Hip-hop is a youth subculture, consisting of several interconnected components: fashion, graffiti, art, DJs, rap, and breakdance. Other elements include beatboxing, hip hop fashion and slang. Hip-hop originally appeared in the South Bronx in the 1970s (12 November 1974, to be exact), and has become a part of youth culture in many countries around the world. Since the late 1990s the underground street culture with sharp social orientation, gradually became a part of the music industry, and by the middle of the first decade of this century, a subculture of hip-hop has become «fashionable» and «mainstream». However, despite this, there are plenty of hip-hop artists, who still continue its "main line" - a protest against inequality and injustice, the opposition to power holders. In this case, it is a rap or MCing that is the foundation of hip-hop culture. The term "hip-hop" is defined as a combination of two words - «hip» (hurray) and «hop» (jump). In order to understand hip-hop culture correctly lets give the definition of the four main components of hip-hop: rap music, turntablism, breakdancing, graffiti art.
Rep that is also called MCing is the fulfillment of rhyming text usually supported with rhythmic music. Turnablism that is also called DJing is considered to be a creation and performance of music using turntables. A person who is engaged playing vinyl is called a DJ. DJ uses a few tunes recorded on vinyl, changing them and treating all sorts of ways (deceleration, acceleration, cycling, etc.) to give a completely new composition. Graffiti or Graffiti Art is a type of fine art, which is created by drawing with aerosol cans. A person who is engaged in this element, is a writer. They do not just write simple letters they use unconventional sweeping letters, often twisted beyond recognition. Breakdancing or just a break is a kind of modern dance, which is based on the original acrobatics and stunts. Guy dancing break is a b-boy, and girl, respectively, is a b-girl.
Gradually, all the components of the hip-hop began to coalesce into a coherent whole. The emergence of hip-hop was a response of disadvantaged youth to the concept of the American Dream - the ability to rise from the bottom of society from the bottom up, an attempt to exit from the oppressive environment. The basis of hip-hop was the act of creating something new out of nothing. Clothing style is fully consistent with this idea: children painted old sneakers, pick up colored laces to match to the rest of the clothes and pants rolled up to focus on shoes. The presence of a piece of cardboard, stolen bottles with paint or tape player were easy conditions to perform under the new creative activity.
We can confidently say that new forms of activity, easily accessible to everyone, have flourished precisely because youth itself was ready for it. A new generation of self created the sort of cultural environment, where they could fully realize themselves. To establish the exact place and date of birth of hip-hop culture is difficult. It is believed that at the beginning of the 60s of the 20th century, this homeless kid was trying to find his place on the alarming streets of the Bronx, then under the sun of the whole New York City, and then - on the streets all over the world.
For a better understanding of the many features of the culture of hip-hop world vision worth considering especially gang environment. In Latin American, African-American gang environment of the time, as in the gang environment in general, we are faced with a peculiar view of the world of its members. "The key is the world division of the world into two halves - ours and theirs, gangster and ordinary people." Two opposite the world are in a constant conflict with each other. Member of the gang community lived separately from ordinary society and is not subject dictated by society social relations, roles and laws. Life and values of the common man is not presented as something important, and them, if necessary, could do.(Steinberg 2006)
The continuation of this world features can be seen in the absolute indifference of graffiti writers to the fact on which to draw - such questions are not at all in most cases, but to draw on top of someone else's work graffiti writers will be only in the case of personal animosity. The difference gangster world with the outside world was emphasized in clothes, language and gestures that are often done unconsciously. Special language used only in their environment, and conversation with strangers it avoided. Inability to name or describe the subject in this kind of language at once betrayed "them" bandits community of people and their "wrong" attitude to everything. The contradiction between two worlds can be seen in the names and gang environment where each person has two names: the name given at birth and the name of the earnings - the nickname (alias, street name). Within their community rarely used real names, if it is done - something more with some satire. On the other hand, it is undesirable to use nicknames were ordinary people when talking with members of the subculture, especially if they are unfamiliar. The same system of names and their use in precision inherent in hip-hop environment. Origin of name - a complex multi-dimensional process. On the one hand, the nickname given for certain qualities of man; on the other - may be a variation of his real name, he has the opportunity to change his nickname, but it does not always take hold in the medium. A major role in the choice of name has its sound and primary emotions that it is sound. On top of all, in the US we are dealing with an alloy weak level of proficiency in English with their mother tongue of immigrants, which gave another opportunity to express precisely the creative process. Of ethical standards is particularly worth noting the condemnation of any interactions with the government and the outside world, which includes participation in community activities and organizations, the latter is embodied in the hip-hop environment in the form of boycott of some popular activities and arrogant attitude toward them.(Price 2006)
Traditional gang phenomenon in the medium - stories about his exploits and strong features. It is interesting that the truth of events occurred frequently in this story or verse does not play such an important role as the very form of narrative and skillful, beautiful presentation of text. Such boasting valued and appreciated in the gang environment and, as a manifestation of a person's confidence in himself, his self-control. In hip-hop, this tradition was inherited directly emsiinga elements (rap) and indirectly break dance where the dancer specific gestures showing its superiority over the enemy. If Russian art thieves environment for the most part limited to tattoos, the Latin American and African-American gangster environment 60-70 - x tattoos also added painted leather jackets, which are often represented by symbols and rich messaging alloy emblem, the name of the gang and the popular comic characters , cartoons or militants.
