What is Hip Hop?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music

Hip Hop is defined as a cultural movement that began among urban African American and Latino youth in New York City and has since spread around the world. The four main elements of hip hop are MCing, DJing, graffiti, and b-boying/b-girling a.k.a. breakdancing (improper). Some consider beatboxing the fifth element of hip hop; others might add political activism, hip hop fashion, hip hop slang, double dutching (an urban form of rope skipping) or other elements as important facets of hip hop. The term has since come to be a synonym for hip hop music and rap to mainstream audiences

The roots of hip hop are in West African and African American music. The griots of West Africa are a group of traveling singers and poets, whose musical style is reminiscent of hip hop.

For a more academic understanding of this popular phenomnon, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop