Identifications in Hip Hop Culture - Essay Example

Identifications in Hip Hop Culture1. BeurThis is a term that was first used in the 1970s in Paris that refers to the children from immigrant parents who came from Algeria and Tunisia. These children had been born and raised in France and by this virtue had become citizens of France. This is a term that has gained a large amount of importance in French hip-hop since it creates the chance for numerous distinct cultures to come together and by extension influence the culture of hip hop (McCarren 39). 2. BanlieueThis term refers to large suburbs that are found in a major French city which are not always traditionally considered as part of the city.

It was in the years between 1980 and 1990 that the culture of youth living in the Banlieue gained importance in the country. For hip hop culture, the Banlieues are critical since they form the core of hip hop giving birth to break dancing and rap and subsequently building the culture and artists. One of the most distinct aspects of the banlieues is the lack of ethnicity with individuals from different races and ethnicities coming together to rap and create music(McCarren 42). 3. Bernard Zekri and Jean KarakosBernard Zekri and Jean Karakos had a significant impact on the history of American rap in the 1980s.

In 1980, Zekri made the decision to leave France and move to New York where he worked in a restaurant with French owners. In this year, Karakos who had headed a small label in France referred to as Celluloid also moved to New York and met Zekri. The two had a significant impact on the American hip hop culture which had long term implications including bringing American hip hop to countries overseas and changing the manner in which rap music was recorded(McCarren 45). 4. KafigThe power that characterizes French hip hop dancing can be traced back to the careers of individuals and the fact that developments in the styles of dancing occurred in regions that applied their own preferences.

Kafig is a genre that comes from the regions of Lyons as well as Paris and is considered as the birthplace of hip hop dancing. Kafig is a dance that is specialized, characterized by numerous complex movements. The artists who engage in this type of dance display a large amount of emotion as well as power in their movements. This style of dance impacts on hip hop culture through the fact that it aims at cultivating awareness of how movement can bring out a certain message or create a different depiction of the world(McCarren 65). 5. Siya Poossi XThe name Siya Possi X is derived from both the English term referring to posse and the phrase siya possi which means in simple terms people who are to be killed.

It is a reference to the fate that Africa has been subjected to over the years. The type of rapping that X does is characterized by a significant amount of detail and imagery which is aimed at ensuring that the songs appear realistic to the audience and therefore impact them more(McCarren 75). Works CitedMcCarren, Felicia. French Moves: The Cultural Politics of Le Hip Hop. (New York: OUP USA, 2013).