I said a Hip, a Hop, a Hip Hop History!

With its origins seeded in the West Bronx of New York, Hip Hop’s percussive and funky nature is deeply rooted in socio-cultural contexts.

Among the youth, there was a need to escape the environment of inner-city gang violence, so they embodied their own subculture in order to express themselves – with their attire, speech, music, and dance.

The movements of Hip Hop represent youth and freedom of growth and expression.

So, what made it explode and spread throughout the country?

Simple: DANCE PARTIES.

It didn’t take long for DJs at these parties to realize people were flipping their lids over two turntables and the breakbeat on a continuous loop.

As this form of expression, escapism, and entertainment spread into the streets, the form of dance called breakdancing or breaking was born. Early breakdancing infused popping, fast and tricky footwork with spinning ground work, and it incorporated a mock-battle format. Suddenly, these dancers were thinking 3-dimensionally, figuratively, and creatively as they choreographed their own movements to speak their individual styles, even paying homage to art forms like Brazilian Capoeira, Cuban Salsa, and even martial arts like Kung-Fu.

Hip Hop quickly evolved into the ultimate test of originality and athleticism, and while it was competitive, it unified an entire subculture of otherwise deprived youth. Instead of joining gangs, kids joined “crews” that didn’t discriminate against race, gender or socioeconomic status. For this reason, the art of Hip Hop thrives, and we celebrate it to this day.