Task 6- Hip Hop

Hip Hop

I have decided that my magazine will focus on the genre of Hip Hop. The genre originated from the African American community of New York during the 1970s. The genre is widely considered to have first been created by DJ Kool Herc who lived in New York, while entertaining at a party he extended an instrumental break beginning to rap in the gap. Therefore creating the Hip-Hop genre which would then spread throughout the city and later the world through famous hip hop artists such as Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane and De La Soul during the 1980s when the genre became mainstream. Sub- genres then emerged from the genre such as ‘Gangsta rap’ and ‘west coast hip hop’ through artists like NWA and Tupac. This helped to further export the hip hop genre and make it even more mainstream. All of this has contributed to the modern day and how now through artists like Jay-Z and Eminem Hip Hop has become one of the worlds most famous and popular music genres.

Famous Hip Hop artists

Dr Dre Jay Z

Eminem Notorious B.I.G.

Kanye West Public Enemy

Imagery Graffiti is part of the key imagery associated with the genre of Hip Hop this is mainly due to the fact that both Hip Hop and graffiti are considered to be urbanised creations. Due to this graffiti is often connected to Hip Hop and used often in Hip Hop album covers etc.

Over the years Hip Hop has often been associated with quite aggressive imagery linking in with all the stereotypical ideas of the Hip Hop world such as gangs, drugs, guns etc. The genre has also mostly been associated with African American artists over the years.  

However this has changed, artists like Kanye West have meant that more calm images are now often associated with the genre. There are also more artists of other ethnicity now associated with the genre such as Eminem. As well as this more female artists also exist.

Hip Hop FashionThe final main part of the imagery associated with the Hip Hop genre is the clothing; artists are usually associated with a very urban look. They often wear dark clothes and also have an association often with sports clothing and sports team caps. This is represented through many of the genres most famous artists.