Hip Hop

thumb|right|272px Hip Hop is a modern day music culture developed in The Bronx, New York City in the 70’s. Ever since then hip hop culture has spread worldwide. There are four main elements in Hip Hop: rapping, break dancing, DJing and graffiti writing. Additional elements include Beatboxing, slang and fashion. Hip Hop music is sometimes used to express the artist’s opinion on social, political and personal issues. Rapping plays a major role in hip hop culture, as it is a major popularity and financial driver.*NOTE the videos in this article do not reflect the personal opinion of me or the wiki in genreal...just sayin'.

History
It is thought that rap was first invented by African slaves by singing with no real instruments and making beats with anything they have. But a Jamaican born DJ“Kool Herc” is credited with being the founder of hip hop. By the age of thirteen Herc had start what was a basic structure of what hip hop would build on. Kool Herc also invented break beat DfgftgJing; when the most ‘dance-able’ part of the song is repeated over for all-night dance parties. Later DJs refined this technique by the use of cutting and scratching; moving the record back and forth on a mixer. A stereotypical DJ move. Rapping originated on the Bronx too in dance parties, with MC’s talking over the music to promote their DJ or just talk. Contrary to popular belief hip hop culture was not centered on drugs, but more of a median for young African-Americans to express themselves.

Graffiti
Graffiti and hip hop are as close as breakdancing and hip hop. Graffiti is considered the artistic aspect of the hip hop culture just as breakdancing is considered the physical aspect.

Breakdancing
Break dancing is a dance that evolved with the hip hop movement in New York. Remixed Electro or hip hop music is the dance music of choice because the rhythmic ‘breaks’ are prolonged to maximize dance time

Characteristics
Hip hop music typically consists of rap that contains a rhythmic vocal style. Rap usually contains samplers, pre-recorded sounds that can be altered to the artists want. Modern day rap contains less samplers than before because of the cost .Hip hop music may be based around either live or produced music, with a clearly defined drum beat mostly in 4/4 time, presented either with or without vocal accompaniment. Production may add looped musical segments on top, from either sampled or originally sequenced music.

Censorship
Hip Hop has been a heavy target for censorship because of it's explicit use of profane language and graphic refrences to sex, verbally and visually. This means that many songs are broadcasted with profane language 'beeped' out or a "clean version" is broadcasted in which the artist re-writes the song substituting whatever is deemed inappropriate with other unintelligiblek, content. Usually the bachground music remains intact with this method. To appeal to the viewers who would like to listen to the original song, radio and T.V. stations air a late-night segment dubbed "Uncut" that consistes of uncensored content. This has created a spike is sales for mainstream artists.

Language
Hip Hop has a distinctive slang language, and since Hip hop has international, and commercial success these words are used indialects all over the world. There are some words like "homie" that pre-date hip hop but is generally assosciated with it. Also famous lines in songs trigger major, but short-lived fads.

East Coast
East Coast rap is a sub-genre sty thumb|200px|rightle of hip hop that is used to classify rappers. East coast was developed in New York City in the 1970’s. East Coast rap has been noted for its emphasis on lyrical dexterity. It has also been characterized by multi-syllabic rhymes, complex wordplay, a continuous and metaphors. While East Coast rap does not have a uniform sound or standard style, it tends to gravitate to aggressive beats and sample collages. Rappers like 50 cent, NAS and the Notorious B.I.G. are east coast rappers.

West Coast
West coast rap is also a major sub-genre of hip hop. West coast rap originated in California in the early 1980’s. Such artist as Baby Bash, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur are classified as West Coast rappers.

East Vs. West
The East-West Coast Rap Rivalry was a feud in the early-mid 1990s between artists and fans of the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes. Seeming focal points of the feud were West Coast-based rapper Tupac (and his label, Death Row Records), and East Coast-based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (and his label, Bad Boy Records). This was not the only rivalry, artists like Jay-Z got involved. This feud involved rappers releasing albums that slighted their rivals and taking shots at them on the media. In fact, Tupac was once robbed in the lobby of a studio and he suggested Biggie ( the Notorious B.I.G.) was involved. During this feud, both Tupac and Biggie were killed in drive-by shooting is Las Vegas, only a few weeks apart. It is not known who or why both murders were committed and whether they were connected. At the MTV Video Music Awards in New York, Nas and Tupac also confronted each other outside the venue. Tupac said he would remove the insults to Nas from his next album, if Nas would in return refrain from insulting him. Although Nas kept his end of the bargain, Tupac was murdered before he was able to do the same . The media’spromotion of the East vs. West Coast rivalry, fueled record sales.  * Note: the following videos contain suggestive themes, parental supervision is recommended..can't say I didn't warn ya thumb|left|300px|This video has been approved for all audiences thumb|300px|right