Hip hop
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hip Hop is a type of music which started in the 1970s in African-American (also called "Black") communities in big cities of the United States. Hip hop uses a style of singing called rapping. Rapping is a style of singing in which a singer chants or says words with a rhythm and rhymes. The lyrics (words) from hip-hop songs are often about the life of African-American people in the big cities. Some hip hop song lyrics (words) are about gangs, violence, and illegal drugs. Hip hop music also uses musical styles from pop music such as disco and reggae.
Hip Hop as a culture involves Hip-hop music as well as a style of dressing called "urban" clothes (baggy pants, Timberland leather work boots, and oversize shirts), an African-American dancing style called breakdancing or "popping", and a type of street art in which people paint pictures or words on walls, which is called graffiti. In the 2000s, hip hop music and hip hop culture is very popular in the United States and Canada. Hip hop musicians usually use nicknames (made-up names). Many of the popular hip hop musicians from the 2000s use nicknames, such as Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and 50-Cent.
[edit] Rapping
Rapping is a form of singing lyrics. The words are spoken, but use rhythm and rhymes. It was developed in African-American urban (city) areas, as a United States form of Jamaican "toasting" (chanting and rhyming with a microphone).
Run DMC and The Sugarhill Gang was also very popular in the 1980s. Ever since Rap used extremely violent language and gestures, Rap music took on the appeal to "gangsters". Rap music uses lyrics (writing words to music).
Some of Rap music's well-known singers include: Tupac Shakur, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Notorious B.I.G. and Sean "P-Diddy" Combs, just to name a few. Ever since the rivalry between Tupac and Notorious B.I.G., the Rap world has been torn into two distinct "sides", such as the East Side, which was the side that included Notorious B.I.G., and the West Side, which included Tupac.
This gang fighting lead to the death of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. The Rap and Hip-Hop industry has grown to be one of the most lucrative genres of music in the business, with rappers such as Jay-Z and Sean "P-Diddy" Combs, sitting at the top of the pile of the entertainment business when it comes to money.
The kind of Rap related to fighting of artists was called Gangsta Rap. Gangsta Rap had lyrics which talked about guns, drug dealing and life as a thug on the street. There were many fights between artists from the West Coast and the East Coast. This genre of music was flourished from the 1980s and is still in pratice in the 21st century. The lyrics talk a lot about crime and violence.
The fastest rapper according to Guinness World Records is Ricky Brown of the USA. He rapped 723 syllables in 51.27 seconds from his track "No Clue' on January 15, 2005. It is unclear as to who is the fastest rapper in the world.
Rapping has been taken to the streets of America, with the youth "spitting rhymes" and "battling", using racial slurs and "Yo Mamma Jokes". Rap music has reached every corner of the world including South Africa. A country featuring the talents of MXO, Proverb, Skwatta Kamp, and Phsyfo.
Currently the most famous rappers worldwide are Jay Z, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 cent. Now rap is all over the world, for example Bushido is a German rapper.
Some underground rappers are artist who have not yet gotten signed or are with and independent label
Balizstik is an example
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