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Hip-HopHip-hop is a form of popular music and a cultural tradition that originated in urban areas of the United States in the 1970s. Like rock 'n' roll and country, hip-hop is a folk music that relies on allusion and reinterpretation. Hip-hop began in the Bronx borough of New York through parties where people danced to "breakbeats," short sections of records that primarily featured percussion. Soon, masters of ceremonies, or MCs, began rapping to those beats, mirroring a tradition that began in Africa and became popular in Jamaica. The sound of hip-hop evolved in the late 1980s, thanks to producers experimenting with sampling and MCs developing complex lyrical techniques. The music became especially popular in the 21st century thanks to marquee artists like Eminem and Jay-Z. Despite criticism that the music glorifies violence and misogyny, hip-hop has profoundly impacted the look and sound of popular culture.Explore Hip-Hop

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Graffiti became an integral part of hip-hop cultureThe visual art form began taking off in New York alongside the music of hip-hop. Both were postmodern forms of art that repurposed preexisting materials. For graffiti, that was by using the city as canvas. For rap, that was through sampling. This retrospective not only shows how the two forms intersected, but also how the public perception of both changed over time. ABC News Jazz built the template for hip-hopHip-hop was born out of obscure samples, including many that were taken from the annals of jazz. That style was especially popular in rap's early eras, with the subgenre "jazz rap" becoming an accurate descriptor for New York groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Gangstarr. You'll Hear It Clipse made history as the first hip-hop group to perform at the VaticanThe September 2025 performance was a part of the Vatican's "Grace of the World" concert, organized by Pharrell Williams. The duo performed their song "The Birds Don't Sing," accompanied by John Legend, the Voices of Fire choir, and a live orchestra. Rapzilla Hip-hop legends the Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and DMX all attended the same New York high schoolAll four emcees attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, a vocational public school in downtown Brooklyn. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes were well-known as rappers when they were in school, once even battle-rapping one another in the lunchroom. (Jay-Z won.) Mic Basquiat produced an early hip-hop classicThe 1983 track “Beat Bop” features emcees Rammellzee and K-Rob rapping over a beat produced and arranged by Basquiat. Though it leans into several tropes from the early days of hip-hop, it’s also singular, with elements of dub, funk, and disco blending over its 10 minutes. nicolàs uru The 100 best hip-hop albums of all timeAlthough it still sounds youthful, hip-hop reached middle age in 2023, reaching its 50th anniversary. This Pitchfork list of the genre's 100 best albums spans the entire history of the genre. Despite a few controversial picks, it's still worth a read, if only to dig back into some classics. Pitchfork 2025 marked the first time in 35 years a hip-hop song wasn't in the top 40The Billboard Hot 100 chart dated October 25, 2025, didn't have any rap or hip-hop songs in its top 40 singles, something that hadn't happened since Feb. 2, 1990. One explanation is a Billboard methodology change, and another is Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl." Billboard Hip-hop legend Lauryn Hill had a recurring role on 'As the World Turns'Hill is primarily known for her music career, both in the pioneering group the Fugees and as a solo artist. But before breaking records as a musician, she was an actor. Her career started in 1991, in high school, with a recurring role on "As the World Turns." The Emmy Awards Kendrick Lamar won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, a milestone for hip-hopThe acclaimed rapper won for his 2017 album “DAMN.,” which includes sonic nods to the culture’s long history and lyrics that grapple with its complications. Critics noted that the award suggested hip-hop had been welcomed into the upper echelons of the art establishment. Literary Hub Hip-hop has been criticized for obscenity and violenceIn 2008, a Pew Research poll found that over 70% of Americans believed the music had a negative societal impact due to its sometimes violent, sexist, and homophobic lyrics. Many rap artists argue they’re not endorsing the lyrics but simply reflecting the world around them. Pew Research Center How the Wu-Tang Clan built a hip-hop empire“Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” is considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time, but it was just the