What Is Hip Hop?
What Is Hip Hop?
Owlo, Owlo! I have the biggest news. My cousin showed me something called hip hop this weekend, and I cannot stop thinking about it!
Oh, hip hop! Now that is a topic worth getting excited about, Koko. Tell me, what did your cousin show you?
She was moving her arms and bouncing and saying words really fast along to the music. It looked so cool. I tried to copy her but I kept falling over.
That sounds like a wonderful time. What you saw is called rapping, and it is just one part of hip hop. Hip hop is actually much bigger than just music.
Wait, hip hop is not just music? What else is it?
Hip hop is a whole culture, Koko. A culture is a group of art forms, ideas, and ways of expressing yourself that grow together. Hip hop has four main parts.
Four parts? That sounds like a lot. What are they?
The four parts are rapping, which is speaking words rhythmically over a beat. Then there is DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti art. Together, they make up hip hop culture.
I know about rapping now. But what is DJing? Is that like being on the radio?
A DJ is someone who plays and mixes music using special equipment. They can take two songs and blend them together to create something brand new. It takes real skill.
That sounds like a music puzzle. I love puzzles! What about breakdancing? Is that the spinning on your head thing?
Exactly right! Breakdancing, also called B-boying, is a style of dance with spins, freezes, and acrobatic moves. It started on the streets and became an art form all on its own.
And graffiti? Is that the painting on walls? My mom says not to draw on walls.
Your mom is absolutely right about your walls at home. But in hip hop, graffiti artists create large, colorful paintings in public spaces, often with permission. It is a way of making art visible to everyone.
So hip hop is like dancing, music, art, and poetry all mixed together? That is a lot of creativity in one place.
You put that beautifully, Koko. Now, do you want to know where hip hop actually came from? I think the library has just the right book for this.
Yes! Let us go find it right now.
Here we are. This book has a wonderful chapter on hip hop history. Hip hop started in New York City in the early 1970s, in a neighborhood called the Bronx.
The 1970s? That was so long ago. Who started it?
Young people in the community started it, mostly African American and Latino young people. They did not have a lot of money for instruments or studios, so they got creative with what they had.
Creative how? What did they use?
DJs would take two copies of the same record and switch between them to extend the best part of the song. That part was called the break. Then people would dance to it, and that is where breakdancing got its name.
Oh, so they invented something totally new because they were being clever. That is amazing.
It really is. And then rappers, called MCs, started speaking over those beats. They told stories about their lives, their neighborhoods, and the things they cared about. Music became a way to share their voice.
So hip hop was a way for people to say, hey, listen to us, we have something important to say?
That is a very thoughtful way to see it, Koko. Hip hop gave people a way to express themselves when they felt like no one was listening. It spread from the Bronx to the whole world.
And now my cousin in another city is doing it too. Hip hop really did travel everywhere.
It became one of the most popular art forms on the planet. Today you can find hip hop music, dance, and art in almost every country. It connects people across languages and cultures.
I really want to try the rapping part. Do you think I could learn?
I think anyone who loves words and rhythm can learn to rap. It is about finding your own voice and telling your own story. You have plenty of both, Koko.
Maybe I will write a rap about Owlo's school. That would be a very interesting story.
I would genuinely love to hear that. Now, before you start writing your first rap, can you tell me what you learned today about hip hop?
Okay, so hip hop is not just music. It is a whole culture with four parts: rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti art. It started in the Bronx in New York City in the 1970s, made by young people who used creativity instead of fancy equipment.
Wonderful. Is there anything else you want to add?
Yes! Hip hop was a way for people to share their stories and be heard. And it spread from one neighborhood all the way around the world. Next I want to learn about how to actually write a rap, and maybe find out more about famous DJs too.
That sounds like a perfect plan. The world of hip hop has so many more stories waiting for you, Koko.
What Is Hip Hop?
Ages 6–8 · ~5 min
Join Koko and Owlo as they explore the vibrant world of hip hop, learning about its culture and four main elements in a fun way!
What you'll learn
- Understand what hip hop culture is
- Identify the four main parts of hip hop
- Learn about rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti
What Is Hip Hop?
Ages 6–8 · ~5 min
