Hip-Hop: The Attitude of Today’s Generation

In order to discuss the popularity of Hip-Hop, one must first define Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop is not just about rap music; it is about an attitude. It is the culture from which rap emerged. It is a lifestyle with its own language, style of dress, music, and mindset that is continually evolving. According to the American Heritage Dictionary (2000), Hip-Hop is a popular urban youth culture, closely associated with rap music and with the style and fashions of African-American inner-city youths. Anyone who has not seen, heard, or felt the impact of Hip-Hop on today’s culture, must be walking around with blinders and earplugs. Hip-Hop is popular today because of it’s universal appeal worldwide, because of it’s ability to be highly imitative, and last but not least, because it is literally everywhere.

Hip-Hop has evolved from America being tagged a "Hip-Hop nation” to all cultures involved being called a "Hip-Hop world”(Terry, 1999). Since Hip-Hop first made its mark on American music nearly 20 years ago with the emergence of rap, Hip-Hop culture has become a w

3. Lewis, Gregory “Hip Hop Gives Birth to Its Own Black Economy,” The San Francisco Examiner, December 6, 1998, E3.

orldwide phenomenon. Born in the African-American inner cities, Hip-Hop is the ever-encompassing word for a lifestyle that includes music, language, attitude, and dress. Lewis’ 1998 article pointed out the following:

5. Fernando S.H., The New Beats, (Anchor Books Doubleday: New York, 1994), IX.

2. Terry, Sara (1999). “Hip-hop Leaps Into World Youth Culture.” Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 09/09/02 from http://www.csmonitor.com/1999/05

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