Genre research project 34/1359: Hip Hop

Emerging mainly on the eastern coast of the United States in the late 1970s, hip hop is a form of music emphasizing rhythmic beat patterns and spoken delivery rather than harmonic melodies and sung vocals. Much of hip hop's roots can be traced to Deejay, a form of Reggae music that an immigrant DJ Kool Herc hoped to emulate in the Bronx borough of New York City. The style quickly took over in uptown neighborhoods such as Harlem and Queens, where many enjoyed the loose, afro-centric nature of the parties Kool Herc would put on. Adapting the format to Disco and Funk breaks rather than the reggae Herc was used to further enhanced the genre's appeal in urban communities.

The music quickly took over in New York and Connecticut while expanding across the United States and eventually other countries through the 1980s and 1990s. Eventually incorporating Soul and Jazz breaks into its musical lexicon, hip hop as it is known today continues to incorporate sampling of both popular and obscure tracks from the past and present that one or more MCs rap lyrics over in a stylized, rhythmic response or addition to the beat.