Chilling Music for Hip Hop Lovers

Looking for some great music to help you chill out? Check out our picks for the best hip hop tracks to relax to. From classic hits to new favorites, we’ve got you covered.

Music Basics

Music is an important part of our lives. It can set the tone for our day, make us feel more relaxed, and even provide us with a creative outlet. Today, we’re going to be talking about a specific genre of music – hip hop.

Defining Hip Hop

What is hip hop? That’s a question with a lot of answers, because hip hop is more than just music. It’s an entire culture, with its own language, style of dress, and values. But at its core, hip hop is about the music.

Hip hop is a type of music that was created in the late 1970s by African American and Latino youths living in the inner city. It originally was a form of expression for these kids to give voice to their frustrations and to celebrate their triumphs. Hip hop has since grown into a global phenomenon, with artists all over the world using it as a platform to tell their stories.

musically, hip hop is characterized by its use of samples from other genres of music, particularly funk, soul, and R&B. These samples are then looped or repeated to create a steady beat that rappers can rhyme over. Hip hop tracks often also feature MCs (rappers) freestyling or rapping over the beat. DJs may also add their own touches to the track by slicing up the samples or adding in effects like echo or reverb.

The Origins of Hip Hop

The term “hip hop” first gained popularity in the 1970s with the release of the song “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang. Hip hop is a style of music that includes rap, DJing, and graffiti art. Hip hop music originated in African American and Latino communities in New York City in the 1970s. The first hip hop songs were created by DJs who played Funk and Soul records at high volumes to create a new sound. These DJs often added their own rhyming lyrics to the music. MCs (rappers) would then tell stories or boast about their skills over the beat. Graffiti artists would paint messages or images on walls as a way to communicate with others in the community.

The Elements of Hip Hop

Hip hop is a genre that is often misunderstood. It’s easy to think of it as just rap music, but it’s so much more than that. Hip hop is a culture that includes music, dance, fashion, and art. It’s a way of life. And, it all starts with the music.

Breakdancing

Breakdancing is a style of dance that emerged from the hip hop scene in the early 1970s. It is characterized by its use of movements inspired by martial arts and gymnastics, as well as its focus on toprocking, power moves, and freezes.

Breakdancing has had a significant impact on popular culture, both within the hip hop community and beyond. It has been featured in countless films, television shows, and music videos, and has even made its way into the world of competitive sports.

Whether you’re a fan of breakdancing or not, there’s no denying that it’s an impressive display of physical skill and coordination. If you’re looking to learn more about this fascinating dance style, be sure to check out our list of the best breakdancing resources.

Graffiti

Graffiti is one of the four main elements of hip hop, along with rapping, DJing, and breakdancing. Although it’s often associated with vandalism and illegal activity, graffiti has also been used as a form of self-expression and as an art form.

Different styles of graffiti have developed over the years, from simple spray-painted tags to elaborate murals. Graffiti artists often use colorful aeroscripts or popular symbols to make their work more eye-catching.

While some people see graffiti as a form of art, others see it as a nuisance. In many cities, graffiti is considered a crime and is punishable by law.

Rapping

Rapping is one of the four pillars of the hip hop culture, along with DJing, graffiti writing, and break dancing. Rapping, also known as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the artist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Beats are traditionally created by sampling and/or sequencing pieces of other songs by retroactively adding new, topical lyrics over it. Rappers may write, memorize, or improvise their lyrics and perform their works a cappella or to a beat. It can be performed on its own or as poetry accompanied by musical instruments. There are different types of rap that have developed over the years.

DJing

DJing is one of the most important elements of hip hop music. DJs are the people who select and play the music at hip hop shows and clubs. They use a variety of equipment to create sound effects and mix different tracks together.

One of the most essential pieces of DJ equipment is the turntable. Turntables are used to play vinyl records, which are long playing records that contain audio recordings. DJs use turntables to play music for dancing or to create new sounds by manipulating the records.

DJs also use headphones, which allow them to hear the music they are playing without disturbing other people. Headphones also help DJs cue up the next track they want to play.

DJ mixers are devices that allow DJs to mix two or more audio sources together. This allows them to create new sounds and rhythms by blending different tracks together.

samplers are devices that allow DJs to record, store, and play back digital audio samples. These samples can be anything from a few seconds of a song to an entire drum loop or melody. Samplers give DJs a vast array of sounds to work with when creating new music.

The Culture of Hip Hop

Music has always been a huge part of the hip hop culture. It is a way for people to express themselves and connect with others who share their same interests. Music is also a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by everyone. Hip hop is a genre of music that is constantly evolving and there are new artists emerging all the time.

The Five Pillars of Hip Hop

The Five Pillars of Hip Hop are MCing, DJing, B-boying/B-girling, Graffiti writing, and Knowledge. These Five Pillars were put into place by Afrika Bambaataa with the help of Kool DJ Herc. Afrika Bambaataa is a legendary Hip Hop DJ from the Bronx who is known as the “Godfather” of Hip Hop. The Five Pillars are the foundation of Hip Hop culture and are meant to represent the positive aspects of the culture.

The Four Elements of Hip Hop

Hip hop is a culture that encompasses four elements: deejaying, emceeing, graffiti art, and break dancing. Deejaying is the art of mixing together tracks from different songs to create a new piece of music. Emceeing, also known as rapping, is the art of speaking rhythmically over a beat, often telling a story or sharing one’s thoughts and experiences. Graffiti art is the painting or drawing of letters and images on public surfaces. And break dancing is a style of dance that involves acrobatic moves and freezes.

The History of Hip Hop

Hip hop is a musical genre and culture that evolved out of South Bronx, New York City in the 1970s. It consists of four elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching, break dancing, and graffiti writing.

The Early Days of Hip Hop

In the early days of hip hop, DJs would play records at block parties and dances in the Bronx, New York. They would use two turntables to extend the length of a particular song by playing it over and over again, and they would add their own commentary or rap lyrics between songs. As hip hop developed, MCs (rappers) would rhyme over the DJ’s beats, often talking about life in the inner city. Graffiti artists would write messages on walls or trains. And break dancers would perform acrobatic moves to the music.

The Golden Age of Hip Hop

Hip hop music first gained popularity in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s. Hailing from the working-class African American and Latino neighborhoods, early hip hop was primarily influenced by Jamaican reggae and American soul music. By the mid-1980s, it had begun to spread to other parts of the United States, and by the 1990s, it had become a global phenomenon.

The Golden Age of Hip Hop is generally considered to be from 1986 to 1996. It was during this time that many of the now classic elements of hip hop were established, including rap battles, DJing, graffiti art, and breakdancing. This was also a time when hip hop began to split into different subgenres, such as gangsta rap and alternative hip hop.

One of the most important figures of the Golden Age is undoubtedly rapper Tupac Shakur. His tragic murder in 1996 marked the end of an era, and many believe that hip hop has never been the same since.

The Post-Golden Age of Hip Hop

In the 1990s, the Golden Age of Hip Hop came to an end. Gangsta rap became the dominant force in hip hop music, and many people believed that the positive, uplifting messages of earlier rappers were no longer relevant. However, a new generation of rappers began to emerge in the early 1990s, and they would go on to have a profound impact on hip hop music.