start of a career that would eventually include dozens of solo albums, a clothing brand, and a video game. This retrospective breaks down how the Staten Island group made it happen. Grammy.com Southern rap redefined the sound of hip-hop in the '90sIn the 1980s, most attention focused on New York, the birthplace of hip-hop, and Los Angeles, the epicenter of its burgeoning gangsta variant. By the mid-90s, though, artists like Outkast, Master P, and Missy Elliott shifted the focus to the south. NPR Sylvia Robinson is considered ‘the Godmother of Hip-Hop’ While hip-hop was soundtracking countless parties in the early ‘70s, Robinson saw the music’s potential. She began writing, producing, and releasing some of the music’s earliest singles through her Sugar Hill Records label and helped build a place in the music industry for the young music. Robinson’s groundbreaking work led to a 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame See nearly 500 early hip-hop flyersThe "back to school jam" may have been revolutionary, but it wasn't the only event that helped build hip-hop culture. This digital collection from Cornell University has hundreds of flyers for concerts from 1977 to 1984, offering a window into the burgeoning underground. JSTOR The 1973 ‘back to school jam’ was the night hip-hop was bornHip-hop began in New York’s Bronx borough with the “back to school jam,” an August 1973 dance party hosted by Cindy Campbell and her brother, DJ Kool Herc, in their apartment building’s recreation room. BBC The word ‘hip-hop’ is often credited to DJ Lovebug StarskiThe name was coined by Bronx DJ Lovebug Starski, who ad-libbed the term to match the rhythm of a beat while he was rapping. While it began as nonsense, the term went on to describe the music and multifaceted culture that surrounded it. Complex Hip-hop is both a music and a cultureWhile the word is often used to describe the popular genre, it’s historically been used to describe the culture that sprang up around the music in 1970s New York, including breakdancing and graffiti. The Kennedy Center Hip-hop gained significant popularity in the 21st centuryAlthough hip-hop and rap music were popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s, it was ubiquitous in the early 2000s, with 20 songs in the Billboard top 10 in 2003 alone. The surge was due in no small part to Jay-Z and Eminem, who were the biggest names in the genre. The Needle Drop Hip-hop producer J Dilla reimagined musical timeThere are few names in hip-hop more revered than J Dilla, a producer who’s credited with redefining the feel of the music by playing with its timing. Vox The sound of hip-hop's 'Golden Era' is thanks to a shared lexiconThe music’s “Golden Era,” between 1987 and 1994, saw producers and DJs developing more sophisticated approaches to sampling, or repurposing existing sound, by crafting elaborate collages. Many of them used the same references, thanks to a popular bootleg compilation called “Ultimate Break Beats.” El Train | Loop Kitchen Grandmaster Flash’s ‘The Message’ set the template for hip-hop compositionThis 1982 single is one of the most recognizable beats in hip-hop history, thanks to some inspiration from popular disco and new wave records. The song’s bigger contribution, though, is that it pushed lyrics front and center, turning the rapper from a party-rocking master of ceremonies into a truth-telling MC. Digging The Greats The Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’ introduced hip-hop to the massesWhile it’s not technically the first hip-hop song set to record—that’s Fatback Band’s “King Tim III (Personality Jock)”—1979’s ”Rapper’s Delight” is the song that proved rap was worth putting on wax and introducing the music to a broader audience by reaching the US top 40. Sugarhill Records Hear 50 years of iconic hip-hop samplesHip-hop music began with the looping of popular breakbeats, but it evolved with DJs and producers learning to chop and flip samples from obscure records and turn them into rap classics. This video illustrates how sampling evolved through the music's five-plus decades. Tracklib DJ Kool Herc pioneered the use of breakbeats for hip-hopInspired by Jamaican dancehall culture and Manhattan's disco scene, Herc used a new style that used two turntables, seamlessly mixing and looping "breakbeats"—isolated drum breaks from funk, soul, and rock records—that kept dancers at the "back to school jam" moving. Herc's technique would be the basis for modern sampling and hip-hop's first few decades. GoodStuff79 Kendrick Lamar's "DAMN." was the first hip-hop album to win a PulitzerKendrick Lamar’s 2017 Pulitzer win for his album "DAMN." made history as the first hip-hop artist ever to receive the award. The Pulitzer Prize for Music is usually awarded to classical and jazz compositions, making Lamar's win even more unexpected. NPR