"In the beginning..." (nothing is as it seems)

This world of Hip Hop is diverse and has changed over time, above are some of the originals who made the business what it was in its golden age.

 

One of the first sources of information and truth for common Americans came from the Encyclopedia Britannica so I thought it fitting to cite them as a starting point when asking the question, what is the definition of the word "Hip Hop"? 

So let's start there: Encyclopedia Britannica (which itself was founded in Scotland - an entirely different country) gives us a general world view and is interesting to see how our culture is described.

As an outside source we ask how they outsiders define us, (or in fact, tell us) who we are...  

So as a starting point, let's ask the encyclopedia: what is Hip-Hop?

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

Hip Hop as defined by Encyclopedia Britannica

"hip-hop, cultural movement that attained widespread popularity in the 1980s and ’90s; also, the backing music for rap, the musical style incorporating rhythmic and/or rhyming speech that became the movement’s most lasting and influential art form."

                                                -Encyclopedia Britannica

Amazing in it's concise and authoritative summary, but we all know hip hop is so much more!  What's more disturbing however is that outsiders reall don't know how to define this movement - and yes, it matters.  Definitions tell us the value of a thing, and assign its place among others, as well as its basic attributes.  

Let's further analyze this definition.  At least from the perspective of Encyclopedia Britannica Hip Hop is the following:

• A Culture
• Is a "cultural" movement
• Attained widespread popularity in the 80's and 90's
• Is the music behind rap (making a distinction between rap and Hip Hop)
• Rap is a type of rhythmic/ rhyming speech 
• This speech has become the most lasting influential artform
• Hip Hop is influential
• Hip Hop is art

Websters Dictionary, another common source of popular agreement, defines Hip Hop as: