Zakk Bowman

English 102
Essay of Definition
2/9/14
HIP HOP
Based around the city kids, the wild ones, the dancers and the partiers, is the electronic
beats of hip hop. Originally belonging to this select group of young, free spirits of Spanish or
black teens, hip hop has grown to include the white population with its hard beat and its catchy
reverbs. Hip hop is not one specific groups claim to music, but now belongs to the country kids
and city kids alike. As well as expanding in popularity throughout different ethnicities, hip hop
has also expanded to include a larger variety of age. No longer is this music strictly for the
teenagers, but it now belongs to everyone if they so choose to listen.
Hip Hop means the whole culture of the movement.. when you talk about rap..Rap is
part of the hip hop culture..The emceeing..The djaying is part of the hip hop culture. The
dressing the languages are all part of the hip hop culture.The break dancing the b-boys, b-girls
..how you act, walk, look, talk are all part of hip hop culture.. and the music is colorless.. Hip
Hop music is made from Black, brown, yellow, red, white.. whatever music that gives you the
grunt.. that funk.. that groove or that beat.. It's all part of hip hop.... (Afrika Bambaataa) The
parts of Hip Hop which help to create the more diverse styles of music are exactly as Afrika has
said.
By standpoint, emceeing has always seemed to be associated with the dance or music
performances. Emceeing takes a charismatic, fired up person to get up in front of a crowd and
keep the party going. Like djaying, emceeing is often partaken as a mans job, but some of the

hottest emcees and djays on the modern scene are women. Always involved with these is break
dancing. Numerous movies have been based on the tough competitions through dancing in clubs
or in national competitions. For example: Step Up to the Streets, Stomp the Yard, and Honey.
These movies all show the wide risk thrill of break dancing stunts as well as the edge that is
brought on by learning this skill. Another thing Afrika Bambaataa brought to attention is that
personal appearance or stature is important in this world of Hip Hop. Dressing the part or acting
like you belong is part of the scene. Hip Hop isnt just about the music; Hip Hop is also a way of
life for many people.
Like techno music, rap makes up a large part of the portions of Hip Hop. Now, most
people stereotype rappers to either be good or bad depending on what color their skin tone is.
Most people would consider it true that a Caucasian rapper isnt ever as talented or has the same
flair as a Latino or African American rapper does. Although the majority of well known rappers
are not Caucasian, artists like Eminem, Iggy Azalea, and Andy Mineo prove wrong those who
believe only colored men and women can rap. While the crazily popular artists who are
Caucasian contribute much to the Hip Hop scene, the Latino or African American rappers
contribute so much as well. Nikki Minaj, Jason Derulo, and Pitbull have all contributed greatly to
the scene. Pitbull focuses mostly on a bouncy techno beat while rapping, Derulo goes for more of
a singing/rapping approach so that he can give his all for dancing during his live performances,
and Nikki contributes her annoying personality and her great rap skills.
Although the typical stereotype for those to listen to Hip Hop is a young, black or Latino
teenager, the other stereotype associated is that the person must be lacking intelligence. Although
we say we dont judge books by their covers anymore, Hip Hop artists, whether they are rappers,
djays, or dancers are judged. They are expected to have a vocab consisting of half swear words

and half simple words. Most actors are potrayed this way in Hip Hop movies and in the media
the Hip Hop musicians are played at this angle as well. In Hip Hop culture the ideal is to be at
the top, with a couple of girls on your arms and riches in your hands. Some artists try to go
against that mold and show the music to mean something else. Not always is there great artists
like this but when they appear they shine.
All in all, Hip Hop is a tight knit community for some. For others it is a threatening fad
that makes young guys and girls disrespectful, compromises their integrity, and takes away
ambition. This is a horrible stereotype that it is not the truth. Hip Hop is a raging music scene
with potential for new artists to make a living. It is not just all African Americans and Latinos,
but it instead encompasses all nationalities. No matter what is said about Hip Hop culture and the
people within it, one thing that is true to their credit is that they are an inviting community who
doesnt turn away others but instead brings them in. All nationalities are united under the title
they hold as a community and all are accepted equally.

WORKS CITED
Afrika Bambaataas Definition of Hip Hop. Davey Ds Hip Hop Corner. Sept 23, 1996. Web.
February 9, 2015.