What Came First: Hip Hop Dance or Hip Hop Music?

A debate has been raging for decades about what came first: Hip Hop dance or Hip Hop music? In this blog post, we explore the history and try to answer the question once and for all.

The Origins of Hip Hop Dance

Hip hop dance and music both originated in the Bronx, New York City, in the 1970s. While the exact origins of hip hop dance are unknown, some believe it was created by African American and Latino youths who were imitating the moves they saw in martial arts movies. As hip hop music became more popular, the dance style also began to gain popularity.

The Bronx

In the South Bronx in the 1970s, a new style of music was born: hip hop. This new style was a combination of different music genres, including rap, R&B, and funk. Hip hop quickly spread from the Bronx to other parts of the United States and eventually to the rest of the world.

Today, hip hop is one of the most popular genres of music. It is also one of the most popular genres of dance. Hip hop dance includes a wide range of styles, from breakdancing to popping and locking.

Most people believe that hip hop music came first and that hip hop dance developed as a way to accompany the music. However, some people believe that hip hop dance came first and that hip hop music developed as a way to accompany the dancers.

No one knows for sure which came first: hip hop dance or hip hop music. But one thing is certain: without either one, hip hop would not be the phenomenon it is today.

James Brown

James Brown is typically credited as the father of hip hop dance. His footwork and style influenced many early hip hop dancers and his music was often used at block parties and street dances. Brown’s hit songs “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine,” “Soul Power,” and “The Payback” are some of the most famous examples of early hip hop tracks.

The Origins of Hip Hop Music

Hip hop music is a genre of music that was created in the United States in the 1970s. It is a combination of African-American music and Latino music. Hip hop music is often characterized by a strong rhythmic element, fast tempo, and rhyming lyrics.

DJ Kool Herc

In the 1970s, a new style of music was born in the streets of New York City. This music, which came to be known as hip hop, was a blend of re-recorded songs, called breakbeats, and rapping. The first person to put together a hip hop song was DJ Kool Herc.

Herc was born in Jamaica and came to the United States when he was twelve years old. He started DJing at parties in New York City in the early 1970s. At these parties, he would play records with long instrumental sections, or breakbeats. People at the party would dance to the breakbeats.

Herc realized that people were more interested in dancing to the breakbeats than anything else. So, he started playing two copies of the same record at once. This way, he could extend the length of the breakbeats. He also started adding his own lyrics over the top of the music. This is how rap was born.

Afrika Bambaataa

Afrika Bambaataa is a Hip Hop pioneer who is credited with creating the genre. He was born in the Bronx, New York in 1957. Bambaataa was a part of the Black Spades gang. He later became known as the “Godfather” of Hip Hop. In the early 1970s, Bambaataa formed a group called The Zulu Nation. The Zulu Nation was a platform for spreading Hip Hop culture. He is also credited with popularizing the term “Rap Battle.”

The Relationship Between Hip Hop Dance and Music

It is impossible to talk about hip hop dance without mentioning hip hop music. They are both integral parts of hip hop culture. But what came first: hip hop dance or music? It is hard to say for sure.

Breakdancing

Breakdancing, or b-boying/b-girling, is a style of street dance that originated among African American and Puerto Rican youths in New York City during the early 1970s. The dance form spread worldwide via popularity in music videos, movies, and television shows, as well as through individual dancers who traveled to different countries to teach and perform. A breakdancer typically performs highly acrobatic moves such as spins, flips, and freezes in time to the beat of hip hop music.

The term “breakdancing” was coined by the media when they witnessed the acrobatic dancing at block parties thrown by DJ Kool Herc in the Bronx. However, many of the dancers at these parties prefer the terms “b-boying” or “b-girling” to describe their dance style. The term “breakdancing” is often used interchangeably with “hip hop dancing,” but breakdancing is just one type of hip hop dance. Other popular hip hop dances include popping and locking, toprocking, downrocking or footworking, and krumping.

House dancing

House dancing is a style of street dance that emerged in the early 1980s in the underground club culture of Chicago and New York. The characteristic footwork was originally inspired by African American and Latino dances such as Juba and Capoeira, as well as by 1970s disco dancers. The style became popularized in the mainstream via music videos, movies, and television shows in the 1990s.

The Evolution of Hip Hop Dance and Music

Hip hop music first emerged in the Bronx in the 1970s, and hip hop dance followed soon after. Hip hop dance is a style of dance that is often improvisational and is rooted in the street culture of African American and Latino communities. The music and the dance are inseparable, and each has influenced the other throughout the years.

Hip hop today

In its simplest form, hip hop is a combination of four elements: DJing, MCing, graffiti art, and break dancing. But it’s also so much more than that. Hip hop is a culture, a lifestyle, and an attitude. It’s a way of expression that can be found all over the world.

Hip hop today is very different from the hip hop of the 1970s. The music has changed, the dance has changed, and the culture has changed. But one thing remains the same: hip hop is still a powerful force in the world today.