Music - The Hip-hop Movement Essay examples -- Exploratory Essays Rese

Music - The Hip-hop Movement Hip-hop has become a new cultural phenomenon in North America and has become quite popular all over the world. Hip-hop began in the 1970's in New York City where it has its origins in the African-American community. However, because of music videos, Hip-hop culture has become accessible to everyone in society and has merged into mainstream pop culture. Hip-hop culture may not have been as popular if it was not for the accessibility of this new media. The Hip-hop movement began in the 1970's in the Southern Bronx of New York City. There are endless controversies surrounding the beginning of hip-hop, as no one is really quite sure what was the defining point. However, what is evident from every critique on this movement is that hip-hop began as a reaction to the economic and social situation in New York City. Jeff Chan, the senior editor and director of a hip-hop culture website, believes that the first incidence of this new social movement occurred during the summer fires in July, 1975 when "40 fires were set in a three-hour period" ("Born"). He further notes "slumlords were employing young thugs to systematically burn the devalued buildings to chase out the poor tenants and collect millions in insurance. Hip-hop, it could be said, was born in fire" ("Born"). As people in the Bronx began to respond to the situation they found themselves in, other signs of cultural change emerged. For example, in 1972, the residents of the Bronx st arted to post graffiti on walls or other surfaces where the public would view them. They were defying public standards and "tagging" private buildings as a way of taking ownership of their own environment, if not literally, at least figuratively (Tate). A few years la... ... Rivers Press, 1998. Ogg, Alex, et al. The Hip-hop Years: A History of Rap. Trans-Atlantic Publications. Amazon.com. 4 Mar. 2001. pp. 5. 10 Mar. 2001. http://www.amazon.com/exec/ obidos/ASIN/0752217801/ref%3Dase%5Fbboyscomhiphopcu/107-7732669- 9666131. "Soul Train Awards Roll Into 15 Years - Black Musicians Honored in Saturday Telecast." Toronto Star 2 Mar. 2001. 4 Mar. 2001 http://www.thestar.com/apps /AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article &cid=983550557972&call_page=968867505297&call_pageid=968867505297&ca ll_pagepath=Entertainment,Life/Fashion. Tate, Greg. "Hip-hop." Britannica Online. 16 Feb. 2001 http://www.britannica.com/bco m/eb/article/5/0,5716,128675+1+117537,00.html?query+hip%20hop%20dancing The Mind Squad. "Who is Killing the Spirits of Hip-hop?" The Source