My teacher told us before we went on christmas vacation, that we should prepare a speech about a subject we liked or cared for.. So of course I picked out hiphop in an instant.. Its not some oral shit, its a written assignment were I write the speech. It has to be about 3-4 pages on computer, so its plenty of work. But hey, hiphop is a big subject.. Anyways, now that you got the info, lets get to it..

I just need you guys to help me out with what kindda shit I can write about. The Four elements (eventually use the KRS-ONE shitz with the "new and improved elements".) But is there anything else? Anything political? Im not a dummy (rip odb), so the level of difficulty isn't important.. Anyways, hit it.. please..


Much love and respect, Mr. ThirtEEnx.

The pioneers

The first influences

tiny Bios about famous artists

Explain what hip hop is to you, not guns and hoes like they see on tv ?

It'd be easier to focus on a single element, IMO. Plus it allows you to go into detail on that specific area, rather than briefly go over all four (or nine if you are including the Temple of Hiphop's complete list of elements).

As for graf, you can go from its beginnings in the 60s, to Taki 183's infamy, through the city of NY's ploy to clean up the city and how that affected NY graff, and to now where street art is making its way as most commonly airbrushed tee shirts. Also how the graff scene took other US cities, as well as Europe (Berlin Wall references would be golden.)


With music, you might want to look a little into its similarities and familiarities with Dancehall, funk, soul, and Disco (references to James Brown especially).

Kool Herc and his sound system.

Afrika Bambaata, and how he used Hiphop as an escape from the gangs and violence with the Zulu Nation.

DJ styles and techniques, as well as attention being pulled away from the DJ as the MC became to main event. (The development of mixing from Kool Herc's choppy mashing together of beats; Grandmaster Flash; etc...)

The rise of lyricism (Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee, "The Message")

Socially concious/narrative rap and the rise of black pride in rap, and how important that was within the black community with recession, crack, and police brutality becoming better known.

Also the rise of more hardcore rap, starting with Ice-T, then onto the Bridge Wars and Kool G Rap, to west coast gangsta rap, and that of NY around the late 80s and early 90s.

Somewhere during the last two, Stop The Violence needs to be mentioned.

The emergence of an underground scene as Hiphop music gained popularity, and the such.



You've probably got most of that covered anyway, and I know little of any of the other elements.

Thanks for some good tips and answers, I'll mos def check up on it.

Each of these points should be its own paragraph, pick an order that seems to flow when you read it

-The 4 Elements (one paragraph for each)
-The Origin (this should probably be near the start)
-The people that changed hip-hop forever (tupac, wu-tang maybe)
-The Hip Hop culture
-Hip Hop's effects on society (talk about guns and drugs etc, but then also talk about the good sides)

triple 6 hit it on the head...express why its u and how its connects 2 parts of u..try a couple meta4s in the paper

Each of these points should be its own paragraph, pick an order that seems to flow when you read it

-The 4 Elements (one paragraph for each)
-The Origin (this should probably be near the start)
-The people that changed hip-hop forever (tupac, wu-tang maybe)
-The Hip Hop culture
-Hip Hop's effects on society (talk about guns and drugs etc, but then also talk about the good sides)

That plus the orgin should include cool herc grand master flash Run Dmc etc etc The Furious Five And public enemy of course because there political

Talk about how it was the only medium getting across to innercity minorities and in reverse, could be used as an outlet for those minorities to voice their opinions about society and what not. Work the Chuck D quote somewhere in there. Y'know "the black CNN" quote.