Evolution Of Hip-Hop
Abstract:
American popular culture has been impacted beyond musical influence when it comes to the rap/hip-hop genre. Hip-hop is more a lifestyle which is arguably the greatest musical revolution in recent time. A knack for catchy hooks, danceable tunes, call-and-response vocals of the Baptist church, R&B influences, improvisation from Jazz, and with content and lyrics that tell a story; real hip-hop is a blend of many musical influences which has lifted the genre to one of the most prominent in the world. Unfortunately, rap music is not perceived by many Americans as an art form, but as a fad which they hope will soon fade away. One of my intentions with my paper is to show that rap music is not a fad, but a musical art form that has been around for over 20 years in the United States. A fad is characterized by interest followed for a time with zeal and craze. I will argue that hip-hop is indeed an art form because it incorporates most of the musical elements and lyrical and musical mastery of more accepted musical genres. Hip-Hop is similar to Ragtime in regards to its initial hatred and fad status, but as you know; ragtime is still alive and played often today. Lastly I will try to touch on important cultural influences that hip-hop. Some of these include: sneaker heads, censoring, graffiti, break dancing, freestyle battles, and the attitude and dress of the people who subscribed to the morals and traditions of this subculture.
History of Rap:
Nowadays if you ask most people to give a definition of "rap", they're likely to state that it's the reciting of rhymes to the beat of music. It's a form of expression that
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finds its roots imbedded deep within ancient African culture and oral tradition. Throughout history here in America there has always been some form of verbal acrobatics or jousting involving rhymes within the Afro-American community. Signifying, testifying, school yard rhymes, prison 'jail house' rhymes and...
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