What is hip hop and rap?
Have you ever wondered what is hip hop and rap? Well, this is a cultural movement that was born in the neighborhoods of New York City as a result of the Bronx and Brooklyn of New York City as a result ofstreet parties. It is a movement that encompasses various urban aspects, mainly graffiti, breakdancing, extravagant fashion and rap.
Rap, on the other hand, is the art of singing freely and rhyming about everyday life situations. The performers of this musical genre are mostly known as rappers and they tend to improvise with incredible and usually very fast lyrics.
Sometimes people confuse the meaning of hip hop with that of rap, but it is easy to understand the difference. Hip hop is the cultural movement and within it is rap. Both concepts are always very close to each other, for that reason many people confuse the terms.
Characteristics of hip hop
As we have said, hip hop is a cultural movement, so it is not only based on the musical part, which some people may have believed for a long time. That's why here we leave you the characteristics of hip hop.
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Fashion: Baggy clothes, extravagant necklaces and watches are some of the most representative qualities of this cultural movement. When you see a man dressed like this you can say "this man is a rapper" or at least you already know he belongs to hip hop.
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Graffiti: The clothing worn by graffiti artists, for example, the typical baggy pants, is something that easily identifies a hip hop follower. All these characteristics are closely linked to each other.
Because graffiti is an underground artit also blends perfectly with rap and the hip hop movement in general. In fact, if you go to a freestyle battle, you can't miss graffiti in the environment, for example, the walls and stages.
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Rap: The rap is a fundamental part of hip hop. At hip hop gatherings there is a DJ who plays electronic drum machines and a rapper. The latter is the one the one who sings and animates with his fast lyrics full of rhymes.. Almost always the lyrics have to do with neighborhood life, protests, sex, relationships, etc.
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Breakdance: At hip hop concerts you can't miss choreographies and breakdancers, a street art that requires demanding body movements but at the same time eye-catching to the naked eye. These dancers are dressed in fashion related to the hip hop movement.
A brief history of hip hop in the 90's
Although hip hop was born in the 70's from the street parties that were held by the Puerto Ricans in New York, the truth is that in the 90's this urban cultural movement grew exponentially.
And to understand the sentiment of hip hop followers in the 90s we must mention the Gulf War in the United States, as well as the drug trafficking and the violence in the streets of New York. This situation gave rise to hip hop groups and singers who criticized these events through their songs. criticized these events through their songs..
In the United States, rap was popularized thanks to The Native Tongues, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. The latter artists and groups rapped with jazz and soul, interesting, isn't it? Those who wanted the world to change were not only blacks, but also whites, so hip hop began to become popular nationally.
Even in Europe, rap started to be heard a lot in the streets, with France being the most important place for hip hop in the 90s. For example, IAM, Mc Solaar and NTM. were very well known in European hip hop at that time.
Similarly, in Germany the following were very popular Die Fantastischen 4, Freundeskreis and Absolute Beginner und Fettes Brotwho sold thousands of records in the 90s. If you really love hip hop, maybe you have already heard songs in German, because they are very good. Here is a video clip.
https://youtu.be/uUV3KvnvT-w
Some of the most important hip hop performers in the 90's were Eminem, Dr. Dre, Vico C, Kanye West, Mc Solaar, Snoop Dogg and Tego Calderon. Of course, there are many more who left their mark on the hip hop world, but these are some of the best MC's in English, French and Spanish.
What is an MC in hip hop?
When hip hop originated in the 1970s, there were some very unique parties. In them there was a person who played the music (DJ)There would be a dance crew, dancers, people who decorated the place, as well as someone who acted as a rapper or Master of Ceremony (MC).
For that reason, today hip hop performers and composers are known as MC's, that is to say, rap singers are called that way. In this sense, we can say that Vico C is an MC, as well as Residente (Rene who sang in Calle 13) and Eminem..
Finally, we hope you have cleared up your doubts about what is hip hop and rap. Don't forget to follow our other articles in TopFestivals, as we also talk about Madrid Reggaeton Festival or other festivals where hip hop artists perform.