Champagne has a rich history in hip-hopThe drink is both aspirational and a bragging right. Famous artists name-check brands like Cristal, and up-and-comers long for the day when sparkling wine will flow like water. The trend traces back to the early 1990s and Branson B., “hip-hop’s unofficial sommelier.” The Harlem-based artist would bring bottles of his favorite bubbly to parties, celebrations, and, crucially, recording studios, where friends like the Notorious B.I.G. were laying down some of rap’s foundational tracks. Last Bubbles Deconstructing the most popular hip-hop samples over the last 50 yearsHip-hop celebrated its 50th birthday in 2023, a genre with humble origins that now dominates playlists and charts worldwide. A major, lesser-known feature of hip-hop is its artful use of samples from older records, a technically complex method that forms the unique soundscape of each hip-hop song. To honor the anniversary, sampling company TrackLib created a half-hour video showcasing both visually and auditorily the process used in hits over the last 50 years. Tracklib Why heroin became associated with the grunge worldThe drug was popular with several Seattle acts in the early 1990s, with artists like Hole's Courtney Love even publicizing her use in a magazine profile. A 1992 New York Times story on Seattle said the city's principal drugs were "espresso, beer, and heroin." the Guardian Prince's 'Sign O' the Times' was considered a major artistic milestoneThe double album was an ambitious collection of songs that traversed musical styles—drawing on the emerging hip-hop records of the genre's golden age and technological experimentation—and explored social issues, including the AIDS epidemic, addiction, and violence. It would go on to be one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year and eventually be considered one of the most important in pop music history. The New York Times View photos of classic New York graffitiHenry Chalfant was one of the foremost documentarians of early graffiti and hip-hop culture, photographing some of the era's most iconic pieces and playing a part in the genre-defining "Style Wars" film. This interview with him is accompanied by some of his photos from an exhibit at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, showcasing the art form as it came into its own. Buzzfeed News Hear Lin-Manuel Miranda explain the origins of his musical 'Hamilton'In this interview, Lin-Manuel Miranda describes how discovering Alexander Hamilton's biography led him to the project—and how hip-hop's rhythm, rivalry, and storytelling power felt uniquely suited to the nation's founding era. PBS Basquiat was in an experimental punk band in the late 1970sThe band Gray was formed in New York after the city’s ‘70s punk explosion, though Basquiat’s band (which also featured filmmaker Michael Holman and actor Vincent Gallo) was considered no wave—a more experimental subgenre that used the guitar for dissonance rather than melody and toyed with multiple sounds, including hip-hop. Baptiste Jean-Michel Basquiat made a last-minute cameo in Blondie's 'Rapture' music videoThe classic 1981 track brought hip-hop culture to new wave. Influential DJ Grandmaster Flash was supposed to appear in the video, but he didn't make it to the set, so the artist filled in, standing at a turntable as Debbie Harry rapped. Check him out at the 1:52 mark. BlondieVEVO View Jean-Michel Basquiat's artworkThe iconic artist had a short career, but he produced a massive body of work and changed the style of American art by bringing together pop art, graffiti, hip-hop, and punk. His work still hangs in galleries across the world. View scans of the most famous ones here. Basquiat The Beastie Boys started as a punk bandBefore they became a legendary rap group, the New Yorkers played fast, scrappy hardcore in the style of Bad Brains. Still, they were fans of the explosion of hip-hop culture in their city and recorded a jokey track in 1983, which led to a record deal and conversion to hip-hop. Beastie Boys GZA of Wu-Tang Clan says chess taught him strategy in life and musicIn a VICE interview, rapper GZA revealed how speed chess sharpened his mind on tour and shaped his creative strategy. Chess, for him, is more than a game—it’s his framework for life. VICE A 'boombox' is the cool term for a Portable Radio Cassette RecorderThe technology debuted in the mid-1960s, revolutionizing portability of recording radio and playing music. As urban culture, especially hip hop, took advantage of the innovation, the "boombox" was born. See a gallery of old boomboxes and learn their history. BOOMBOX CITY K-pop is one of South Korea's biggest exportsWriter Vivian Yoon could never have imagined that the music she secretly loved as a kid growing up in Los Angeles’ Koreatown would become the phenomenon it is today. In