Hip hop

Hip hop is a type of culture/art style that started in the 1970s in the Bronx. It began in Jamaican American, African American, Arab American and Puerto Rican/Hispanic and Latino American urban areas in some of the larger cities of the United States. Hip hop uses drumbeats produced by a drum machine, and rapping, where the rapper or group chants or says words with a rhythm that rhymes. The lyrics of hip hop songs are often about the life of urban people in the big cities. Hip hop music also uses musical styles from pop such as disco. Rap and hip hop music have become successful music genres.

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Hip hop's connection to reggae music goes beyond mere musical influence; it is rooted in the shared cultural experiences of the African diaspora. DJ Kool Herc, a key figure in the early development of hip hop in the Bronx, was a Jamaican immigrant who brought with him the tradition of 'toasting' from reggae culture. This practice, involving rhythmic spoken word over music, evolved into the rapping style central to hip hop. The use of sound systems, another reggae staple, played a crucial role in the block parties where hip hop culture flourished. Thus, reggae's influence is integral to the formation of hip hop, not just as a musical genre, but as a cultural movement.

Hip hop as a culture involves the music as well as a style of dressing called "urban" clothes (baggy pants, Timberland leather work boots, and oversize shirts); a dancing style called breakdancing or "B-boying"; and graffiti, a street art in which people paint pictures or words on walls. In the 2000s, hip hop music and hip hop culture are very popular in the United States and Canada. Hip hop musicians usually use nicknames. Many of the popular hip hop musicians from the 2000s use nicknames, such as Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, and 50 Cent. Hip hop is sometimes fused with other genres such as country and rock.