I've always wondered about the etymology of some words.
Read:Etymology is the study of the history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time.
And one word that popped in my mind is the word "Hiphop". I'm not so much of a hiphop fan, especially here in the Philippines, wherein Hiphop culture is not as big as Rock Culture. But in the western part of the globe, hiphop culture is as dominant as rock. The culture is so popular that some movies, TV series are themed after it.
What really is the origin or the etymology of the term HipHop? Lets find out!
Quoted from Wikipedia:
The word "hip" was used as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) as early as 1898, meaning current or in the know, and "hop" refers to the hopping movement.
Keith "Cowboy" Wiggins, a rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five has been credited with coining the term hip hop in 1978 while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army, by scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers.[9] Cowboy later worked the "hip hop" cadence into a part of his stage performance.[10] The group frequently performed with disco artists who would refer to this new type of MC/DJ-produced music by calling them "those hip-hoppers". The name was originally meant as a sign of disrespect, but soon came to identify this new music and culture.
The opening of the song "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, in addition to the verse on Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's own "Superrappin'", were both released in 1979. Lovebug Starski, a Bronx DJ who put out a single called "The Positive Life" in 1981, and DJ Hollywood then began using the term when referring to this new disco rap music. Hip hop pioneer and South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa also credits Lovebug Starski as the first to use the term "Hip Hop," as it relates to the culture. Bambaataa, former leader of the Black Spades gang also did much to further popularize the term.
Rap music is the most common extension and reference of the culture. Hip Hop is a lifestyle comprising many elements. A good comparison is "Hippie." There is no music labeled HIPPIE, "Hippie life and taste is simply another lifestyle.
Keith "Cowboy" Wiggins, a rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five has been credited with coining the term hip hop in 1978 while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army, by scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers.[9] Cowboy later worked the "hip hop" cadence into a part of his stage performance.[10] The group frequently performed with disco artists who would refer to this new type of MC/DJ-produced music by calling them "those hip-hoppers". The name was originally meant as a sign of disrespect, but soon came to identify this new music and culture.
The opening of the song "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, in addition to the verse on Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's own "Superrappin'", were both released in 1979. Lovebug Starski, a Bronx DJ who put out a single called "The Positive Life" in 1981, and DJ Hollywood then began using the term when referring to this new disco rap music. Hip hop pioneer and South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa also credits Lovebug Starski as the first to use the term "Hip Hop," as it relates to the culture. Bambaataa, former leader of the Black Spades gang also did much to further popularize the term.
Rap music is the most common extension and reference of the culture. Hip Hop is a lifestyle comprising many elements. A good comparison is "Hippie." There is no music labeled HIPPIE, "Hippie life and taste is simply another lifestyle.
So that was it... hmm, here's my take on this. The hiphop word is pretty straightforward, Hip and Hop. Because it has a naturally danceable beat to it, most could say that their hips could hop as they dance to it, thus the term hiphop. It's pretty ironic that hiphop was first used by a "Cowboy", which is Keith "Cowboy" Wiggins. And all the while, I thought cowboys are more related to rock :) Cheers!
Source: Etymology of Hiphop
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