The Origin of Hip-Hop: A Cultural Revolution
Hip-hop is a genre of music and cultural movement that has significantly shaped the artistic landscape of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Emerging from the streets of New York City in the 1970s, hip-hop quickly evolved into a global phenomenon with a powerful impact on music, fashion, language, and social activism. The roots of hip-hop can be traced back to the Bronx, a borough in New York City, where African-American and Latino communities faced economic hardship, social inequality, and urban decay. It was in this environment that young people began to express their frustrations and aspirations through art forms such as graffiti, breakdancing, and rap music.
The Origin of Hip-Hop: A Cultural Revolution
Hip-hop is a genre of music and cultural movement that has significantly shaped the artistic landscape of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Emerging from the streets of New York City in the 1970s, hip-hop quickly evolved into a global phenomenon with a powerful impact on music, fashion, language, and social activism. The roots of hip-hop can be traced back to the Bronx, a borough in New York City, where African-American and Latino communities faced economic hardship, social inequality, and urban decay. It was in this environment that young people began to express their frustrations and aspirations through art forms such as graffiti, breakdancing, and rap music.
One of the key figures in the early development of hip-hop was DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant who is often credited as the "founder" of hip-hop. In the early 1970s, Kool Herc began hosting parties in the Bronx where he would play funk and disco records, mixing in elements of Jamaican sound system culture such as "toasting" and "dub" techniques.
These parties soon became known for their energetic and innovative music and dance styles, drawing crowds of young people from across the city. As hip-hop continued to grow, other DJs and MCs (masters of ceremonies) began to emerge, including Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and the Sugarhill Gang, who popularized rap music with their hit single "Rapper's Delight" in 1979.
The 1980s saw the rise of hip-hop as a mainstream cultural force, with artists like Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, and Salt-N-Pepa breaking into the music industry and achieving commercial success. Hip-hop also became a platform for social commentary and political activism, with artists like Public Enemy and N.W.A. addressing issues such as racism, police brutality, and economic inequality.
In the decades since its inception, hip-hop has continued to evolve and diversify, branching out into subgenres such as gangsta rap, conscious rap, and trap music. It has also become a global phenomenon, with artists from around the world incorporating hip-hop into their music and cultural expressions.
Today, hip-hop remains a powerful force for cultural expression, social justice, and artistic innovation. Whether through its infectious beats, thought-provoking lyrics, or distinctive fashion sense, hip-hop continues to influence and inspire generations of artists and fans, reaffirming its status as a cultural revolution that originated on the streets of New York City and spread across the globe.
O Death
Rest easy, Brianna. I’m not one for heartfelt eulogies, but this is what’s on my mind.
Death itself is a beautiful thing.
Death has always scared me though because it’s so uncertain. Even when people die and come back, they don’t have a concrete description of what it’s like on the other side - or no side for some.
I’m personally terrified of the uncertain. Which trickles down into other aspects of myself:
Religion
Relationships
Occupation
Fun
I’ve lived such a cautious & “safe” life, that I’ve missed out so many opportunities I’ve had to really live.
Death itself is a beautiful thing.
The concept of death is so fascinating to me because so many things can die, and in some pretty out-of-this-world ways.
Death of the body
Death of the mind
Death of the soul
Death of the ego
No matter what your beliefs, death is never something to be feared, but embraced.
Death is the control. Living is the controlled.
Recently, I found out that a previous coworker of mine tragically passed away, and I wasn’t as phased or affected as I thought I would be. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her; she was an incredibly funny, energetic, and overall enjoyable person to be around during our time together. What I’m grappling with is the feeling that in her untimely death, she has left behind a significant legacy. Yet, it still makes me ask some deep and introspective questions:
“What was it like?”, “What’s she thinking now?” ,“Is she still a she, or an it?”, etc. etc.
I appreciate death like the dark, it’s terrifying but so exciting.
“Dying is easy. Living is hard.”
Happy Holidays
A brief history on some of the holidays that have to live under Christmas’s wing.
Happy Kwanzaa (or Boxing Day across the pond)!!
So this holiday season I did a lot of reflecting about life, and feeling hella grateful for a lot of things I have in life because one of my best friends got me this sweet Mindfulness Journal! One thing I realized though that I really appreciate is when people go out of their way to say “Happy Holidays” instead of just going for the “Merry Christmas”!
Yes, I celebrate Christmas, but I’m not really as pious as I was the first time I celebrated it, so nobody has to feel like they have to include me in anything. Give me a “Happy Holidays”! As long as you aren’t doing what I got growing up around a sea white people (“So…do you celebrate Kwanzaa?”) The answer is no; I don’t know anyone that does.
Anyway back to business, I recently learned that Western Christianity basically took over the festive season until the mid-20th century (that sucks!) and people weren’t having it anymore. I remember how big of a deal Chrismahanukwazakah commercial in 2004 was the first time I saw in on the TV, considering the federal administration we had at the time - heres a clip from 2005, just in case you don’t remember who was president in 2004…
So here’s a shoutout to all the holidays that tend to get overshadowed by “Merry Christmas”!
Let’s learn!!!!
Hanukkah
Y’all won’t believe how many people in the US celebrate this holiday, for everybody to only think about Christmas! According to a 2015 report by Wilmington, North Carolina’s Star News, the ratio of Americans who celebrate Hanukkah compared to Christmas is 1 to 14. 7% doesn’t seem like a huge margin, but when you look at it, it’s actually hella impressive consider that only 1.8% of the US population are practicing Jews!
Hanukkah, also called The Festival of Lights (not to be confused with Diwali) occurs from December 2-10th. This 8 day celebration commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
The celebration of Hanukkah revolves around the lighting of a nine-branched menorah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown. The ninth candle, called the shamash, is used to light the others; during this, Jews typically recite blessings and display the menorah in a window as a reminder to others of the miracle that inspired the holiday.
Kwanzaa
For as new as Kwanzaa is it’s really impressive that 1 in 49 people in the US celebrates this holiday through December 26-31st. Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Mualana Karenga to celebrate black identity, encourage unity, and preserve African culture. The name derives from matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili.
Similar to Hanukkah, Kwanzaa too has a candelabra of great importance called the Kinara which holds seven candles, each represent one of the seven principles , or Nguzo Saba, of Kwanzaa. These are:
Unity:Umoja (oo–MO–jah)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.Self-determination: Kujichagulia (koo–gee–cha–goo–LEE–yah)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.Collective Work and Responsibility: Ujima (oo–GEE–mah)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.Cooperative Economics: Ujamaa (oo–JAH–mah)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.Purpose: Nia (nee–YAH)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.Creativity: Kuumba (koo–OOM–bah)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.Faith: Imani (ee–MAH–nee)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
The celebration of Kwanzaa often includes songs & dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and concludes on the 31st with an African feast called the Karamu.
Boxing Day
Not a very popular holiday for people in the US, but if you ask any immigrant with UK-influence, they’ll be able to tell you this holiday is legit. Many may know it as St. Stephen’s day also, but Boxing day is the on the 26th of December, or the day after Christmas. The premise of this holiday is to give the gift of gratuity and celebrate the unsung heroes in the service industry: the post-men/women, the janitors, the sales associate at that 24-hour gas station (God bless you, you beautiful sheep!)
I would just like to give a shout out to History.com, y’all! I couldn’t have learned any of this if it wasn’t for them.