What is the definition of hip hop music?
Hip-hop music combines rapping, looping, DJ music and sampling. Its origins are in urban black culture. Rap and hip-hop are not synonymous.HistoryHip-hop began in the 1970s, in New York City’s Bronx neighborhood. Black youths experimented with Jamaican rhythms and improvisational beat poetry within community gathering, eventually creating a new “sound of the streets.”SignificanceCulturally and politically, hip-hop has been very influential in the U.S. By the early 1990s, hip-hop had become one of the most popular styles of music. Many of the lyrical themes in hip-hop music deal with social oppression.FeaturesThe sound of hip-hop may feature rap, scratching, freestyling and beatboxing, and it nearly always uses samples as a means of manipulating beats. Modern hip-hop often uses synthesizers and drum machines, almost always in 4/4 time.IdentificationRecognizing hip-hop music requires an ear for lyrics and rhythm. Much of hip-hop music relies heavily on beats, usually with heavy bass. Hip
