Glossary
A
- Aerosol art (Also known as graffiti or Writing)
- A letter based aerosol can artform. One of the four elements encompassed under the hip hop culture
B
- Battle
- A competition, using any on of the four elements of hip hop. Can be individual or groups (crews)
- B-boy
- From Break Boy; a male dancer of the dance form of B-boying/B-girling (formerly known as breakdancing).
- Beatboxing
- Vocal percussion; used to provide the rhythm for MCs to rap over.
- B-girl
- From Break Girl; a female dancer of the dance form of B-boying/B-girling (formerly known as breakdancer).
- Bling Bling
- Jewelry that shines on sight, derived from the sound it makes.
- B-boying/B-girling/Breaking (incorrectly media termed as breakdancing)
- A unique form of acrobatic, energeticand street orientated dance, which is considered one of the four elements of Hip Hop.
C
- Collective identity
- This has been described as ‘an individual’s cognitive [knowledge], moral, and emotional connection to a broader community… a shared status or relation… distinct from personal identities, although it may form part of a personal identity.’1
- Colonisation
- Colonisation is the process of establishing a colony in a new country; of replacing the original culture with that of the colonisers. It is, in effect, a take-over of culture and values - and, more often than not, involves suppression of the indigenous community in order to achieve the colonists' goals.
- Commercialisation
- The process of transforming something into a commercial enterprise.
- Consumerism
- Equating personal happiness with the purchase and consumption of material possessions.
- Corporations
- A legal entity, with the rights of a natural person, but set up for commercial purposes.
- Crew
- A loose coalition of like minded individuals; a street slang. For eg: gang/friends/drinking buddies.
- Crib
- Place of residence/or home.
- Cultural rebirth
- When a culture goes through some sort of transformation or period of increased appreciation.
D
- Disenfranchised
- deprived of the rights of citizenship especially the right to vote.2
- DJ
- Someone who selects and plays pre-recorded music. DJing is one of the four elements of Hip Hop culture. Also known as Turntablism
E
- Element of Hip Hop
- A component which contributes to what is referred to as Hip Hop culture; Bboying/girling (also know as breakdancing), DJing, graffiti and MCing.
- Emcee (MC)
- The term used to refer to a rapper. Originally an abbreviation of Master of Ceremonies. It is sometimes placed at the beginner of a rapper's name.
G
- Gangsta
- Someone who has a gang-related lifestyle or is part of a street gang. This spelling doesn't refer to the original member of organised crime.It represnets a style of Hip Hop that some say represents the realities of street life in poorer neighbourhoods.
- Gangsta rap
- The rap style of people associated with a gang-related lifestyle.
- Ghetto
- Often used to refer to poverty-striken urban areas. Inhabitants are typically from a specific ethnicity, culture or religion. Throughout history ghetto's have been purposefully designed and built to segregate undesirable groups from the desirables.
- Globalisation
- A term use to describe the changes in the world on any level, which have come about from the increase in trade and cultural exchange.
- Graffiti/Graff artist/Aerosol artists/Writers
- Deliberate planned letter orientated markings on property. Graffiti artists are classified based on their style and sometimes even on what surface they use. Not gender specific. See Aerosol Art, Write or Writing.
- Griot
- A person of the Mande peoples in West Africa. They are a combination of historian, musician and story teller. They incorporate elements of poetry, rhythm and proverbs to teach their community about aspects their history and culture.
H
- Hater
- Somebody who doesn't like you or what you do, therefore they are hating instead of loving.
- Ho
- Slang from the word whore, not gender specific.
- Hoha
- A Māori word for angry.
- Homie
- Slang for friend or Mate. Also homeboy and homegirl.
- Hood
- Slang for neighbourhood.
- Hot97
- A radio station in the U.S.A.
- Hustla
- In Hip Hop culture is someone who has is strictly business minded and is always wheeling and dealing.
I
- Indigenous (People)
- The first inhabitants of a piece of land. For example, Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand and Aborigines in Australia.
J
- Jam session
- A get together of like minded artists but not as a public performance. A jam can occur in all art forms in hip hop culture
K
L
- Locking
- Locking or Campbellocking is a dance art form with the improvisational steps called the locks. The body moves out of control then back into control locking into position, collapsing then locking back. (see Lockin)
M
- Mainstream
- Something that is familiar to the masses.
- Mass culture
- The predominant culture in modern society. The content of popular culture is determined in large part by industries that disseminate cultural material.3
- MC (Emcee)
- Originally an abbreviation of Master of Ceremonies. It is considered another name for a rapper and is sometimes placed at the beginner of a rapper's name. Also described as, short for "Mic Controller".
- Mihi
- A formal Māori introduction, that acknowledges tribal affiliations, family, geneology and connection to land.
- Misogynist
- One who hates women
- Multinational (corporation)
- A corporation that is spread across multiple nations. They are often very large and can be considered to have power over global politics.
N
O
- Old school
- Refers to the original pioneers of Hip Hop, their styles and messages.
P
- Pakeha
- A person of predominately European descent.
- Political act
- An action that is considered to have political effect, no matter to what degree.
- Politicisation
- Making something political.
- Popping
- A form of breakdancing which developed independently in California during the 1970s and 1980s. (see popping)
- Propaganda
- A message aimed at influencing people's thoughts.
Q
R
- Represent
- To show, believe, express & promoted oneself and all that surrounds you. Often connected with family, neighbourhood and values.
- Role model
- Something or someone who shows others a particular way of behaving, which can be copied or learnt.
S
- Sacred
- Something connected with divinity.
- Sample
- A sound played back from a digital sampler device and can also be used by beat boxers
- Shout outs
- Paying and giving respect to others .
- Sovereignty
- Right to authority over a geographical area or people.
- Summit
- A meeting of people, an informal sounding conference.
T
- Tangata whenua
- The original inhabitants of Aotearoa (NZ). The indigenous Māori population.
- Tino rangatiratanga
- Absolute chieftanship or self-determination.
U
- Up-rocking
- A gang related dance formed in the late 60's from Brooklyn, New York. It is a display of two rockers who showed their dance steps to the infamous drum beats As the dance mellows down the pace would pick-up in the event that the dis moves would come, this form of Uprock was called "Burning" (see Uprock). This danceform was a early influence for B-boying/B-girling
- Uso
- A Samoan equivalent of 'homie/friend/mate/brotha or sista.
V
W
- Whakapapa
- Māori genealogy; an integral part of Māori culture.
- Write
- Another term for graffiti. For example "I write"
- Writer
- Another term for graffiti artist/Aerosol artist. Male or female.
X
Y
Z
Sources used in the creation of this glossary:
