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Essay on Analysis of Hip-Hop and Youth Culture

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Analysis of Hip-Hop and Youth Culture

Throughout the last twenty-five years, a new form of expression has continued to evolve. Hip-Hop, once limited to urban music and dance has become a widespread form of communication exhibited and enjoyed by young people throughout the world. Hip-Hop is no longer limited to rap music and break dancing; today it represents a multi-billion dollar industry that influences everything from fashion to prime- time television programming, professional sports, mass media marketing and advertising. Today Hip-Hop is becoming a way of life, a culture that is intricately woven into every aspect of young people's daily lives. We may not necessarily be consciously aware of …show more content…

In the early days, Hip-Hop was primarily related to the rhyming, rhythmic spoken word art form known as rapping. Rapping is, in fact, not a new method of creative expression. The ease with which young people can participate in this form of creativity seems to have helped the phenomenal growth of this genre of music and expression.

Review of rap music lyrics and styling from the early to mid-1970's, when Hip-Hop began, reveals several aspects of the musical genre that appear to have had significant appeal to young people, particularly those in urban communities. There has never been one all-inclusive form of rap music. It covers a broad range of ideas, styling and techniques that are unique to specific demographic areas, geographic regions and territories and locales.

The following comprises some of the hallmarks of early rap music:

* Simple yet dominant percussive patterns

* Limited reliance on traditional musical systems of chord, verse, chorus and other formal and/or traditional methods of Western musical structure

* Non-traditional utilisation of musical instruments including

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