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

Rap artist Rob Base, best known for the 1980s hip-hop classic It Takes Two, has died after a bout with cancer.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Rapper Rob Base, one-half of the hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, died on Friday after a battle with cancer.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

Now, at 24, the rapper has become one of the most compelling new voices in Indian hip-hop.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

The tiff between the two rap stars was one of the most talked about hip-hop events in recent memory, chock-full of the salacious, “he said what?!” drama of reality TV.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

We ride in silence apart from the nineties hip-hop mix he’s got playing, and I’m panicking a little—I hate surprises—but the smell of his cologne is definitely helping.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone