DJs and MCs brought the music by setting up mobile “ Sound Systems” introduced by Jamaican culture. These block parties laid the groundwork for everything associated with early hip hop culture. The abandoned buildings and parking lots set the stage for block parties. As a result, urban youth turned to the streets for recreation and self-expression. Urban despair also brought rising crime, gang violence, and poverty.Ĭonsequently, businesses closed their doors, causing many economic opportunities and sources of entertainment to evaporate. Conditions worsened in neighborhoods prominently populated by African-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Caribbean immigrants. The migration shifted demographics and segregated communities. Much of the white middle class moved to the suburbs to escape the social and economic challenges. The city’s economy was falling apart due to the decline of the manufacturing industry and construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway. Looking back to New York City during this era, we see an economic collapse. Its development reflected the negative effects of post-industrial decline, political discourse, and a rapidly changing economy. Hip hop is a subculture and an art movement that emerged from the Bronx in New York City during the early 1970s. To this day, hip hop continues to be a global phenomenon, developing new art forms that impact the lives of new and old generations. The global influence of hip hop culture has shaped music styles, fashion, technology, art, entertainment, language, dance, education, politics, media, and more. The intersection of these four elements also generated a cultural revolution that rapidly spread across the globe. “Rap is something you do hip hop is something you live.” KRS One These forms of expression have also developed into further subcultures with lasting legacies. The original four main pillars of hip hop include DJing/turntablism, MCing/rapping, B-boying/breaking, and visual/graffiti art. Four foundational elements characterize hip hop culture.
Hip hop is more than music it’s a cultural movement that incorporates different elements of art. Explore significant events in hip hop history and its explosive evolution. From the street corner to the world stage, hip hop has grown into one of the world’s most prominent musical genres and cultural influences.