Abstract hip hop is a genre of rap that has emerged from underground rap in the past decade. This style of hip hop eschews the traditional conventions and focuses on more abstract ideas than braggadocio.

It is a powerful tool for youth to reflect on their lives and social issues. This article explores how it can be used in the classroom as a form of education, called Hip Hop pedagogy (HHPED).

Definition

Abstract hip hop is a type of hip hop that deviates from the typical rap style. It combines elements of jazz, funk, soul, and electronic music with avant-garde sounds and unconventional production techniques. In addition, it is usually characterized by its abstract and surrealistic lyrical content.

In the United States, abstract hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop that has become increasingly popular since the 2000s. It is often associated with the underground hip hop scene and focuses on a more experimental and progressive take on the genre.

This sub-genre is characterized by unconventional production techniques and abstract and surrealistic lyrical work. It is influenced by a variety of styles including jazz, funk, and soul as well as spoken word and poetry.

It is also a form of progressive hip hop that focuses on socio-political awareness. This includes the use of metaphors and cryptic meaning in order to convey a message to listeners, as well as addressing social issues such as wealth, drug use, poverty, and politics.

The abstract rap style can also be found in China, where it is popular among disaffected youths. For example, Taiwanese rapper MC Hot Dog became widely known with his creative beats and off-kilter flow, while the Hong Kong hip hop collective Lazy Motherfucker has been credited with being the Chinese Wu-Tang Clan due to their ill-flowing and vulgar depiction of life in Greater China.

While it may seem intimidating to hear abstract hip hop, this sub-genre is actually a lot more accessible than one might initially think. It can be a little intimidating to listen to at first but after you get used to the style and understand how it works, you will find it to be an addicting and fascinating style of music.

This genre of hip hop is a unique and interesting combination of music and rap. While it may seem unfamiliar at first, it can be a very engaging style of music to listen to and is one that is becoming more and more popular with each passing year. It is a genre that you will want to check out more of as it has the potential to become your new favorite form of music.

Origins

Abstract hip hop is a genre that deviates from many of the conventions associated with conventional hip hop. Lyrically, the music tends to focus on ideas such as existentialism and social institutions rather than braggadocio, and is usually written in a more cryptic, symbolic language. It also often incorporates unusual beats and uses unconventional production techniques.

It is believed to have originated in New York City’s Bronx in the 1970s as a collaboration among intersecting groups of African American, Caribbean and Latino youth at block parties where DJs played funk, soul and disco music. These parties were a place where youth could meet and form friendships, as well as express their political and cultural views through the music.

As the genre grew in popularity, it evolved into a range of subgenres. These included trap, grime, gangsta rap and rap rock (or nu metal).

Early hip hop was largely based on funk music. The music had a strong rhythm and riff derived from the percussive breaks used in funk. It also featured MCs or emcees who spoke between the songs to give exhortations to dance, greetings and jokes.

The music began to develop as more and more DJs began isolating the percussion breaks from funk, soul, and R&B records and sampling them to create their own beats. This practice, referred to as “breakbeat” DJing, was pioneered by NYC DJs such as Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaata.

During this period, breakdancing became popular as well, with rappers incorporating the longer percussive breaks into their raps. As this style gained popularity, the slang that accompanied it spread to different regions of the world and even beyond the hip hop community.

Slang is an important aspect of hip hop, and it can be found in most rap songs. It varies from culture to culture, but is generally characterized by using a large variety of slang terms that are not common in the community where the song was made. Examples of this slang include words like what the dilly, yo, dis, and shizznit.

In Hong Kong, MC Hot Dog gained fame with his creative beats and off-kilter flow. His ill-flow and vulgar depiction of life for disaffected middle class youth in the island nation has led to his being described as a Chinese Wu-Tang Clan.

Influences

Abstract hip hop is a genre of music that combines elements of hip hop with experimental and avant-garde sounds. It is characterized by unconventional production techniques, abstract and often surrealistic lyrical content, and the use of samples from a wide range of sources.

While it is commonly associated with the underground hip hop scene, abstract hip hop can be found in a variety of forms and styles. The genre is characterized by a fusion of elements from many different musical genres, such as jazz, funk, soul, and electronic music, as well as spoken word and poetry.

There are many influences that have helped to shape the genre of abstract hip hop, including rap music itself and the Bay Area’s history as a cultural and political center. During the 1960s and ’70s, Oakland and San Francisco were home to revolutionary movements that shaped American social and political culture, including the Black Panthers, the Brown Berets, and the Third World Liberation Front.

These movements encouraged young people to speak their minds through the language of music and art, a dynamic that connected funk and boogaloo with rap and social activism. This dynamic also led to the development of alternative hip hop, a sub-genre that blurs the lines between genres, including hip hop and funk, as well as jazz, soul, and folk.

The legacy of these movements is reflected in the aesthetics of modern hip hop, where Afrofuturism and space travel have become a common thread among rappers. This is especially true in the Bay Area, where artists such as Del the Funky Homosapien, Blackalicious, and Zion I have been inspired to delve into topics such as spiritual enlightenment, dystopian futures, and technology as a means of freedom.

Another important influence is Sly Stone, who became one of the first African American artists to popularize the rap genre in the ’60s and ’70s. He is also credited with changing the way Black musicians were perceived by the mainstream, and for incorporating progressive social values into Black music.

Hip hop also has a significant impact on the lives of people in other countries, as it can be a source of information about certain issues that are routinely faced by people in these areas. This information can be relatively superficial, but it can help to educate the public about the various problems that are faced in their respective cultures.

Styles

Abstract hip hop is a genre of rap that deviates from many of the conventions that are associated with conventional Hip Hop. It is characterized by a wide range of lyrical themes, extensive metaphors and symbolic word choice, and generally avoids the more upfront, visceral language often associated with Hip Hop music.

Some of the most common styles of abstract hip hop include emo rap, jazz rap and grime. Other subgenres include horrorcore, cloud rap and footwork.

Emo rap takes inspiration from the tortured lyrics of Kurt Cobain, wistful melodies from midwest emo and screamo, and the auto-laden production styles used by neo-R&B artists like T-Pain. It also owes a great deal to UK garage music.

In the 2000s, rappers began to incorporate more samples from jazz and soul music into their songs, creating a style of hip hop that was both unique and powerful. The most prominent example of this is A Tribe Called Quest, but Karriem Riggins, Knxwledge and MF DOOM also produce great abstract hip hop.

Another rap subgenre that deviates from traditional hip-hop is the snap genre. This subgenre began in the 2000s and is characterized by quick transitions between duplets and triplets, lightning-fast hi-hats and greatly melodic jazz and soul samples. It is mainly a US style but can also be found in Latin America.

The subgenre of Horrorcore is a dark gangsta rap genre that incorporates gothic metaphors, theatrical horror and an occult narrative. It has southern roots from Memphis and Houston, and its lyrical content is sometimes darkly transgressive. Some notable artists include Geto Boys, Bushwick Bill, Three 6 Mafia, Gravediggaz and The Insane Clown Posse.

One of the most important rap subgenres is grime, which takes inspiration from UK garage music. This music is a mix of electronic elements and hip-hop production styles, and it can be a little harsh and uptempo.

It can also be a bit gloomy, with tracks that focus on personal problems and depression. It can be hard to categorize this type of music since it often reflects the mood of its creators, but it can definitely have a distinctive sound.