Tag Archives: African-American culture

14Aug/23

Hip-hop at 50: how the sights, sounds and moves of the music spread across the world

August 14, 2023MusicAdam de Paor-Evans, African-American culture, Afrika Bambaataa, Break, Chuck D, Cindy, Creative Commons, Disc jockey, Disco, DJ Kool Herc, DJ Mean Gene, Electronic dance music, Grandmaster Flash, GrandWizzard Theodore, HERC, Hip hop, Hip hop production, Kendrick Lamar, Kool Herc, Kurtis Blow, Louis Farrakhan, M.C. G.L.O.B.E., Malcolm McLaren, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Melle Mel, New York, New York City, Rapping, Sedgwick Avenue, Street dance, Sugarhill Gang, Tim III, Travis Scott, United States, Worms Aliadmin

Adam de Paor-Evans, University of Plymouth

On August 11 1973, DJ Kool Herc and his sister Cindy threw the now legendary Back To School jam in the recreation room of 1520 Sedgewick Avenue in The Bronx, New York.

Herc’s party represented a coming together of music and the start of something new. The Bronx crowd did not want the dancehall sounds Herc had begun to play. They wanted soul and the tough percussion of funk. So, Herc changed up the sound and used the main switch for the lights like a strobe-light to add atmosphere. Little did they know, that his event would be commonly accepted by the hip-hop fraternity worldwide as the starting point of what was to become one of the most important creative movements of the last century.

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01Aug/23

Hip Hop movies that made impact

August 1, 2023FilmsAfrican-American culture, African-American music, Beat Street, Breakdancing, Detroit, Eminem, Hip hop, Krush Groove, N.W.A, Rapping, Run-DMC, Spike Lee, Street danceadmin

Here are some of the hip hop movies that have had the most impact: Continue reading →

01Aug/23

Hip Hop is beyond Drake memes. It’s a phenomenon

August 1, 2023MusicAfrican-American culture, Cardi B, Cardi B. Cardi, Drake, Hip hop, Hip hop music, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, LGBT representations in hip hop music, Music of New York City, Musical improvisation, Political hip hop, Travis Scottadmin

July 31, 2023 /Entertainment/ — Hip hop has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the Bronx in the 1970s. It has evolved from a local street art form to a global phenomenon that encompasses all cultures and generations.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to hip hop’s rise to popularity. One of the most important factors was the release of the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979. This song was the first rap single to reach the top 40 of the Billboard charts, and it helped to introduce hip hop to a wider audience. Continue reading →

19Jun/23

What to know about the holiday Juneteenth

June 19, 2023SocialAfrican-American culture, American culture, Calendars, Emancipation day, Eventbrite, Galveston, Galveston, Texas, George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, JFest, Joe Biden, Juneteenth, Months, Public holidays in the United States, Slavery in the United States, United Statesadmin

June 19, 2023 /Social/ — Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the end of slavery in the country. The holiday falls on June 19, which is the date in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that the enslaved people in the state were free, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s, and it became a state holiday in Texas in 1980. In the decades since, every state but South Dakota has formally recognized Juneteenth as a state or ceremonial holiday. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Continue reading →

16May/23

We intend to cause havoc

May 16, 2023MusicAfrican-American culture, African-American music, Chrissy Tembo, Culture, Emmanuel Mulenga, Keith Mwale, Music, Music genres, Musical improvisation, Popular music, Sampa the Great, Witch, Zambia, Zambian music, Zamrockadmin

May 16, 2023 /Technology/ — Zamrock is a genre of rock music that emerged in Zambia in the early 1970s. It is characterized by its fusion of traditional African music with Western rock influences, such as psychedelic rock, funk, and heavy metal. The genre was heavily influenced by the political and social climate of Zambia at the time, which was experiencing a period of rapid modernization and economic growth. Zamrock bands often used their music to express their hopes and dreams for the future, as well as to address social and political issues. Continue reading →

01Dec/22

ROCK THE BELLS ANNOUNCES THE FIRST-EVER TIMELESS HIP-HOP CRUISE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SIXTHMAN

December 1, 2022MusicAfrican-American culture, Bahamas, Cruise ships, Culture, Fads, Hip hop, Hip-hop dance, Miami, Norwegian Pearl, Rock the Bells, The Bellsadmin

Rock The Bells, the global platform dedicated to elevating Hip-Hop culture from its roots to the modern day, announced today the “Rock The Bells Cruise: A Hip-Hop Experience” in partnership with Sixthman, the industry leader in immersive music and lifestyle festivals at sea. Setting sail from Miami to the Bahamas on November 13 – November 17, 2023, the cruise is the first of its kind, offering an all-inclusive four-day, four-night Hip-Hop experience aboard the Norwegian Pearl. Continue reading

01Oct/22

~Pourri is Flipping the Funk and Transforming the World of Odors, Through an Interactive Music and Dance-Inspired Campaign

October 1, 2022MusicAfrican-American culture, African-American music, Amsterdam, Culture, Electrophunck, Funk, Jason Burt, Joe Lewis, Music, Poo, Popular music, Pourri, Units of timeadmin

From funky to fresh! ~Pourri, From the Makers of Poo~Pourri, bring you an original song and series of dance videos, to introduce their continued expansion and transformative journey to tackle all kinds of funky odors – naturally. The five core videos present Flip That Funk™: an immersive digital experience into the world of ~Pourri, that is aimed to liberate you from life’s (potentially) funkiest moments! With the first two videos of the five-part series will launch ~Pourri’s most-anticipated product of all time, Pet~Pourri, followed shortly by Poo~Pourri. The series has been brought to life through the help of the award-winning Amsterdam-based dance troupe, the Ghetto Funk Collective, with original song Funk Check! Feat. RC & The Gritz and Black Joe Lewis, written and recorded in collaboration with Texas-based producers Matt Pence and Electrophunck (Jason Burt). Continue reading

05Aug/22

Beyoncé has helped usher in a renaissance for African artists

August 5, 2022MusicAfrican music, African popular music, African-American culture, African-American music, Afrobeats, Albums, Beyoncé, Beyoncé Black, Black Is King, Bob Marley, Brenda Fassie, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Creative Commons, Disco, Donna Summer, Drake, Funk, Ghana, Gloria Gaynor, James Chikomborero, James Chikomborero Paradza, Kenya, Lemonade, Music, Nigeria, Parkwood Entertainment, Pretoria, Pretoria Beyoncé, Run the World, South Africa, Tems, The Lion King, United States, University of Pretoria, Warsan Shire, Wizkidadmin

James Chikomborero Paradza, University of Pretoria

Beyoncé has released her seventh solo studio album, titled Renaissance (2022). The album, an event in global popular culture, is the first of a three-part project by the US artist. Her previous outing, the visual album Black is King (2020), collaborated with a host of African artists. Renaissance pays tribute to black dance music and again features African artists, including Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who is having a global moment of her own.

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Tag: African-American culture