hip hop culture

DJ Grandmaster Flash in 1999

Hip-hop culture is an art movement that emerged in New York City, in the borough of the Bronx, primarily within the black community. Hip-hop as an art form and culture has been heavily influenced by both male and female artists. It is characterized by the key elements of rapping, DJing and turntablism, and breakdancing; other elements include graffiti, beatboxing, street entrepreneurship, hip-hop language, and hip-hop fashion. Many cite hip-hop's emergence as beginning in August 1973 when brother–sister duo DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell hosted the first documented indoor hip-hop party and culture event in the Bronx; Helping to spark the rise of the genre. However many hip-hop pioneers and historians contend that hip-hop did not have just one founding father. The black Spades street gang and Disco King Mario of the Bronxdale Houses are also considered vital in the early origins of hip-hop culture and music. Disco King Mario hosted and organized outdoor hip-hop culture events, and park jams that predated DJ Kool Herc's 1973 indoor hip-hop party. DJ Kool Herc was also among the attendees at Disco King Mario's hip-hop events. Since then hip-hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the United States and subsequently the world. These elements were adapted and developed considerably, particularly as the art forms spread to new continents and merged with local styles in the 1990s and subsequent decades. Even as the movement continues to expand globally and explore myriad styles and art forms, including hip-hop theater and hip-hop film, the four foundational elements provide coherence and a strong foundation for hip-hop culture.