Hip hop is not only a kind of music but this has become a culture and a way of life. A culture, that has given space to the youth and to their identity. This culture was characterized by graffiti art, rap music and break dancing. This is a language which speaks for the youth; it is a set of values which enable the youth to be ‘just’. This culture always believed in making something out of nothing and conquers the whole world with its ideologies. Many youngsters are opting for the hip hop culture and jewellery.

Hip hop clothing apart from a form of clothing is the clothing which represents the set of values and the attitude which promotes the individualism. Hip hop clothing is adopted by the youngsters as a casual wear and to promote their ideas and voice their opinions. Urban clothing represents the ideologies of hip hop culture about pain, love, hard times, racism, expressions, art and overcoming the adversities. Urban clothing has always talked about the human expressions and always believed to talk about the human needs. When it comes to the expression of love and pain, street clothing is the way above than any other clothing. Street clothing is loved by the youngsters and preferred the most as the casual wear.

Hip hop clothing is always loved by the youngsters and the attitude which is thrown by these clothing is always welcomed by the youth. Hip hop culture has supported the thoughts which inspired the society to be one and united and be above all the discrimination. This culture has turned the minds towards new ideologies and inspired the youth to be fair and fear less. The same is expressed in the street clothing which breaks the traditional boundaries of the dressing style. Big fashion brands also could not escape from the growing impact of the hip hop culture. Big fashion houses also capitalized on this dressing style to make big profits. And realised the importance of the street trends among the youth and flooded the market with the hip hop and urban clothing.



By: alok

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Every music lover has a handful of albums that fall into the “must-have” category. Hardcore rap fans may name classics such as N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton, while those who prefer the lyrical wizardry of hip hop might say It Was Written by Nas. For those who enjoy artists that burst the conventional bubble and recapture the old school sounds Rhythm and Blues, these are neo soul albums you can’t be without.

Floetic

Floetry is comprised of Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart, aka the Songstress and Floacist. This dynamic duo made their debut in 2002 with Floetic, a soulful album that offered a melodic blend of jazz, hip hop and poetry. Floetic is so intimate that you may consider it better suited for after-dark relaxation. From “Big Ben” to “Now You’re Gone,” this one is a keeper that will sizzle in CD players for years to come.

Acoustic Soul

Hence the name, India.Arie’s Acoustic Soul boasts moving soul music with a commanding acoustic touch. Apart from her mesmerizing voice, Arie also plays the guitar and drums – no synthesizers or machines, just instrumental magic in its purest form. Of the 16 tracks, “Video,” was her first single and among the most impressive, never grew stale from commercial appeal. “Simple” is another popular favorite, a catchy tune with a thumping beat distinctive of most love songs. Acoustic Soul is solid throughout and perhaps the best of India’s three albums.

Ain’t Nobody Worryin’

Thick, mellifluous and flat out soulful, Ain’t No Body Worryin’ is reminiscent of early ’70s soul with modern pizzazz sprinkled throughout. Anthony Hamilton captured an audience of listeners with his smashing debut, Anthony’s album had to be soulful since he used to sing background for one of the kings of neo soul, D’Angelo. He has therefor cemented himself as one of the godfathers of nu soul. Hamilton’s voice is majestic and powerful, to the point where every single word resonates within. You can’t call yourself a neo soul fanatic without this riveting new classic in your collection.

Voodoo

Following the successful debut of Brown Sugar, D’Angelo proved that he was far from a one-album wonder with the release of Voodoo. A perfection of retro soul, this cutting edge masterpiece not only dramatically compares to old school Marvin Gaye, but also the bone chilling experimental sounds of Jimi Hendrix’s Axis: Bold as Love and Electric Ladyland. Voodoo has that finger-snapping, head bopping command with blasts of anger, love songs and eye-opening reality this flavorful genre is so known for. Anyone familiar with D’Angelo’s sophomore album will agree that it was well worth the wait.



By: Prince Damons

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Hip hop music was huge in the United States just a few years ago. At one point in 2000, sales even hit a record high of over 1.8 billion USD. That was when Hip Hop R&B had over taken all other genres of music in terms of record sales. To find out why Hip Hop music sales are slumping currently, one has to rewind a little and understand how Hip Hop all started out.

Before Hip Hop got accepted into the mainstream, many Hip Hop artists pretty much stayed underground to practise their art form. No one knew Hip Hop was going to become the titan that it would develop into. When Hip Hop first began, it started out in the streets. It was a movement by people who were disadvantaged, or were ostracized by the community – they were looking for a way to express themselves and their plight. And express themselves they did.

Hip Hop music is spontaneous and witty. For example, when a battle takes place between two artists, the lyrics are never pre-written. Each competitor will be given the opportunity to rap for a certain period of time. The audience is the judge. The culture of rap is that the judging audience is never biased making it a truly democratic art form. Whoever comes up with the most original and creative lyrics will win the battle. Of course, there is an element of like and dislike. So the lyrics have to connect with the audiences as well. The final results of the battle is based on the cheers of the audience. Whoever receive the loudest cheer, wins the battle.

As you can see, Hip Hop arises out of a need for talented artists to be heard. And the artists became really good from years of practising. As they practise, the world remains largely unaware of what is happening. It wasn’t until the artists become more entrepreneurial that Hip Hop starts to take off.

