Introduction

Hip-Hop is an urban cultural movement.etymologically, “Hip” is American slang for intelligent resourcefulness and “Hop” means to move forward. The meaning of the term Hip-Hop is related to the American socio-economic context of the 1960’s. Hip-Hop is a way of life that consists in evolving socially in a relevant and positive way.

1. Socio-economic context of the 1960s

This street art was born in the 1970s in the United States in New York City. It is the consequence of the precarious economic and social context of the Afro and Latin American communities.

In the 1960s, industries left the neighborhoods (Bronx, Harlem, Brooklyn) and relocated to industrial parks in the New York suburbs (mainly in the north). Racial segregation being institutionalized, whites left the neighborhoods to follow the work and live around the factories. Urban planning policy led to the destruction of old buildings rather than their restoration. Real estate values quickly dropped in these ghettos where living conditions deteriorated sharply. The Afro and Latin American community remained parked in the neighborhoods, withdrawn into themselves, while the whites enjoyed the “American dream”. The harmony between these two groups is gradually breaking down and a societal divide is being established on the basis of race, and these ghettos are increasingly neglected by the State. Social instability, urban banditry and drug trafficking have been part of the daily life of New York’s neighborhoods since the 1970s. Some areas, controlled by gangs, are difficult to access for the police and ambulances, and gradually become lawless areas. The hope of the American liberal dream evaporates in these neighborhoods which are left to themselves.

2. Effects of racial segregation

A. Political movement

Identity groups are progressively formed in the ghettos claiming equal rights, the recognition of a black identity and fighting against racism, in short, the abrogation of institutional racial segregation. They are either pacifist political movements (Black Muslims of Malcolm X and Black Power led by Martin Luter King) or revolutionary (Black Panters). All these organizations are repressed by the police, infiltrated and dismantled by the FBI and their leaders assassinated. All pacifist demonstrations are automatically banned and strongly repressed by the police. Dogs are unleashed on the crowd and all those arrested end up in prison.

B. Artistic movement

At the same time, the political claim of the community of the American ghettos is made through art. Indeed, the black American music imposes itself through the soul and the funk with artists such as James Brown or Stevie Wonder. These artists used the musical medium in a positive state of mind to express their societal protests. Hip-Hop culture was born from this positive musical genre and gradually integrated local radio stations.

3. The birth of Hip-Hop

Access to conservatories to understand the ins and outs of black music (soul and funk), learn to compose by mastering instruments and take singing lessons with experts is not accessible to the population living in the American ghettos because entry to these schools is expensive. This is why in the Bronx, neighborhood parties are gradually being set up.

A. The Djing

In parallel with the political demonstrations in the 1960s, some of the residents of the neighborhood plugged in their stereos in the street to play black American music. The ghetto population met to dance and party in a friendly atmosphere. In the early seventies, the art of DJing began to take hold at these impromptu neighborhood parties, where the disc jockey (DJ), armed with two turntables, a mixer and an amplifier, played vinyl records. Sometimes, the DJ made breaks between two pieces. That is to say that he took a short extract of a work (a few seconds) to make a rhythmic loop. This was done to keep the audience on the edge of their seats as the next song began. This gave rise to a hitherto unknown sound, a new musical style based on soul, funk, reggae, disco resonances on a linear rhythm.

B. The break-dance

People from the audience danced on the breaks but in an atypical way, contrary to the broadcasting of the complete work. This dance was access only on the rhythm. The B-boy (name given to the break dancers) expressed themselves on it through acrobatic forms standing and even on the ground.

C. The MCing

Given the success of these public events, DJs quickly surrounded themselves with masters of ceremonies in order to heat up the public during the breaks. This discipline, also called MCing, allowed MC’s the freedom to express themselves in rhythm and rhyme in a generally improvised way (freestyle). It quickly became complementary to the DJ.

4. The Hip-Hop movement

As gang conflict rages in New York City’s ghettos, people are mobilizing using Hip-Hop as a constructive medium to fight inter-neighborhood crime and provide a tool for everyone to escape the vice of the street.

That’s why in 1973 a former gang leader (Bronx River Projects), Kevin Donovan (whose blaze is Africa Bombaataa), created a movement under the name The Organisation. The purpose of this group was to bring together different people from the same neighborhood area to express themselves through music, dance or painting. In 1975, following the assassination of one of the founding members of The Organisation (Soulski), this movement changed its name to become the Zulu Nation. The Zulu Nation is administratively structured, carrying values such as non-violence with a slogan: “Peace?Love?Unity, Get busy! Moove! Having Fun”. This organization creates free demonstrations at a regular rhythm in the street mainly or in public or private establishments. Instead of fighting with guns between people from different neighborhoods, it organizes dance, Djing, graffiti and MCing battles where the public evaluates the performances of the different crews (teams) using the applause meter. The Zulu Nation is at the origin of the evolution of MCing towards rap, where people write texts and chant them on DJ compositions (using sampling). Rap battles were born. The street becomes the place where the Hip-Hop movement is exposed.

At the end of 1970, major labels realized that rap was the new musical style. The first rapper to sign with a major label (Mercury) came from Harlem. It is Kurtis Blow. He reached the Top 5 with his single “The Breaks” in 1980. From then on, rap was the new musical trend and quickly crossed borders.

An official Zulu Nation was created in France in the 1980’s, respecting its codes and values with Dee Nasty, a French rap DJ, at its head. The Hip-Hop movement arrived in France with the popularization and media coverage of dance.

Conclusion

The Hip-Hop movement was born in the United States in a precarious socio-economic context targeting the Afro and Latin American communities. The institutionalized racial segregation provoked demonstrations in the mid-sixties that ended in bloodshed. Art was the peaceful solution to get political messages across.

Moreover, the Streets Parties (Hip-Hop parties in the street) also allowed people from the ghettos to confront each other and to develop the spirit of competition in a peaceful and non-violent way. Rap is a way to unload the pressure of everyday life in a creative and artistic way (sometimes in a violent way, but it is a reflection of their lives).

Two generations later, it is not uncommon for people with high responsibility to denounce the hip-hop movement. According to them, it is the main cause of the violence arising in the housing estates or in the areas of the territory in difficulty. One does not solve a problem by focusing on its effects but on its cause. Moreover, some French or American rappers play into the hands of politicians by distorting the initial, positive spirit of hip-hop.

The initially positive use of the Hip-Hop movement, stops at the reason of the New World Order