- 09 Dec, 2025 *
- Hip-Hop was birthed during the second iteration of the Harlem renaissance, which took place in the Bronx.
- The Bronx renaissance is still happening.
- The second renaissance took over the world.
My argument is that, where some people would consider hip-hop(which they often use to refer to rap, which is a quadrant of hip-hop), a grand-child of the Harlem Renaissance, I believe when considered in the context of DJ’ing, B-boying, Graffiti, and Rap being individual yet inter-related cultural art forms, Hip-Hop proper should be considered as a movement that stands on it’s own.
Also because, time wise, it’s a generation or two removed, and the historical and social events occuring in the interim were largely formative of the environment from which Hip-Hop sprang…
- 09 Dec, 2025 *
- Hip-Hop was birthed during the second iteration of the Harlem renaissance, which took place in the Bronx.
- The Bronx renaissance is still happening.
- The second renaissance took over the world.
My argument is that, where some people would consider hip-hop(which they often use to refer to rap, which is a quadrant of hip-hop), a grand-child of the Harlem Renaissance, I believe when considered in the context of DJ’ing, B-boying, Graffiti, and Rap being individual yet inter-related cultural art forms, Hip-Hop proper should be considered as a movement that stands on it’s own.
Also because, time wise, it’s a generation or two removed, and the historical and social events occuring in the interim were largely formative of the environment from which Hip-Hop sprang, in that Hip-Hop was fundamentally formed by events prior that are not dependent upon the Harlem Renaissance, I.E the invention of the Roland-808, or the career of Clyde Stubblefield, who drummed out some of the most sampled breakbeats of all time, many of which were integral to the formation of the sound of Hip-Hop.
I would argue that due to the mass commercialization and exportation of Hip-Hop culture, to other countries, and cultures within America, first lead to a larger popularization of the quadrants of Hip-Hop. Think about the break-beats in games like Pro Skater, or animes like Samurai Champloo. Thus, it can be argued that these things that are prominent in the way they are today (say, Banksy?) are directly descended from hip hop, meaning it’s still on-going to this day (the renaissance).
Hip Hop culture runs the fucking globe. Presidents is pimps too, Obama brushed his shoulders off. He actually got a line in a Drake verse during the Meek Beef by choosing Kendrick. Trump invited Kanye to the whitehouse. Remember when Karl Rove was MC Rove? The fashion industry as a whole right now h a s to follow some rules of Hip-Hop, which are so ambiguous, that we just know whether some shit is "fire" or not. Oh, hip-hop has also changed language entirely. Black people make the cool new phrases. Urban dance is the most popular/only popular form of dancing anymore. It’s insane.
The change in the music industry and the way it affected hip hop may very well be the grounds for what can be considered a third Hip-Hop renaissance. What’s even more insane, is that this one didn’t take place in any specific locale, but on the fucking internet.