Hip-Hop is a mix of four things, known as the Four Elements of Hip-Hop. They are:

The MC

The DJ

The B-Boy

The Graffiti Artist

MC stands for Master of Ceremonies. Originally, it was a term used for the

host of a party or a show. In hip hop, it originated as a term for the one with the microphone.

The first hip hop MCs were Jamaicans in New York who worked as party DJs

DJ stands for Disc Jockey. The first DJs used old record players to

host parties. They learned to play with the records to make sounds and loop beats.

The first hip hop DJ was known as DJ Kool Herc in New York City.

Graffiti is a form of abstract art used to write messages on city streets.

In many places, graffiti and murals are used for artistic expression, marking gang territories or public protest.

Graffiti is illegal in most places but serves as a voice for the voiceless.

Break dancing combines West African dance circles with American dance styles, tap dancing and acrobatics.

Combines quick movements with pauses, balance techniques and spinning.

Michael Jackson’s Moon Walk came from break dancing.

Beat Boxing is known to many as the 5th Element of Hip Hop

Beat Boxing is making sounds and music with your mouth.

It became popular in the 80s because it was free and most youth could not bring radios on the street.

Freestyling is the rap equivalent to improvization.

Freestyle rap is created on the spot. MCs often ‘cheat’ by reciting old song

lyrics or something they prepared at home.

MCs often reference people or things in the room to prove they are not cheating.

Rap battles are competitions between two rappers.

The goal is to out-wit your opponent by using clever verbal attacks, interesting observations and impressive rhymes.

Battles have a democratic structure, meaning that the winner is chosen by the crowd instead of a judge.

Rap evolved from freestyles and battles into songs and albums.

The songs consist of two things: beats and rhymes.

Beats are usually remixes of old songs. Rhymes are usually written as poetry

and then spoken with a rhythm.

Back in 1973 in the Bronx, New York City, a DJ known as Kool Herc brought Jamaican records to a party.

Between verses he would shout out references to the party. For example, “Slick Rick is in the house!”

His words and rhymes got longer and longer. This is why hip hop has so many shout outs and people yelling over the music.

After doing a few parties, more people wanted to see Kool Herc.

He started to host outside parties. He asked friends to take over the MC-ingso he could focus on DJ-ing.

To make more time for rapping, he learned to loop parts of beats and turn back records.

Now that parties had DJs and MCs, the audiences added break dancing competitions. Break dancing replaced fights at parties and was used to settle disputes.

Graffiti was naturally included as another black art form from the ghettoes.

The four elements combined to make hip hop, and the trend spread to other cities.

James Brown introduces a sound known as the break beat

Boxer Muhammed Ali says a rhyme before a major boxing match

Clay comes out to meet ListonAnd Liston starts to retreatIf Liston goes back any furtherHe'll end up in a ringside seat.Clay swings with a left,Clay swings with a right,Look at young CassiusCarry the fight.Liston keeps backingBut there's not enough roomIt's a matter of time...

A Jamaican-American named DJ KoolHerc DJs the first large block party in New York City.

His popularity leads to him being hired to DJ at nightclubs.

He assembles a team of MCs and hip-hop takes off.

Kurtis Blow becomes first rapper with a major record deal.

His producer, Russel Simmons, becomes a hip-hop mogul as the owner of Def Jam Records.

MCing became the dominant element of hip-hop.

Hip Hop was lead by rap groups of 5 or 6 members.

Afrika Bambaata and the Zulu Nation, The Furious Five, and the Sugarhill Gang were the most popular groups.

Music was very positive.

Ice-T introduces gangsta rap on the West Coast with his songs “Body Rock” and “Cop Killa”.

This was the beginning of a new kind of hip-hop around Los Angeles

Run DMC, LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys blended hip-hop with rock music.

Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh introduce beat boxing in New York.

The Geto Boys become the south’s first big group.

Public Enemy becomes first major group to mix politics and rap.

Eric B. and Rakim dominate party hip-hop

Dr. Dre starts rap group N.W.A. near Los Angeles

N.W.A. is the first gangsta rap group, separating rap from regular hip-hop.

N.W.A. included Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy E, MC Ren and DJ Yella

The lyrics included lots of swearing and violence, as well as abusing lyrics towards women and police.

A group of high school friends form a group to make African Americans aware of their heritage

Their members were Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Phife Dawgand Jarobi

They became hip-hop’s biggest group, A Tribe Called Quest

Tribe Called Quest introduces BustaRhymes

Dr. Dre and Ice Cube leave N.W.A. and diss each other on songs

Cypress Hill becomes rap’s first stoner group

2pac joins Digital Underground as a stage dancer

9-member group Wu-Tang Clan dominates rap radio stations

Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie) releases first album, Ready to Die

Dr. Dre creates Death Row Records and releases solo album The Chronicfeaturing Snoop Dogg

Album sells millions of copies This marks the beginning of G-Funk

Rap. The beats were more relaxed and the rhymes were smoother.

Dr. Dre produces Snoop Dogg’s first album in 1993. It sells millions of copies.

Many big hip-hop stars arise including 2pac, Biggie, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nas, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, BustaRhymes, Mobb Deep, Naughty by Nature, Tha Dogg Pound and the Wu-Tang Clan.

This is considered the golden age of hip-hop

Hip-Hop dominated music charts in the US

Hip-Hop now had so many different genres.

2pac has now sold millions of albums and made numerous movies.

New York assembled the first “Hip-Hop Police Unit”. 2pac shoots two police officers in self-defence.

US leaders start trying to ban 2pac’s music.

2pac is shot 5 times. He blames Biggie. 2pac is jailed in highly-contested court

ruling

2pac blames Biggie and P. Diddy for shooting him

Dr. Dre and Suge Knight sign 2pac to Death Row Records

2pac leaves jail and releases records threatening to kill Biggie, Diddy, Jay-Z, Nas, Mobb Deep and other NY rappers

Suge Knight disses Bad Boy Records at Grammy Awards

Many blame Biggie and Diddy for 2pac’s death. Biggie is booed in L.A., so he sings “Who Shot Ya?”

Biggie is shot dead in Los Angeles in a drive-by shooting

The feud dies down and hip-hop’s reputation suffers

Dr. Dre leaves Death Row Records and starts Aftermath Entertainment.

Snoop Dogg wins murder trial. Jay-Z releases first and second albums

and sells 5 million copies. The Fugees win 2 Grammy Awards,

leading to a rise in ‘conscious rap’ Missy Elliot and Timbaland start

blending rap and R & B. Milly Elliot becomes the highest selling female rapper of all time.

Dr. Dre signs Eminem

Master P, Ludacris & the Hot Boyzlead the rise of southern hip-hop

Eminem sells millions and becomes hip-hop’s next big star

Jay-Z and Nas have hip-hop’s next big battle. There is no violence, just lyrics. The battle becomes personal and Naswins, but Jay-Z becomes more popular.

Dr. Dre turns Eminem into a superstar Eminem’s second album sells over a

million copies in the first week Eminem avoids going to jail. While proving himself as a white

rapper, Eminem was accused of racism. Dr. Dre adds 50 Cent to his team. 50 Cent and Eminem grow together. Eminem stars in 8 Mile.

While receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at an award show, a man punches Dr. Dre in the face. A large brawl erupts on stage and Dr. Dre’s friend stabs the attacker.

50 Cent was involved in a shooting. A member of Eminem’s group D-12 is

shot dead in Detroit. Other rappers were also killed.

Jay-Z becomes the first rapper to headline Glastonbury, the largest outdoor concert in the world.

Eminem returns after 4 years (drugs, family issues) and wins Grammy for best rap album.

Drake and Lil Wayne become famous under Cash Money Records.

Pitbull rises to prominence.