Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that emerged from the crumbling South Bronx, New York, in the early 1970s. The area's residents, mostly African Americans and Puerto Ricans, gave rise to this uniquely American musical genre and culture that over the past four decades has transformed into a global phenomenon that has had an impact on the formation of youth culture around the world . The South Bronx was a whirlwind of political, social and economic upheaval in the years before the birth of hip-hop. In the early part of the 1970s, many African American and Hispanic communities desperately sought relief from the poverty, drug, and crime epidemics that engulfed gang-ridden neighborhoods. Hip-hop has proven successful both as a creative outlet for expressing life's struggles amid prevalent crime and violence, and as a fun and affordable form of entertainment. Hip-hop's longevity as a cultural movement can be attributed most directly to its humble roots. For multiple generations of young people, hip-hop has directly reflected the political, economic and social realities of their lives. Widely considered the "father" of hip-hop, Afrika Bambaataa named the cultural movement and defined its four fundamental elements, which consisted of disc jockeying, break dancing, graffiti art and rap. Since its founding, hip-hop has always been a cultural movement. Defined as much more than just a musical style, hip-hop influences the fashion, vernacular, philosophy, and aesthetic sensibility of much of the youth population (Homolka 2010). Despite having absolutely nothing to do with the four elements of hip -Hops as defined by Afrika Bambaataa, the most influential person in the crea...... middle of paper ......olka, Petr Bc., and Jeffrey Alan Vanderziel. “Black or White: Commercial Rap Music and Authenticity.” Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University, Department of English and American Studies. (2010): 7-21. Web.Jonnes, Jill. “The South Bronx Riot: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of an American City.” New York: Fordham University Press. (1986). Boskey, Sara. “Getting Down: Representations of Masculinity in Hip Hop Dance in Film.” Dance Research Journal. 33.2 (2001). 112-120.Price, Emmett III. “Hip Hop Culture”. Santa Barbara. (2006). Rhodes, Henry A. "The Evolution of Rap Music in the United States." Yale New Haven Teachers Institute. (2003) Samuels, David. “Rap about rap: black music that isn't even that.” The New Republic. (November 11, 1991). Simpson, Janice C., “Time.” "Hey! Rap gets on the map; Led by groups like Public Enemy.” (February 5, 1990).