Hip hop or
hip-hop is a sub-cultural movement that formed during the early 1970s by
African-American and Puerto Rican youths residing in the
South Bronx in
New York City. It became popular outside of the
African-American community in the late 1980s and by the 2000s became the most listened-to musical genre in the world. It is characterized by four distinct elements, all of which represent the different manifestations of the culture:
rap music (oral),
turntablism or
DJing (aural),
b-boying (physical) and
graffiti art (visual). Even while it continues to develop globally in myriad styles, these four foundational elements provide coherence to hip hop culture. The term is often used in a restrictive fashion as synonymous only with the oral practice of rap music.