It's funny how many forum members passionately hate rap/hiphop and really have no idea what they're talking about. what's even more funny is that i've posted plenty of dance videos in the past, and people don't seem to have a problem with it, most even like it. well, you can't hate rap if you like the dance associated with it.
I want this thread to be a discussion of hiphop by people who actually understand the culture. You can review albums, recommend artists, discuss lyrics, and post youtube music and dance videos.
The four elements of hiphop: there's a lot more to it than rapping, of course.
spinning, scratching, and mixing - otherwise known as DJing. began when DJs isolated the rhythm sections of funk music and started mixing it with other musical elements to improvise new tracks on the spot. there is a lot more to being a DJ than ripping off other artists, like some people commonly believe. you are the lifeline of the performers and the crowd, and determine the pacing of everyone.
MCing - the MC started just being the guy who would introduce DJs and dancers, and the announcer if there was a battle. the more entertaining MCs gradually took on a bigger role, adding rhyme, a chorus, and a theme to his often hours long spoken session. kool herc and the herculoids was one of the first MC teams. today MCing is its own phenomenon and the thematic content as well as rhyme, meter, and cadance are far more complex than the simple four-beat structure of the seventies.
dancing - the prototypical hiphop dance is breakdancing. dancers are called bboys regardless of gender, though men far ournumber women in this style, due to its physical demands. there are generally three phases to breakdancing. you begin by grooving to the music on your feet, known as toprock/uprock, and expressing the musicality of the DJ's track. then you move to the footwork, using both hands and feet on the ground, this is called the six-step and variations. from here, you can end in a simple freeze, or move into the really flashy handstands/flares/windmills that people often associate with breakdancing. lastly, other styles like popping, locking, and house dancing are sometimes classified under the hiphop umbrella, but strictly speaking they started out in the funk movement.
graffiti - graffiti isn't exclusive to hiphop, it has been around since the ancient times. in the modern world, graffiti is usually used by dissident groups and antiestablishment types. for example, punk music fully embraces graffiti. graffiti is seen as the visual element of hiphop culture, and has gone from a form of vandalism to now being somewhat accepted as a legitimate art form. many graffiti artists now own studios and are successful artists.
the battle - while not one of the four elements, the battle is central to hiphop culture. there are battles in all four of the elements. it is this constant competition and rivalry that keeps the culture innovative and alive, thirty years after it was began, and is a unique aspect of hiphop. in order to become an accepted hiphop performer, you must participate in battles, though you don't necessarily have to win.
I want this thread to be a discussion of hiphop by people who actually understand the culture. You can review albums, recommend artists, discuss lyrics, and post youtube music and dance videos.
The four elements of hiphop: there's a lot more to it than rapping, of course.
spinning, scratching, and mixing - otherwise known as DJing. began when DJs isolated the rhythm sections of funk music and started mixing it with other musical elements to improvise new tracks on the spot. there is a lot more to being a DJ than ripping off other artists, like some people commonly believe. you are the lifeline of the performers and the crowd, and determine the pacing of everyone.
MCing - the MC started just being the guy who would introduce DJs and dancers, and the announcer if there was a battle. the more entertaining MCs gradually took on a bigger role, adding rhyme, a chorus, and a theme to his often hours long spoken session. kool herc and the herculoids was one of the first MC teams. today MCing is its own phenomenon and the thematic content as well as rhyme, meter, and cadance are far more complex than the simple four-beat structure of the seventies.
dancing - the prototypical hiphop dance is breakdancing. dancers are called bboys regardless of gender, though men far ournumber women in this style, due to its physical demands. there are generally three phases to breakdancing. you begin by grooving to the music on your feet, known as toprock/uprock, and expressing the musicality of the DJ's track. then you move to the footwork, using both hands and feet on the ground, this is called the six-step and variations. from here, you can end in a simple freeze, or move into the really flashy handstands/flares/windmills that people often associate with breakdancing. lastly, other styles like popping, locking, and house dancing are sometimes classified under the hiphop umbrella, but strictly speaking they started out in the funk movement.
graffiti - graffiti isn't exclusive to hiphop, it has been around since the ancient times. in the modern world, graffiti is usually used by dissident groups and antiestablishment types. for example, punk music fully embraces graffiti. graffiti is seen as the visual element of hiphop culture, and has gone from a form of vandalism to now being somewhat accepted as a legitimate art form. many graffiti artists now own studios and are successful artists.
the battle - while not one of the four elements, the battle is central to hiphop culture. there are battles in all four of the elements. it is this constant competition and rivalry that keeps the culture innovative and alive, thirty years after it was began, and is a unique aspect of hiphop. in order to become an accepted hiphop performer, you must participate in battles, though you don't necessarily have to win.
Last edited by Krappyappy (2007-01-07 11:51:24)