At the turn of the century hip-hop culture is fighting for its existence on the streets. The term "street rap" united young people. The association was important and even necessary simply because alone rapper became the victim of harsh reality. Despite the fact that the rappers went to school, vocational schools, institutions - the main school of life for them remained the street.(Rabaka, 1998)
The term "street rap" instills confidence and courage. "What does not kill us - makes you stronger" - Nietzsche repeated «Tupac Shakur» (American rapper, actor, public activist), using this simple truth to the brilliant culture of hip-hop. Weaknesses and fears were an unaffordable luxury for a soldier who stood in the ranks of street rap. [31] Philosophy streets expressed in rap lyrics, fired the minds of boys and girls. The emergence of music "rap" was the biggest breakthrough hip-hop to the masses. It all began in 1975, when all the same Kool Herc at a party at the club «Hevalo» Connect the microphone and began to speak during a break from dancing crowd. The crowd liked - DJs took the practice adopted.(Ferrari 2006)
Old School «Old School» (eng. Old School) - the earliest genre of hip-hop. Old school is different from other areas of hip-hop to its relatively simplistic recitative - most lines take about the same time, and speech rhythms rarely change direction along the bits of the composition. Modulation (cadence) is usually just gets on a bit, and when this happens, the sound returns to the original palette for quick consonance (approval). At the heart of the composition were minus borrowed from funk or disco, though some tracks were diluted synthesizer accompaniment. The main emphasis is not on the lyrical side of the music, but simply on the "good old days"; the only exception to this rule were Grandmaster Flash and his team of The Furious Five, whose tracks had sharp orientation. Also one of the main features of hip-hop is the length of the tracks - 10 minutes or more. Old School is the first kind of hip-hop music; its origin dates back to the year 1979 - the time of release of the composition «Rapper's Delight» group The Sugarhill Gang. This genre is different from other areas of hip-hop to its relatively simplistic recitative - most lines take about the same time, and speech rhythms rarely change direction along the bits of the composition. At the heart of the composition minus were borrowed from funk or disco, although some tracks were diluted synthesizer accompaniment. The main emphasis is not on the lyrical side of the music, but simply on the "good old days"; the only exception to this rule were Grandmaster Flash and his team of The Furious Five, whose tracks had sharp orientation. Also one of the main features of hip-hop is the length of the tracks - 10 minutes or more. Began in 1983 musical career group Run-DMC began to build his own compositions on the basis of hardcore punk and hardcore-Urbana. The group's activities led to the expansion of the "old school" and replacing it with "new". (Czekaj 2010)
New School «New School» (Engl. New School) - trend in hip-hop music, which began in 1983-1984 with the advent of the first works of Run-DMC and LL Cool J. [36] The movement of the "new school" originated in New York. Initially, the music in the style of the "new school" is a product of the use of drum machines, often includes elements of rock. Lyrics were varied hue - from the consciousness of the significance of the rapper himself to describing life in the ghetto. All these elements led to a sharp contrast between "new" and "old school" based on funk and disco. Tracks in the genre of New School became much shorter, which helped them get on the radio; Artists began to release LP. Due to this since 1986 hip-hop secured itself a firm place in the mainstream. Shortly thereafter began the "Golden Age" of hip-hop, in which the movement of the "new school" began to wane because of the emergence of a huge number of genres. The era of the "new school" is associated with the work group Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Juice Crew, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, based in texts which lay Afrocentrism, and the underlying bits - electronic sampling. Their work has prepared the emergence of such impolniteley heyday of hip-hop as Gang Starr, Lord Finesse, EPMD and Mantronix. Innovations introduced by Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J, and producer Larry Smith, were borrowed rappers Marley Marl, Rakim, KRS-One. The sound of hip-hop music has changed - it is faster, more accurate, its complicated combination drum machine and sampler. Rakim for his work trying to raise the art of recitative to new heights, while KRS-One and Chuck D in their songs have raised the problems of society blacks. Music project participants Native Tongues Posse positivism was crowded and fun dance energy. In the early 1990s in hip-hop music began to dominate the West Coast, which is rigid composite gangsta rap and G-funk melody; but in the middle of the decade rappers from the East (Nas, The Notorious BIG, Wu-Tang Clan) managed to raise the East Coast hip hop to the next level. The terms "old" and "new school" were first introduced in the 2000s, although in 1988 Chuck D called soih new wards of Long Island «Leaders of the New School». At present, the style of "new school" include various rappers - from Jay-Z to Lupe Fiasco. The basis of the genre "New School" was a combination of a sampler and a drum machine that began with all the same Run-DMC and LL Cool J. The lyrics were varied hue - from the consciousness of the significance of the rapper himself to describing life in the ghetto. The first full-length album in this genre of work is considered Run-DMC (1984) and Radio (1985). Another feature of the "new school" was the fact that hip-hop tracks have become much shorter, which helped them get on the radio. The development of "new school", its commercialization has led to the fact that hip-hop has taken place in pop culture. Many musicians have started using rap in their songs; This primarily refers to the famous group Beastie Boys.
References
Czekaj, Jef. Hip & Hop, Don't Stop!. New York: Disney/Hyperion Books, 2010. Print.
Ferrari, Paolo. Hip Hop. Firenze: Giunti, 2006. Print.
Price, Emmett George. Hip Hop Culture. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print.
Rabaka, Reiland. The Hip Hop Movement. Print.
Steinberg, Shirley R, Priya Parmar, and Birgit Richard. Contemporary Youth Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print.