this 14-part podcast, Yoon takes the deepest dive into the history of K-pop, a surprising journey that passes through the 1992 LA riots and a hip-hop club in Seoul once frequented by Black American GIs. LAist Studios The greatest all-time diss tracksHip-hop history has its fair share of beefs, going all the way back to the early ‘80s. This list collects the best songs from those artistic battles, with classic tracks from Nas, Jay-Z, Boogie Down Productions, and a few more recent entries from Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The Ringer The best female rappers of all timeHip-hop has too many incredible female MCs to name, but this list does an admirable job of ranking the 25 greatest. Along the way, it breaks down how ‘80s artists like MC Lyte and Queen Latifah paved the way for ‘90s innovators like Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill and more contemporary names like Doechii and Micki Minaj. Billboard Rapping has roots in numerous aspects of the Black oral tradition Although “rapping” began in New York with hip-hop in the early 1970s, it can be traced back to griots, who were storytellers in West Africa, and “toasting,” which was a similar talk-sing style practiced by dancehall DJs in Jamaica. Oxford African American Studies Center Country's popularity skyrocketed in the 21st centuryThanks to the crossover success of '90s artists like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, country music found a larger audience. By the 2000s, the genre was more popular than ever, at times accounting for nearly a quarter of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Stat Significant By the mid-1980s, rappers began developing complex techniquesEarly hip-hop featured straightforward meter and rhyme, with rappers generally following the beat and using rhyming couplets in the style of nursery rhymes. MCs like Rakim, though, began pushing the limits of the form through varied stresses and dynamic, multisyllabic slant rhymes. Vox Def Jam’s first office was Rick Rubin’s NYU dorm roomThe essential hip-hop label was founded by Rick Rubin in 1984. At the time, Rubin was a New York University student and converted his dorm room into the label’s original office. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin would release landmark albums from LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and many others. Rolling Stone Grandmaster Flash’s DJing masterclassFor some people, DJing is nothing more than pressing play on a few songs, but for hip-hop DJs, it’s a precise art form that requires real skill. Need proof? Watch this 1983 tutorial from Grandmaster Flash, one of the genre’s pioneering DJs, as he walks you through beatmatching and mixing on his spartan set-up of two turntables and a basic mixer. eerdeherrie The ‘90s saw a resurgence of the girl groupThe ‘90s saw a resurgence of the girl group, with acts like TLC, the Spice Girls, and Destiny’s Child turning the model on its head. While still strongly influenced by the ‘50s and ‘60s girl groups, these acts also worked in hip-hop and dance music. Most significantly, they emphasized female empowerment—or “girl power”—rather than adolescent yearning. MsMojo A dissenting take on the Lamar's Pulitzer winNot everyone thought that Kendrick Lamar’s historic Pulitzer win was a good thing—even his own fans. Writer and hip-hop aficionado Ismail Muhammad lays out the case for why "DAMN" deserved the award, but the Pulitzers don’t deserve praise for giving it. Was the decision more about the organization’s image than the work itself? See if Muhammad’s argument convinces you. Slate Outkast's debut album established southern rap in the mainstream1994's "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" realigned the geography of hip-hop, legitimizing southern rap on the national scene. Up to that point, the prevailing narrative was that the only rap that mattered was found on the East Coast or West Coast, but Outkast forced critics to pay attention to their eclectic southern-tinged style, changing the course of the genre for decades. The Right Time with Bomani Jones Country's sound continues to evolveCountry music is having a moment. In 2023, it saw the biggest growth in market share of any genre—up nearly 22%. This overview traces country’s rise from Appalachian folk roots to its current pop, rock, and hip-hop-infused wave, with artists like Beyoncé and Post Malone joining the mix. 1440 Biz Markie's "Alone Again" changed the laws for samplingBefore 1991, there was no established legal standard for the gray area of sampling. That changed when Gilbert O-Sullivan sued Biz Markie for using his song "Alone Again (Naturally)." After the case, labels were required to clear all samples, and artists were discouraged from creating sample-heavy music. NPR

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