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Melissa Woodside
Ms. James
English 1A
April 15, 2013
Hip Hop Culture 101:
Then and Now
Hip-hop was born at 1520 Sedgwick Ave, Bronx, New York. DJ Kool Herc, known as the father
of hip-hop, would throw block parties for the neighborhood to evoke a sense of community. These
gatherings provided the platform that propelled hip-hop to emerge as a musical genre, sparking the creation
of the hip-hop culture (Henry). Throughout the years, some of the elements that make up the hip-hop culture
have changed drastically. These elements include the genre of music, fashion, and production equipment.
In the early 1970s the subgenres of hip-hop included funk, soul, reggae, and disco. In
1979, DJs began using microphones to introduce their music mixes. In a rhythmic, rhyming
style known as rapping, they would speak over their percussive backing tracks. In 1986, the
subgenre known as gangsta rap was introduced, featuring sexually explicit lyrics and references
to drugs, weapons, and gangs. Gangsta rap ended in the mid-to-late 1990s, when several well-
known rappers such as Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. were shot to death. The year 1997
marks the beginning of the new school hip-hop culture. Hip-hop music became a mainstream
genre. Pop music began to use hip-hop style percussion tracks, soul music was merged with hip-
hop to create neo-soul, and metal merged with hip-hop to create a new style exemplified by
Linkin Park. It is safe to say that the hip-hop culture has infiltrated just about all subgenres of
music (Wikipedia Contributors).
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Fashion is another important element in hip-hop culture. In the 1970s, trends included
tracksuits, sportswear, and bomber jackets. Popular haircuts were the jheri curl and the hi-top
fade. Men wore heavy gold chains and women wore gold door-knocker earrings. Adidas,
Converses Chuck Taylors, and Pumas were sneaker brands that were favored. Black
Nationalism was a major influence of fashion in the 1980s. Artists wore red, black, and green
clothing to show their support. In the 1990s, neon colored clothing and baseball caps were the
fad. Popular shoe choices were Nike, Reebok, and Timberlands. The gangsta rappers wore
Dickies pants, white t-shirts, Locs sunglasses, and Converses Chuck Taylors sneakers. Todays
urban fashions include throwback jerseys, classic gangster suits, and urban street wear such as
Polo, Nautica, and DKNY. Bling is also a major fashion statement among hip-hop elites.
However, in spite of the new school styles, several of the old school fashions are still popular
today (Wikipedia Contributors).
The original equipment used to produce hip-hop consisted of two turntables, a mixer, a
breakbeat, and a microphone. In 1977, DJ Grandwizard Theodore invented scratching, although
scratching did not go mainstream until 1983 (Huey). The use of digital samples was introduced
in the early 90s and artists began using samplers to produce music. With todays technology,
software programs are the preferred method of music production, although some producers
prefer the hands on method.
As the hip-hop genre continues to cultivate its legacy in music history, the culture of hip-
hop continues to evolve in order to keep up with modern styles and new advancements in
technology. However, regardless of technology or style, DJ Kool Herc, DJ Grandmaster Flash,
and the first MC Coke La Rock will always remain the pioneers of hip-hop, because without
these icons, hip-hop would have never been born.
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Works Cited
Henry, Cedric. Hip-hop from 1970 to 2007. Yahoo! Voices. Yahoo! Voices, 16 Nov. 2007
Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
Huey, Steve. Grand Wizard Theodore. All Music. Rovicorp, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2013
Wikipedia Contributors. Hip-hop fashion. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The
Free Encyclopedia, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.
Wikipedia contributors. "List of Hip-hop genres." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia,
The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2013.