Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Origins of Hip Hop in the Bronx
Origins of Hip Hop in the Bronx
Knowledge check
Q1. In which borough of New York City did hip hop culture originate in the 1970s?
- A. Brooklyn
- B. The Bronx ✓
- C. Queens
- D. Manhattan
Why: Hip hop began in the Bronx in the 1970s, particularly in neighborhoods like the South Bronx, where community parties and block parties became the birthplace of the culture.
Q2. Which DJ is widely credited with pioneering the break-beat technique at block parties in the Bronx?
- A. Afrika Bambaataa
- B. DJ Kool Herc ✓
- C. Grandmaster Flash
- D. Russell Simmons
Why: DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican-born DJ, is credited with extending the instrumental breaks of funk and soul records by using two turntables, a technique that laid the foundation for hip hop music and dancing.
Q3. What was the name of the 1973 party, often cited as the birth of hip hop, that was hosted by DJ Kool Herc?
- A. The Zulu Nation Jam
- B. The Sedgwick Avenue Party
- C. The Back to School Jam ✓
- D. The Harlem Block Festival
Why: Kool Herc's Back to School Jam, held on August 11, 1973, at a recreation room in 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, is widely regarded as the first hip hop party.
Q4. Which economic and social factor in the Bronx during the 1970s contributed to the growth of hip hop culture?
- A. A booming manufacturing industry that attracted new workers
- B. Widespread government funding for the arts in every neighborhood
- C. Deindustrialization, poverty, and the lack of resources for young people ✓
- D. A rapid increase in suburban migration into the borough
Why: Deindustrialization, rising unemployment, arson, and cuts to public services left many Bronx neighborhoods struggling, and young people turned to creative outlets like DJing, MCing, graffiti, and breakdancing to express themselves and build community.
Q5. Which of the following is NOT one of the four traditional elements of hip hop culture?
- A. DJing
- B. MCing
- C. Breakdancing
- D. Fashion design ✓
Why: The four traditional elements of hip hop are DJing, MCing, breakdancing (B-boying/B-girling), and graffiti art. Fashion design is not one of the core elements, though it is associated with the culture.
Module 2
Module 2: DJing: The Foundation of the Sound
DJing: The Foundation of the Sound
Knowledge check
Q1. Which of the four elements of hip hop is most directly associated with DJing?
- A. Graffiti writing
- B. Breakdancing
- C. MCing
- D. Beatmaking and turntablism ✓
Why: DJing, including beatmaking and turntablism, is the element that provides the musical foundation of hip hop, while MCing, breaking, and graffiti are the other three elements.
Q2. What DJ technique involves manually moving a record back and forth under the needle to create percussive sounds?
- A. Crossfading
- B. Sampling
- C. Scratching ✓
- D. Looping
Why: Scratching, pioneered by DJs like Grand Wizzard Theodore, involves moving a vinyl record back and forth while using a crossfader to create rhythmic, percussive sounds.
Q3. What was the primary purpose of the DJ's isolated 'break' sections in early hip hop parties?
- A. To give the MC a rest
- B. To let the crowd take a bathroom break
- C. To feature the most danceable part of a record for breakdancers ✓
- D. To switch to a different genre of music
Why: Kool Herc and other early DJs extended the percussion-heavy breaks of funk and soul records, giving breakdancers the rhythmic space to perform their moves.
Q4. Which piece of DJ equipment allows a DJ to rapidly switch between two turntables to blend tracks?
- A. Equalizer
- B. Crossfader ✓
- C. Preamp
- D. Tone arm
Why: A crossfader is a sliding control on the DJ mixer that transitions the audio output between two sources, essential for scratching and seamless mixing.
Q5. What is 'Kool Herc' best known for contributing to the foundation of hip hop DJing?
- A. Inventing the drum machine
- B. Pioneering the use of extended breaks at block parties in the Bronx ✓
- C. Founding the first hip hop record label
- D. Developing the MPC sampler
Why: Kool Herc, considered a founding father of hip hop, began extending instrumental breaks at Bronx block parties in the early 1970s, laying the groundwork for the genre.
Module 3
Module 3: MCing: The Art of Rhyme and Flow
MCing: The Art of Rhyme and Flow
Knowledge check
Q1. In hip hop culture, which element is most directly associated with the spoken-word performance of rhyming over a beat?
- A. DJing
- B. MCing ✓
- C. Graffiti writing
- D. Breakdancing
Why: MCing (also called rapping) is the vocal element of hip hop, centered on delivering rhymes and rhythmic speech over a beat.
Q2. What term describes the rhythmic pattern and timing with which an MC delivers their lyrics?
- A. Flow ✓
- B. Scratch
- C. Tag
- D. Chorus
Why: Flow refers to how an MC rhythmically places words and syllables in relation to the beat, and it is a core skill in MCing.
