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The Cachet Art on the cover depicts
"Salt 'N' Pepa," one of the most successful Rap groups of
all time. In 1989 they became the first Rap Group ever to be nominated
for and win a Grammy.
Hip Hop originated in the South Bronx,
New York during the
seventies. It is made up of four parts: Breakdancing, DeeJaying,
EmCeeing, and Graffiti.
During the seventies, the South Bronx
experienced major deterioration. Factories were closed and
apartments razed to make way for the Cross Bronx Expressway. Federal
Assistance was also decreased, and white residents were fleeing to the
suburbs.
The area became an economic wasteland
and the remaining residents, primarily African and Hispanic Americans,
received virtually no outside financial support.
It was against this background that the
Hip Hop culture was born. African American and Hispanic youths who had
no recreation halls or community centers to dance in, began to use the
streets. Musicians who could not afford instruments improvised using
their stereo equipment and turntables in new and innovative ways.
Youthful artists created stunning mural and fresco paintings on the
buildings and subways of the Bronx. DJ
Kool Herc (Clive Campbell) first brought his sounds to the Bronx
in 1969 and is known as the father of Hip Hop. In 1978 the term Rap
Music was coined by the music industry. The first commercial rap
record was released in 1979 by the Sugar
Hill Gang.
In the 1980s Hip Hop culture gained
national popularity and commercial success with such artists as: Kurtis
Blow, Afrika
Bambaataa, Grandmaster
Flash, and ICE
T.
B-Boys.com
is a wonderful resource for obtaining further information concerning
Hip Hop. The Web-site also includes photos, art and graffiti galleries.
Sources:
Encyclopedia
Britannica
Encyclopedia
Africana
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