Misconceptions
The industry has told a lot of stories about Hip Hop to sell its products. Here are seven of the most common ones, set straight.
On this page
Hip Hop is not Rap
Hip Hop is the culture. Rap is the music.
“Hip Hop music” is not the softer variant of Rap
There is no such thing as “Hip Hop music”. You may call it R'n'B or Pop.
Rap is not the same as MCing
MCing is the creative expression with lyrics. It's about entertaining and moving the crowd, about skillful and creative lyrics. Not every song that has rap parts in it is a result of Hip Hop culture. Don't believe the hype! Hit pop is not Hip Hop!
It's not about clothes, it's about skills
The industry made up this “dress code” to make money. In the early days of the culture, clothes had their relevance and use: sneakers and track suits for dancers (Adidas and Puma were the cheapest brands), hooded sweaters for writers (so they weren't that visible in the dark)… It was also about being creative with your clothes and having style.
Hip Hop is not hanging around and consuming
The Hip Hop lifestyle is not hanging around, smoking blunts, being passive and just consuming. Living Hip Hop is about being active and improving your skills in one or more elements every day, to inspire others, keep the culture alive and bring it to the next level.
Hip Hop is not violent, bad or negative
Hip Hop was made to fight against the violence of the gangs: war with creativity, not with weapons. Turn the negativity into positivity! Read more about the roots of the culture.
Hip Hop is not only lived in the ghettos of the USA
Although it originated in New York City, Hip Hop is lived all over the world today. It's not where you're from, it's where you're at!
Hip Hop is not about living a gangster life in a ghetto. (But Hip Hop can take you out of such a situation, because it gives you many possibilities and new aims for your life.) Hip Hop is about learning about the culture, helping to develop it, and giving something back by inspiring others and spreading the true word.
The conditions are different in every country, but the situation is mostly the same: people want to be seen and heard, want to break out of everyday life and want to belong to a community. So it's no surprise that many of the people drawn to Hip Hop belong to minorities in their countries. But not only them!
Hip Hop doesn't have any borders: not linguistic, not geographical, not religious, not social. That's what makes this culture so unique.