer can get.
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DJ’s are often the ones helping to produce music with artists or playing music from the artists for the fans. Some of the most prominent DJ’s, like Jam Master J and DJ Yella, have played vital roles in the history of Hip Hop. Jam Master J was the DJ for the influential group Run-D.M.C. DJ Yella is known for being a member of the Hip Hop group known as N.W.A.
MCing is was most people would commonly refer to as rapping. In today’s society, this is the element of Hip Hop that has the most influence. Some of the biggest names in the history of Hip Hop, like Nas and Tupac, have paved the way for today’s generation. Nas is a legendary emcee with some of the greatest hits in generations. Tupac is another legendary artist that was known for his music and many other artistic exploits.
Knowledge is the central theme of Hip Hop. The artists today are able to make some of the hits that they’ve made due to their knowledge of those that came before them. Many artists speak to how people that came before them influenced their musical style. Artists like J Cole and Kendrick Lamar, who are talented in their own right, give credit to legendary Hip Hop figures like Nas for inspiring them. Knowledge is what makes Hip Hop so powerful, and it is the reason it continues to
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I can remember where I was that day, and the panic that it caused the entire country. But what few people realize, is that this event would shape American society for years to come. For the first time in American history, white people knew how African Americans felt. To live with the fear that one can be terrorized anywhere and at any time, is a feeling that only African Americans could understand. When Will Smith was asked if 9/11 changed anything for him, Smith answered: “No. Absolutely not. When you grow up black in America you have a completely different view of the world than white Americans. We blacks live with a constant feeling of unease. And whether you are wounded in an attack by a racist cop or in a terrorist attack, I’m sorry, it makes no difference.” 3Now of course this caused a lot of backlash in the white community. People threatened to boycott his newest movie and of course threatened the man himself, but his words are not lost on the African American community. The truth behind his words were very much

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