Q3. Which term refers to a rhyme where the final stressed vowel sound and following sounds match, such as 'light' and 'night'?
- A. Alliteration
- B. Assonance
- C. Perfect rhyme ✓
- D. Enjambment
Why: A perfect rhyme repeats the final stressed vowel and all following consonant sounds, as in 'light' and 'night.'
Q4. What is the term for an MC improvising rhymes and verses on the spot during a performance?
- A. Sampling
- B. Freestyling ✓
- C. Mixing
- D. Toasting
Why: Freestyling is spontaneous rhyming and verse creation without written lyrics, a foundational skill in MC culture.
Q5. Which early hip hop pioneer is widely credited with popularizing the use of rhyming vocals over DJ-played breaks in the 1970s?
- A. Afrika Bambaataa
- B. Kool Herc ✓
- C. Grandmaster Flash
- D. Run-DMC
Why: Kool Herc, a Jamaican-born DJ in the Bronx, is credited as a key originator of hip hop and of MCs rhyming over his extended breakbeats, though the exact origins of rapping are debated.
Module 4
Module 4: Breaking: Movement and Battle Dance
Breaking: Movement and Battle Dance
Knowledge check
Q1. Which of the four elements of hip hop is most directly associated with breaking?
- A. DJing
- B. MCing
- C. Graffiti writing ✓
- D. Beatboxing
Why: Breaking (breakdancing) is typically grouped as the fourth element of hip hop alongside DJing, MCing, and graffiti. Graffiti writing is the element most often paired with breaking as part of the visual and physical expression of hip hop culture, though breaking itself is the dance element of the four.
Q2. Where did breaking originate?
- A. Los Angeles, in the 1980s
- B. Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1960s
- C. The Bronx, New York, in the 1970s ✓
- D. Chicago, in the 1950s
Why: Breaking emerged in the Bronx in the 1970s among African American and Latino youth, developing alongside DJing and MCing at block parties and in community spaces.
Q3. What is a 'B-boy' or 'B-girl'?
- A. A type of graffiti tag
- B. A term for a hip hop DJ
- C. A practitioner of breaking ✓
- D. A style of rap delivery
Why: B-boy and B-girl are terms for breakdancers. The name is said to derive from the 'break' section of funk and disco records, where DJs isolated and extended the percussion breaks that dancers danced to.
Q4. What is a 'battle' in breaking?
- A. A physical fight between crews
- B. A competition where dancers face off in improvised rounds ✓
- C. A studio recording session
- D. A graffiti contest on a train
Why: In breaking, a battle is a competitive format where two dancers or crews take turns performing improvised routines, often judged by a panel or the crowd. It emphasizes creativity, musicality, and response to the opponent.
Q5. Which of these is a foundational move category in breaking?
- A. Toprock ✓
- B. Scratching
- C. Freestyling
- D. Tagging
Why: Toprock is an upright footwork style performed while standing, and it is one of the core movement categories in breaking, alongside downrock (floor work), power moves, and freezes. Scratching is a DJ technique, freestyling relates to MCing, and tagging is graffiti.
Module 5
Module 5: Graffiti: Writing as Visual Expression
Graffiti: Writing as Visual Expression
Knowledge check
Q1. Which of the four elements of hip hop is most directly associated with graffiti?
- A. DJing
- B. MCing
- C. Breakdancing
- D. Writing (graffiti art) ✓
Why: Graffiti writing is recognized as the visual art form of hip hop, often called 'writing' by practitioners, and it is one of the four core elements alongside DJing, MCing, and breakdancing.
Q2. What is a 'tag' in graffiti culture?
- A. A large, multi-colored mural painted by a team
- B. A writer's signature or stylized name, usually written quickly ✓
- C. A protest slogan painted on a public building
- D. A stencil image of a famous person
Why: A tag is a writer's signature, often a stylized version of their name or alias, typically written quickly and frequently as a way to establish identity and presence.
Q3. What does the term 'piece' (short for masterpiece) refer to in graffiti?
- A. A small sticker placed on a subway car
- B. A detailed, more elaborate work with multiple colors and effects ✓
- C. A single letter used as a signature
- D. A paint can used for outlining
Why: A piece is a larger, more complex and colorful graffiti work than a tag, showing greater skill and artistic development, and it is often considered a masterpiece by the writer.
Q4. Which New York City transportation system became a major canvas for graffiti writers in the 1970s and 1980s?
- A. The taxi cab fleet
- B. The commuter ferry system
- C. The subway trains ✓
- D. The city bus depots
Why: New York City subway trains were heavily painted by writers in the 1970s and 1980s because they traveled throughout the city, giving artists widespread visibility.
Q5. What is the main purpose of graffiti writing within hip hop culture?
