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.
by frankie- a funkstylist. November 5, 2005
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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.
hip hop and rap are not the same thing
by Risk4graffiti January 24, 2007
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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.
Hip Hop Wont Stop
Rap is something you do, hip hop is something you live
by Snoop1 November 12, 2005
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Hip Hop is a culture centered around bettering yourself and being positive. There are 4 original elements.

Dance:
Breaking is the ONLY dance realated to hip hop despite what the media tells you. The only 2 adopted elements to the dance is popping and locking. If your not breaking, popping, or locking then your not dancing hip hop.

Music:
DJ: The hip hop art form of playing the music using records and involving scratching and extending beats. The most important element of hip hop, because with the beat there can be no emceeing or dancing.
Emcee: The art of rhyming and rapping. Make sure you understand the difference between "HIP HOP" and "GANGSTER RAP". While gangster rap is still in the catagory of hip hop because of the emcee and dj, it is not part of the hip hop culture because hip hop isn't about being a gangster.

Graffiti:
The visual art form of hip hop often using letters and characters. From tagging to murals using anything from markers to spray cans.

The meaning of hip hop has been lost over time. Its not about dressing a certain way, where your from, what nationality you are, or how much money you have. Its about being yourself, not being a mindless follower, and expressing your own creativity. Hip hop came from the ghetto, and the purpose of it was for people to better themselves. Rather than going out and shooting each other they could dance, or rap, or express themselves through art. Hip hop has been underestimated by a lot of people who don't understand it, and it has literaly saved the lives of a lot of people. Hip hop is just a word, it has been around since the beginning of time even if nobody knew what it was. A person who has never heard of the word hip hop in their life who lives positively and works hard at everything they do is living hip hop more than a person who TRYS to be hip hop, dances, paints, dj's, and emcee's, but doesn't know what it means.
Did you hear KRS One's new hip hop cd?
Hip hop changed my life
Hip hop saved my life
I went to a hip hop event where they had breakers, poppers, lockers, dj's, emcee's, and graff writers.
by Steve A. Miller September 5, 2007
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a cultural movement later bastardized by corporations to give rise to rap
hip hop has substance to it. rap doesn't
by wwwwoooooooo! August 27, 2006
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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.
My thoughts on hip hop: all killer but no filler (great sales but no musical content)
by someone that likes good music November 20, 2005
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Music created by people of color for the purpose of annoying the white population.
My IQ drops every time I hear that stupid hip hop playing.
by poyfectpecker May 6, 2019
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