Hip-Hop is a cultural movement and musical genre which started in 1970s. It began with a group of urban African-American young people living in the poorest borough of New York City ‘The Bronx’. It was a time when block parties were becoming popular. A Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc (Clive Campbell) was one of the first to pioneer a ‘sound system tradition’ and to use a dub style of mixing. Herc’s speakers were really loud and became known as ‘Herculoids’ and this helped make people aware of his parties and his style of music. Herc brought from Jamaica the tradition of ‘toasting’ which means reciting improvised rhymes over instrumental sections of records. [Read more...]
Hip Hop books and Web Pages
February 4, 2011 By
These are a few recommendations if you would like to find out more about the origins of hip hop music and the history of hip hop:
Alvarez, Gabriel (1999) Chariman Mao, Sacha Jenkins, Brent Rollins and Elliott Wilson, Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists St. Martin’s Griffin.
Austin, Joe (2001) Taking the Train: How Graffiti Art became an Urban Crisis in New York City New York: Columbia University Press.
Bradley, Adam (2009) Book of Rhymes: the Poetics of Hip-Hop Basic Civitas Books.
Coleman, Brian (2007) Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies London: Random House.
Edwards, Paul (2010) How to Rap: The Art and Science of Hip-Hop MC Chicago: Chicago Review Press.
Fresh, Freddy (2004) The Rap Records Nerby Publishing. [Read more...]
The link between graffiti and Hip Hop
January 27, 2011 By
Graffiti culture resonates at the roots of hip hop. The link between hip hop culture and graffiti occurs as early graffiti artists practised other aspects of hip hop and also because graffiti was practised in places where hip hop was evolving as an art form. A well-known graffiti artist HAZE created album covers for the Beastie Boys’ early albums and also worked with Chuck D from public enemy. The word graffiti originates from the Greek word ‘graphein’ which means to write. The word itself is a plural of the Italian word ‘graffito’. Graffiti is writing, tagging or aerosol art on a private or public surface which often makes it illegal. In 1971 the New York Times published the first article about graffiti. [Read more...]