The Four Pillars of Hip Hop

Often when people refer to hip hop they refer to hip hop music. But hip hop is a culture that extends far beyond just music.

The origins of hip hop can be traced from the inner city african-american and latino-american youth in New York. The 1970s were a time of oppression and poverty, instead of the youth turning to violence, they’d express themselves through this new art form. Ultimately, hip hop is a movement founded on love, peace, and unity.

Afrika Bambaataa, a hip hop pioneer, laid out the 4 pillars of hip hop. Where one would choose a form of art in which to express themselves.

1. MCing. Also called rapping. The MC would rap over a beat from the DJ.
2. DJing. A Disk Jockey would create their own sounds through record players and DJ mixers.
3. Bboying/Bgirling (Breakdancing). The breakdancers would dance to the DJs “break beat”.
4. Graffiti. Graffiti was a way for the artist to express their messages to the public.

Fast forward to 2020, and hip hop music is dominating the charts and it’s cultural influence has spread worldwide. Not bad for a movement that started by the marginalized community in the ghettos of New York.