GRAFFITI

Graffiti is one of the four primary aspects of hip-hop. According to brownpride.com, the definition of graffiti is "a drawing or an inscription made on a wall or other surface, usually so as to be seen by the public. Often used in the plural." Countless examples of graffiti can be seen in many areas of America, particularly within the inner cities. This makes sense, as this is where the whole phenonemon started. Many believe that it began during the 1970s and continues on until this very day. While some may argue that graffiti is ugly, there are many beautiful examples that exist of this type of art. Visit The Graffiti Glossary for a complete overview of terms.

BREAK DANCING

Break dancing is always a fan favorite, and is also the second primary aspect of the hip-hop culture. It often catches the eye of many people. Involving much time and stamina, it is definitely not easy. However, many breakdancers say it is the thrill and crowd pleasure that drives them to perform their dance. It originated in the 1970s in New York City along with the many other aspects of hip-hop. Technique is always the most interesting and entertaining part of breakdancing, as their are endless numbers of ways to dance using this method. The popularity of this activity has certainly grown over the years.

DJing

One of the first words that comes to mind when people hear the two letters DJ is "talent." Today, DJs often receive more credit than they did in the past. DJs are almost always mention with the genre of hip-hop nowadays. Mixtapes are put out every month by various DJs to promote new music and their reputations as well. However, DJing is not a recently discovered role. Instead, DJing was started way back in the 1950s in Jamaica. Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, it started to gain popularity as it moved to New York. Two basic actions that a DJ performs are "scratching" and "mixing." In other words, they add sounds, blend songs, and ultimately remix music. DJing is the third primary aspect of the hip-hop culture.

MUSIC

The fourth and final aspect of hip-hop is perhaps the most obvious, music. Music is the main ingredient. Everything must start somewhere and music is this starting point. Without it, it could be argued that the other three aspects of hip-hop do not make sense. Music adds a sense of flow to it all. Hip-Hop is driven by music and the sense of pleasure it gives off. Music is infinite. There are countless combinations of sounds and songs that can be created. Latino hip-hop has developed over time and still continues strong today. Latino song artists such as those mentioned on this site have contributed much to the music industry to say the least. Music will always live on.