The Beginnings of Hip Hop #2: The Four Core Elements of Hip Hop

Hip hop was started by Kool DJ Herc, when he took two records and played them together focusing on the "breakbeats" of a song. This expanded and developed an art form known as Hip Hop, which can be described by the four core elements. These cores are:

1. B-Boyin'= break dancin'...remember back in the day when people had boomboxes and slapped down a piece of cardboard ad started break dancin'? That is what B-Boyin' was all about.

2. MC-in'= rappin'...KRS-One was the first grandmaster of this art form and many will say that still there is no one that can test this man. MC-in' started with some turntables and a mic hooked up to keep the party going. It evolved into adding lyrics to the "breakbeats" that were exploding out of the speakers to build it into a song.

3. Aerosol Art= graffiti writin'....which some people used it to mark their turf but most is used for self expression which is graffiti in it's truest form.

4. DJ-in'= cuttin', mixin', and scratchin' records usually two at a time. Kool DJ Herc was the man that started it all. Grandmaster Flash just expanded it by bringing in many different techniques such as beatboxin' with a beatbox to keep the beat going so that the beat never stopped going.

With these four cores of Hip Hop, the music expanded into nine elements of Hip Hop that turned into a culture that has kept the music going strong for four decades. Now many say that it has turned into another form of music that the mainstream has taken and caused a cultural decline in the name of money and fame. Many artists now use a plugin called "autotune" and it allows those who can't sing to be able to sing.

If you ask me, Hip Hop is still here. You can find it in the underground but not in the mainstream. The days when you could find Hip Hop in the mainstream are over. It is time to take Hip Hop back ladies and gentleman, Hip Hop is a movement made to bring knowledge through music. This is the whole reason behind this blog, to get people to open their eyes and see that there is an assault against Hip Hop going on and we need to take it back! I hope you're all with me because what they call Hip Hop nowadays is regurgitation on the mic and diarrhea out the speakers! It's time to bring back the elements from the core so that Hip Hop can expand again.