hip-hop

American  

[hip-hop] / ˈhɪpˌhɒp /

Or hip hop

noun

1. a popular culture movement originated by Black performers in New York City in the 1970s and characterized by rap music, break dancing, and graffiti art.

   The choreographer was a pioneer in introducing hip-hop to the national and international stage.

   Writing about hip-hop was really just an excuse to write about all these other aspects of Black culture.

2. rap music.

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adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of this movement.

   Unlike other big-name designers, he tapped into hip-hop street styles, which made him one of the wealthiest designers of the 1990s.

hip-hop British  

/ ˈhɪpˌhɒp /

noun

1. a US pop culture movement originating in the 1980s comprising rap music, graffiti, and break dancing

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hip-hop Cultural  

1. Another name for rap music.

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Discover More

The term hip-hop also refers to the speech, fashions, and personal style adopted by many youths, particularly in urban areas.

Etymology

Origin of hip-hop

First recorded in 1975–80; probably hip ⁴ ( def. ) + hop ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “act of hopping”

Explanation

Hip hop is both a genre of music that features rhythmic rhyming lyrics and an artistic subculture influenced by hip hop music. Since the late 1970s, hip hop culture has been known for elements that include rapping (or chanting lyrics), graffiti art, turntable DJing, and variations on breakdancing. The name hip hop originally referred to 1950s teen dance parties, and later to the South Bronx parties where rap and hip hop were born. As the Sugarhill Gang says in 1980s song "Rapper's Delight": "I said a hip hop / The hippie to the hippie / The hip hip a hop, and you don't stop."

Example Sentences

In the hip-hop ’90s, grillz were a way to show style and status with your smile.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Offset, whose birth name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, shares three children with estranged wife Cardi B. The rapper gained prominence as a member of the hip-hop trio Migos during the 2010s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

His 1982 hit Planet Rock, won him global recognition and is credited with shaping hip-hop in the 1980s.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Not many people had a Clipse comeback on their 2025 bingo card, but the hip-hop duo, composed of brothers Pusha-T and Malice, were back again like they never left.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

I feel it’s my duty to teach Arturo Cuban hip-hop.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya