A widely misunderstood CULTURE that is centered around 4 pillars: DJing, rapping, b-boying and graffiti writing. The culture is based upon the idea of peace and love in poor ghetto communities and that street violence should be replaced by rap battles, and that battles should be fought not with guns but with the mind.

Although hip-hop music is usually mistaken for rap music, the two are similar but not the same. They are performed in the same way, i.e. by speaking rhythmically over a beat with occasional support from a DJ, hip-hop music is more community-oriented. MCs usually discuss living in the ghetto and the rough conditions that their people face (The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is a great example of this), one or more of the four pillars of Hip Hop (Out for Fame by KRS-One), or Hip Hop culture, its history, and their own personal experiences with the music (Hip Hop Lives by KRS-One, or I Used to Love H.E.R. by Common Sense). Rap music can be centered around any number of things, usually, though not always, about material things (Hypnotize by The Notorious B.I.G.) and/or sex (Lollipop by Lil' Wayne). Rap music also glorifies the ideas of being a gangster, while Hip Hop discusses the matter in a neutral or negative matter (Changes by 2pac).

A name for the 4 elements of the late 70's New York City renaissance which includes break dancing, emceeing, (rapping) graffiti, and turntablism.

first off, if it's on mtv it's NOT hip hop (50 cent isn't fucking hip hop), secondly if it's about lots of bling with my bitches riding on my twenty's capin some mofo it's NOT hip hop, thirdly if the song is only two lines repeating over and over it's NOT hip hop, fourth if the verse is all jumbled together and not enunciated it's NOT hip hop, the above mentioned criteria constitute rap.

Hip hop typically has a social message that not just about how fucking awesome I am and how hot my bitches are, enunciated lyrics, a more complex beat, and requires serious talent. If you want to listen to hip hop, you have to seek it out. It's not going to be on MTV or clear channel

And finally if you listen to both and can't discern a single thing and think I'm full of shit go listen to Umi Says by Mos Def (you can even find the lyrics on line), at least you'll understand the differing messages between hip hop and rap

Hip hop is a culture, or a lifestyle if you wish.
the term '4 elements' was coined when there was still only 4 elements;

bboyin (not break dancing) which could mean break boy or beat boy or bronx boy depending on where you live.

emceeing, which used to be shoutouts and such later evolved into 'rapping' and no thats not what 50 cent does because 50 cent is a sellout loser that sings bout his imagineary 'hoes'.

Djing or turntablism, this started by them just replaying the break bits in funk songs so that bboys could get down, and breakbeats was the first hiphop music ('evolved' from funk music.)

Graffiti, i dont know much about this but its visual art.

The 4 elements was a good concept for a while, but hip hopp grew and became more than 4 elements, making this term invalid.

a music style created in the late seventies.what was once a cool underground movement has now mutated into corporate sexist garbage. the hip hop "artists" are more concerned about making money through image, trendy clothing styles and heavy commercialization. Not all but MOST do not care so much about making good music only to be rich and and fanous. They achieve multi platinum albums through their image and being heaviy promoted and not from musical content. hip hop is nearly dead. It has lost almost all of its aesthetics because people are doing it to be trendy. one day there will be an artist (from rock rap or even reggaeton) that will deystroy this garbage on Mtv.

a cultural movement later bastardized by corporations to give rise to rap

It's a culture, it's a state of mind, it's a language, it's fashion, it's a style, it's something you feel every moment of your day. Hip hop is not commercial shit, hip hop is deep, it has a meaning for each person. You don't just listen to hip hop music, you feel it, you respect it, understand it, share it.

culture in which there are 4 elements that compose it. Breakdancing, graffiti, Mcing, and DJing. Culture which has their own dance (breaking), art (graffiti), music, language, and its race is international. Every race can participate in this culture. Hip hop originally didn't start talking about hoes or drugs or gangbanging, it started as a way to show off how good you are at the element you are good for and talk about other subjeccts like love, party, protest against goverment, music to enjoy other elements with, and stuff like that. The real hip hop stays underground and never sells out to be mainstream. Once its mainstream, it should be called just rapping, not hip hop! Hip hop was born underground and should stay underground. Hip hop should also not be asociated with gangs and drugs.