- A. To sell commercial advertising space
- B. To create legal public murals approved by the government
- C. To build reputation, self-expression, and community recognition ✓
- D. To replace written language in schools
Why: Graffiti writing within hip hop centers on self-expression, building a personal reputation among peers, and gaining recognition within the writing community.
Module 6
Module 6: Knowledge: Consciousness, History, and Community
Knowledge: Consciousness, History, and Community
Knowledge check
Q1. Which four elements are traditionally recognized as the foundation of hip hop culture?
- A. Painting, sculpture, theater, and dance
- B. DJing, MCing, breakdancing, and graffiti writing ✓
- C. Rapping, singing, beatboxing, and poetry
- D. Fashion, film, photography, and journalism
Why: The four classic elements of hip hop are DJing (turntablism and music selection), MCing (rapping and vocal performance), breakdancing (B-boying/B-girling), and graffiti writing. Many educators also add knowledge (consciousness) as a fifth element.
Q2. Which element of hip hop is associated with the creation and manipulation of beats using turntables?
- A. MCing
- B. Graffiti
- C. DJing ✓
- D. Breaking
Why: DJing involves using turntables, records, and mixers to select, blend, and manipulate beats. Early pioneers like Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash developed techniques such as the break beat and scratching that became central to hip hop.
Q3. Which pioneer is widely credited with throwing the first hip hop block party in the Bronx in 1973?
- A. Afrika Bambaataa
- B. Grandmaster Flash
- C. DJ Kool Herc ✓
- D. Melle Mel
Why: DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican-born DJ living in the Bronx, is generally credited with hosting the first hip hop party in August 1973, where he extended instrumental breaks to keep dancers moving.
Q4. What does the term 'Knowledge' refer to within hip hop culture?
- A. Memorizing song lyrics for competitions
- B. Academic study of music theory
- C. Awareness of history, self, and social conditions, often seen as a fifth element ✓
- D. Learning to operate recording equipment
Why: Knowledge, sometimes called consciousness, emphasizes self-education, historical awareness, and social and political understanding. Many practitioners see it as the fifth element that guides the other four toward positive community impact.
Q5. Why is graffiti writing considered one of the four core elements of hip hop?
- A. It was required for all hip hop album covers
- B. It emerged alongside other elements as a visual art form expressing identity and community in neighborhoods like the Bronx ✓
- C. It was invented by rappers to advertise concerts
- D. It replaced breakdancing in the 1980s
Why: Graffiti writing, including tagging and elaborate piecing on subway trains and walls, developed in the same New York neighborhoods as the other elements. It served as a visual expression of names, crews, and community identity.
Module 7
Module 7: Legacy and Evolution of the Four Elements
Legacy and Evolution of the Four Elements
Knowledge check
Q1. Which four elements are traditionally considered the foundations of hip hop culture?
- A. Rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti art ✓
- B. Singing, drumming, dancing, and painting
- C. Rapping, beatboxing, sampling, and fashion
- D. DJing, rhyming, poetry, and sculpture
Why: The four elements of hip hop are MCing (rapping), DJing, breaking (breakdancing), and graffiti writing. Some later accounts add knowledge or entrepreneurship as a fifth element, but the classic four are these.
Q2. Which element of hip hop is associated with Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation?
- A. Graffiti writing ✓
- B. Breaking
- C. DJing
- D. MCing
Why: Afrika Bambaataa founded the Universal Zulu Nation in the Bronx and was a key promoter of hip hop's four elements, helping unite graffiti writers, DJs, MCs, and breakers in the 1970s.
Q3. Which DJ is widely credited with pioneering the 'break beat' technique by isolating and extending the instrumental breaks in funk and soul records?
- A. Grandmaster Flash
- B. Kool Herc ✓
- C. DJ Premier
- D. Grand Wizard Theodore
Why: Kool Herc, a Jamaican-born DJ in the Bronx, extended the breakdown sections of funk records at parties in the early 1970s, laying the groundwork for breakbeat DJing and, by extension, breaking and MCing.
Q4. Which element of hip hop is most closely associated with Bronx-born style that evolved into freestyle footwork, power moves, and freezes?
- A. Breaking ✓
- B. Graffiti writing
- C. MCing
- D. DJing
Why: Breaking, often called breakdancing, developed in the Bronx and includes footwork (toprock and downrock), power moves, and freezes. It has since grown into a competitive international sport, featured at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Q5. Why has graffiti writing remained a central element of hip hop's legacy in later decades?
- A. It was officially recognized by the U.S. government as a national art form in the 1980s
- B. It has been widely adopted in mainstream art, fashion, and design while keeping its roots in street-level self-expression and visual identity ✓
- C. It replaced MCing as the most commercially successful element after 1990
- D. It was banned from all cities, which made it more valuable to collectors
Why: Graffiti writing's influence has extended into fine art, advertising, fashion, and design, with artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Futura gaining recognition, while the culture of street identity and tagging continues to shape visual language.