A humorous look at how Hip Hop has changed over the years

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Originally published at: A humorous look at how Hip Hop has changed over the years | Boing Boing

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[Citation Needed] That is not the origin of the term I’m familiar with.

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Not to be rude, but I scoff at the necessity for citation surrounding a culture that prides itself on unwritten rules. Rules that were formerly regarded as immutable in the genre have since eroded in the face of time.

Writing your own raps used to be essential for being considered a “real Hip Hop artist” but Drake, Cardi-B and others- who modern fans consider to be the face of Hip Hop- all rely on Ghost writers.

Rapping about lived experience used to be mandatory, but artists like Lil Tecca are open about how fictitious their lyrics are.

In any event, I’ll provide citation, but just know that the very act of doing so isn’t “Hip hop”… Until it is one day.

I already queued the video above to the segement talking about the origin of the word Hip Hop from one of the founding members of the culture. The clip is from HipHopDX’s breakdown series, which I highly recommend. If you have the time, the whole episode expounds on the topic of how fluid the concept of Hip Hop is.

The basic rule of thumb with Hip Hop is “if you have to ask, you’ll never know.” Trying to have a concrete definition is useless, as the genre was built to defy such notions. It’s a living culture that is helmed by the youth. The “hip” in Hip Hop is ephemeral, hence why it was used to mock early pioneers of the culture.

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I heard it yet a third way, right here on bOINGbOING:

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