Some of you may know that I am one of the host’s of grind hard radio which airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time 10 p.m. Central Time and Eastern time is at 11 p.m.
On August 10th 2017 the topic was on hip hop culture. And I’ve decided that that would be an excellent blog post to discuss. I know there’s a lot of hip-hop heads out there who keep this ever-changing movement alive. Who stick to the Hip Hop code of raw and authentic -real experience – unapologetic- essence of Hip Hop; TRUE HIP HOP IS ALIVE.
Let’s talk about hip hop culture… It’s a movement through music, art, expression, and experiences. It’s a way of life putting it in simple words.
The Realms of this ever-evolving culture stem from :
graffiti paintings that tell the story of reality of the lives of so many.
Our dance expression from…
pop locking, popping, breakdancing, on down to the B girls and B boys. The hip hop style can’t be duplicated but often failed to be replicated because it’s a way of life and it is our lifestyle.
Our attitude bleeds Hip Hop.
When I think of Hip Hop I think of names like:
Cowboy Wiggins from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five one of many pioneers:
And Afrika Bambaataa from the Zulu Nation.
Keith “Cowboy” Wiggins, a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, has been credited with coining the term in 1978 while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army by scat singing the made-up words “hip/hop/hip/hop” in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers. Cowboy later worked the “hip hop” cadence into his stage performance. The group frequently performed with disco artists who would refer to this new type of music by calling them “hip hoppers”. The name was originally meant as a sign of disrespect, but soon came to identify this new music and culture.
It’s funny how people don’t realize that the words through music – through anger – love – through hate or even happiness are all strong and play a part in the world OUR evolution.
A member of the Zulu Nation name Bee Stinger described Hip Hop as having six elements:
1. Conscious awareness
2. Civil rights awareness
3. Activism awareness
4. Justice
5. Political awareness
And last but definitely the most essential is…
6. Community awareness
It has been noted and written in the history of hip-hop time that hip hop originated from English speaking blacks from Barbados who where in the South Bronx New York such as ;
Grandmaster Flash and
DJ Kool Herc
That’s the scratch of the surface in naming some of the founding fathers. These icons introduced salsa, afro conga, bongo drums, jazz, funk, ragtime, and disco by mixing samples and creating loops and breaks which later people like Grandmaster Flash , Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Mc Lyte, Roxanne Shante and others would rhyme over these beats.
Herc created the blueprint for hip hop music and culture by building upon the Jamaican tradition of impromptu toasting, a spoken type of boastful poetry and speech over music.
DJs like DJ Kool herc would plug up on 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in South Bronx and play music for block parties; now this just wasn’t to have a party “Hip Hop” was created to break down the racial barriers between African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and other ethnic groups. Hip Hop is a movement of cultural and of unification. A testimony if one might say of life experiences be it your story or someone else’s story through the eyes of people in the trenches living and about that life.
The dominant focal point is that Hip Hop has moved many souls abroad. In our culture Hip Hop focuses on the issues ethnic Americans face and still continue to face today. Hip Hop took off and expanded because these very same testimonies can be related to across the globe. So the next time you’re listening to a song and you’re listening to your favorite artist that is a Hip Hop artist listen to the words…. close your eyes and then envision the story that man or woman is trying to get across or bring to AWARENESS.
Some of the best songs our favorite songs stay timeless and revelant in our hearts and in the hearts of others because of the words Hip Hop cultivate. Hip Hop culture: it’s a lifestyle it’s a mission and a movement and it’s still alive.
Thanks for reading my love for Hip Hop
-MzChief Beatshop
Stop by Grind hard radio and listen to pass episodes and current episodes at http://www.grindhardradio.com where we keep hip hop alive every Tuesday and Thursday 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time 10 p.m. central Time and 11 p.m. eastern time or you can call in at : (323) 693-3043 press 1 to speak to team grind hard.
Sept 1, 2016 Problem live on stage at La Luz Ultralounge in bonita ca call for 619-723-0851 for tickets
MzChiefbeatshop 