History of Graffiti

Graffiti did not give birth to hiphop, nor did hiphop give birth to graffiti. Graffiti was a part of hiphop just as hiphop is a part of graffiti. For instance, hiphop can be broken down into four categories: The dancer/breaker (breakdancer), the MC (emcee), the DJ (disc jockey), and the writer (graffiti artist or poet). Each is a critical element of. Hiphop is neither complete nor broken without with regard to each factor.

The Breaker is not just a dancer, but an artist. The breaker is also known as a b-boy. Just as an artist has a style, each breaker is to develop his own style (although each breaker's fundamentals are often similar). For instance, the footwork generall begins with the six step -- a common starting point for more complex floorwork. There are many different parts of breakdancing itself. The "uprock" is a dance that is done before the breaker does "floorwork"; the "uprock" is done standing. It is used to gain momentum and "catch" rhythm. "Floorwork" is essentially all that is done on the ground while breakdancing. It includes "footwork" as well as "freezes". "Freezes" are poses that breakdancers hit and hold on beat, contrasting with the fast movements. There are many other parts of breakdancing that can be discussed such as powermoves; however, individual style ultimately becomes most important. It is also important to note that breakdancing is not the only type of hiphop dancing. There is also popping, locking, etc., which often go hand in hand with the breakdancing descrived above.

The MC(emcee) is the master of ceremonies. The emcee's role is to win the appeal of the crowd. The emcee does this through freestyle battles against other emcees. This is done when the DJ (disc jockey) (which will later be explained) plays instrumental beats. An emcee battle therein continues and each emcee is tradtionally given an alloted amount of time to prove that he is better than the other emcee by often verbally slandering the other emcee or promoting oneself. The winner of the battle is determined by crowd appeal.

The Disc Jockey (DJ) is the beat keeper. The disc jockey is a musical artist. Each DJ has a pallete of music with which he must paint a beat that will capture the crowd. His arsenal consists of vinyl records and he must use them to mix a seemless musical masterpiece. The DJ has control over the speed, the type, and the overall feel of the beat.