The history of Hip-Hop. Visual & Performing Arts Essay

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The History of Hip-Hop and Hip Hop as a culture
The history and emergence of hip-hop culture is linked to the youth in inner cities especially Bronx, New York and later in Los Angeles, California. The art of Hip Hop has adopted and been influenced by deejaying (DJ or turntablism), emceeing (MC or rapping), graffiti and breakdancing, and in the 1980s, there was increased focus on knowldege and culture (Price 21).  Hip-hop refers to the music that developed in the East Coast of America among blacks and Latino youth and goes beyond rap, which focuses on spoken lyrics, and there are those who identify with hip-hop aesthetically, politically, socially and intellectually (Gladney 292). Hip-hop culture emphasizes the use of powerful language, being true to oneself and social consciousness. 
The beginnings of Hip Hop Culture are linked to artists who sang about their experiences and did not necessarily focus on expensive things like today. Graffiti paint was first invented in 1949 and while Clive Campbell (future DJ Kool Herc), and Cornbread Kool Earl  who popularized the graffiti movement were among the first to popularize street art in the late 1960s (Price 105). At the time, there were black and Puerto Rican people in sections where whites had left the Bronx in New York, and the Bronx Music was a platform and a voice for marginalized youth where the music reflected social, economic and political realities of the residents in the area, at a time when protests and reindivicative graffiti had important political messages.
In the 70s, South Bronx area (New York) played a crucial role in the growth of the hip-hop even as this was a place full of violent gangs fighting for territorial control over areas. Before the Cross-Bronx Expressway going through the area, there were poor working class people from diverse backgrounds including Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Germans, Italians, and the Irish. South Bronx was negatively affected, and it is the from the landscape it ruined, and the demolished buildings that graffiti, raw and intense rhymes of hip-hop emerged and breakdancing had gained a foothold in hip-hop and involved complex and fast leg movements.
 Aggressive lyrics and way of speaking characterized the early phase of hip-hop, but the artists focused on social consciousness, and this was a more defining moment in the growth of hip-hop culture. In the 80s, hip-hop became more popular among the poor urban blacks, but there was also a controversy about the art being linked with deviance and antisocial characteristics in the mass media (Gladney 292). However, artists addressed drug abuse, racism, lack of opportunities, poor education and even spirituality as this is what affected them. Understanding the history of hip-hop and context is essential to appreciate the artists take on social commentary. From the 60s, the Black Arts Movement challenged the prevailing artist expression trends, and yet even as the Middle class largely ignored the music, it was a platform for social change. The mainstream artistic expression despised the choice of clothing and use of slang words. 
In the early 1980s, rappers like Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow represented hip-hop musician represented a massive product, and there was increased its fusion of different styles and electronic sound.   Some of the hip-hop pioneers came from Caribbean backgrounds like Afrika Bambaataa, Kool DJ Herc and Grandmaster Flash, and Puerto Rican Djs like Charlie Chase were also influential as was Boricua in breakdancing highlighting the influence of transculturation in the hip-hop culture (West‐Durán 4). As the lyrical content of hip-hop evolved, the 1970s style of music changed gradually as there were more complicated metaphorical lyrics about instrumentals, and hip-hop became a more mature art form (Price 2).  Furthermore, the political rap scene evolved, as there was less emphasis on hip-hop party to socially conscious content, including those highlighting issues of drugs, violence, and poverty in the inner cities. As such, hip-hop is a culture that highlights social commitment to address issues affecting people through musical content performance, artistic expression and socio-political observations. 
The hip-hop culture was depicted through performances of DJs, break dance, graffiti artists, and MC battles, but the culture is more than this. For instance, the new school of Hip Hop in the 80s contained harsh rhymes of the street over aggressive rhythms and f...