To Old School listeners of the genre, Hip Hop was not
only a musical mix of beats and rhymes, but it also included graffiti writing,
break dancing, and deejaying. New School rappers and Pop culture
mistakenly use the term Hip Hop to describe the urban contemporary music
that bares a slight resemblance to Hip Hop. Confused? Listed
below are 30 examples that may help one distinguish between what is truly
Hip Hop and what is indeed Rap:
1. Hip Hop is MCs and DJs. Rap is
rappers and Pro Tools producers.
2. Hip Hop is B-boys, B-girls, Scoob & Scrap
Lover, and Big Lez. Rap is booty
dancers, strippers, and robotic routines taught in Fame-like dance studios.
3. Hip Hop is music. Rap is
entertainment.
4. Hip Hop is the love of urban culture.
Rap is the love of money.
5. Hip Hop is graffiti writers.
Rap is graphic designers.
6. Hip Hop is speaking the unspoken.
Rap is speaking the spoken over and over again.
7. Hip Hop music gracefully ages over the
course of time. Rap goes platinum and no one remembers it.
8. Hip Hop is battling on the microphone.
Rap is cowardly battling in the streets.
9. Hip Hop is Yo MTV Raps. Rap
is Sucker Free Sundays.
10. Hip Hop is Andre of Outkast. Rap
is Andre 3000 of Outkast.
11. Hip Hop is art conscious. Rap is
image conscious.
12. Hip Hop is college radio and Saturday night
mix shows. Rap is your city’s V103 and Hot 97.
13. Hip Hop is the Flavor Unit. Rap
is the G-Unit.
14. Hip Hop is MTV refusing to play "street
music" in the 80’s. Rap is MTV playing more “street music" than
rock.
15. Hip Hop is variety. Rap is
monotony.
16. Hip Hop is writing what you feel.
Rap is chanting what sells.
17. Hip Hop is female MCs and DJs.
Rap is female strippers.
18. Hip Hop is Queen Latifah’s “Ladies First.”
Rap is Shawna’s “Getting’ Some Head.”
19. Hip Hop is sweating out your perm from
dancing so much. Rap is sitting down the entire time because your
Manolo Blahnik's are uncomfortable.
20. Hip Hop is sweating through your rayon or
silk shirt while dancing. Rap is holding up the wall, mean-mugging in
your button-up.
21. Hip Hop is a creative art. Rap is a
formula.
22. Hip Hop is scratching on records. Rap
is scratching on CDs.
23. Hip Hop is bragging about your skills on
the Mic. Rap is bragging about record sales, cars, and jewelry.
24. Hip Hop tells the world about all that is
wrong in the Hood. Rap glorifies all that is wrong in the Hood.
25. Hip Hop is Wild Style, Beat Street,
Krush Groove, and Style Wars. Rap is Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
26. Hip Hop is the first Hip Hop Grammy winner
boycotting the ceremony due to the Grammy's disrespect of the genre. Rap
is throwing a temper tantrum because you didn't win "Album of the Year."
27. Hip Hop is establishing yourself by battle
rapping and performing in front of anyone who will listen. Rap is
establishing yourself by "Making the Band."
28. Hip Hop is Kurtis Blow. Rap is Curtis
Jackson.
29. Hip Hop is an MC storytelling.
Rap is a rapper telling a story.
30. Hip Hop is Puff Daddy of Uptown Records.
Rap is Diddy of Bad Boy Records.
If you would like to share your thoughts on the
difference between Hip Hop and Rap with our readers, submit your opinions in
our Forum, or e-mail us at ost@urban-archives.com.