“His music is so angry and thrilling”: the 2000 song Maya Hawke called “the epic of our time”
An icon.
Hip hop is a cultural movement and musical genre that originated in the Bronx, New York City, during the early 1970s. Built around the interconnected elements of MCing (rapping), DJing, breakdancing and graffiti art, hip hop evolved from a local community movement into one of the world’s most influential cultural forces.
Musically, the genre combines rhythmic vocal delivery with sampled beats, turntablism and innovative production techniques, continually expanding to incorporate jazz, funk, soul, rock, electronic music and beyond. Pioneering artists including DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Run-D.M.C. and Public Enemy laid the foundations for later generations featuring Tupac Shakur, the Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, OutKast, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and many others.
Today, hip hop is the dominant global popular music genre, shaping fashion, language, politics, film and contemporary culture.
A gritty, essential, harrowing classic.
Who told Timothee that greatness was his to pursue?
“It kind of looks like a bra”.
Lacking the essentials.
A trailblazing, ten-minute rap battle.