Hip Hop American Music History

A brief history of hip hop and its influences on American music

Hip Hop was the baby of DJ Hertz bringing about fun-filled block parties. During these parties, Hertz played music and give shout outs to folks, making them feel welcome and diffusing any tension that may be evolving. These parties developed to include “scratching”, rapping, graffiti (tagging), “beatboxing” and breakdancing and were a way to release the tensions of social injustices. From these parties Rap developed with its more intense messages regarding social injustices.

A brief history of the blues and its influences on American music

The Blues evolved from the cruelest time in American history, slavery. Today’s labels of discrimination, racism, and prejudice do not come

This danceable element is the distinguishing trait between the Delta Blues and Chicago Blues. Meanwhile, other musicians, in particular, White musicians such as Elvis Presley, Cream, The Rolling Stones, and folklorists like Simon and Garfunkel, began to mimic and extend the Chicago Blues style of music through acoustics and a more broad scope of lyrics that catered to all audiences of the 60’s. These lyrics were more geared toward peace, love and happiness man. What laws had not been to accomplish in segregation, music had more influence in a style resembling more of the Blues mellowness. Throughout the 70’s music was more inclined toward dance and hip-hop, ultimately evolving into Rap.

The influences of the life of Tupac Shakur on hip hop music and culture

Tupac was a gifted young man very eloquent in identifying and explaining today’s modern racism. In doing this to rap music, he made what seemed like dancing to noise into a recognized genre because his messages lent credibility to the art form. Interviews through the years show him maturing into a person that would have been very beneficial to not only Rap but of delivering the message of social inequalities for the African American culture. The man not only identified the problems but was well on his way to giving us solutions- something that has defeated

These lessons can be actual tours incorporating history, geography, sociology even a little psychology. John Strait refers to them as place-based lessons and uses them to teach geography at the University of Texas claiming they are the highlight of the year and that participants repeatedly respond let’s do that again (Strait, 2013).

Universities aren’t the only venue using Hip Hop to teach. High Schools are finding them very effective in teaching by allowing the students and teachers to have something that not only is relatable as individuals but brings the class together as a whole. Social issues, literature, even math are made relatable through Hip-Hop by allowing teachers to have a characteristic that attracts younger students but also establishes some common