Unlike other type of music, the Hip Hop community accepts was far reaching in content and profanity in the lyrics. The market finds it refreshing to hear such profanity in the records. And soon, Hip Hop music took off like a bullet with as much variety in tone as there were people. From the angry rebellious rap, to the happy its a party time songs.

The market soaked it all in mainly because they believed that the artists were just doing their thing – they were voicing repressed feelings, from lack of opportunity or showing you how to enjoy yourself and life. So record sales continued to soar. Recording artists like Eminem, 50 Cent Lil Wayne, Jay Z, T.I and Gucci Mane all did very well in the industry.

Unfortunately, the success of the Hip Hop industry has hit a turning point. In a few short years, sales for Hip Hop music begin to decline, and it continued to decline year after year. Some recording labels, once worth millions of dollars, are now near bankruptcy.

It is clear that the market has taken the time to learn about Hip Hop music and culture and have fully embraced it. After earning billions of dollars in the industry, and being widely accepted in the mainstream, what is the source of the decline in sales?

Many will argue, its all due to the Internet. The new Internet age has brought about many new opportunities along with many new threats to the old industries. Now its easier then ever to commit piracy and unfortunately the record industry has been resistant to change. Too stuck in the old mind frame and old distribution channels to fully embrace what the Internet could really mean for them.

Hip Hop artists are now being heard all over the world. There is no longer the element of distribution channels or lag from the artist to the market. Why? Because the Internet makes it instantaneous. As such old walls have been broken down where people had to wait for months or search relentlessly to be able to acquire all of an artists past works.

As such artists must continue to evolve in order to continue thriving. Perhaps it’s still back to basics. No more focusing on big marketing budgets and record label driving initiatives. Maybe what the Internet has done is take Hip Hop out of the corporate boardrooms and back to the streets where all that counts is just great rap music lyrics from the heart.



By: Gen Wright

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Some people use music to set the mood at work. They will typically have a portable music player application installed on their computer and might have taken the time to download several albums for use throughout the day. Some people might prefer to listen to music that calms the nerves when they are rushed and trying to meet a deadline.

Music will set the mood to a calmer note which will allow the person to think more clearly and get all of the necessary tasks done on time or ahead of schedule. Some people think that this sort of music sets a certain pace, and is viewed by many in the office as an operational beat that certainly helps when production is lagging and people are tense and have the tendency to become terse and irritable with each other.

While not all people in an office environment will be soothed by someone who has classical music playing at their desk, they will certainly appreciate the sounds of the percussion instruments and flutes that float through the air. Some people relax enough to realize the benefits of jazz in the workplace and will find that they are keeping up with the beat by an indiscrete beat of their toe on the carpet under their desk, out of view of everyone else in the office.

Some people believe that jazz has a definite effect on how well people feel when they are on a date. Jazz is very invigorating to some people and some feel that it sets a lighthearted feeling into the air that removes feelings of doubt and allows people to relax around each other. Jazz music is a classical style of music with flair and style that is unique and pleasurable.

Some people who date quite a bit will think that jazz music serves to charm a date and give them a sense of style and elegance that eventually makes them feel very beautiful. When people feel beautiful by the musical effects in the background, then they are more prone to accepting other forms of affection or terms of endearment. Some people are so affected by music that is played on dates that these couples will adopt a certain song as one that represents their relationship.

Some men romance their dates by playing love ballads throughout the evening. Soul music has been found to be very helpful in setting the mood for a dinner-for-two at home. Many marriages have been enriched by the music that surrounds their lives. Any type of music that allows couples to pair up for a good slow dance is bound to have excellent results by the end of the evening.



By: Jim Brown

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Graffiti is as old as human communication. Having its traces in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, graffiti is a form of art, drawings or words, which are marked on public surfaces.

In the United States, graffiti is primarily associated with the explosion of urban gangs in the late 1960’s and 1970’s in South Bronx, Washington Heights and other impoverished neighborhoods of New York City. Starting with the major urbanization of many areas in the post-war period of the 20th century, urban gangs of young teenagers produced graffiti murals and covered the city with self-invented stylized signatures of names, known as tags, to mark their territory. Although this was not a new practice to the city, graffiti gained extensive consideration viewed as a way to challenge the system and express social manifestation.

Near the end of the 20th century, non-gang related graffiti was practiced for the sake of personal promotion and increased reputation. In some cases, artists performed extremely elaborate murals only to pay their respects to a deceased person. Such graffiti occurred after the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. In this context, for the first time, hip hop graffiti and gang graffiti were differentiated, at least in the minds of those who could spot the differences.

Hip hop graffiti is a means of self-expression and creativity rather than a way of gang demonstration. In the mid-1970s new music and dance forms emerged in Bronx and Brooklyn as a result of experimentation of black youth with new sounds, and neighborhood block parties. With the emergence of DJ’ing and breakdancing, graffiti pieces involved highly stylish letter-forms drawn with markers, or puzzling, multi-colorful spray paint murals on walls, buildings, and subways. Most of the DJs, MCs and break-dancers were also graffiti artists with distinctive and recognizable designs. They were friends, they shared similar graffiti methods and they were reshaping old practices to new, innovative and exciting forms. Together these music, language, graffiti and clothing embraced a new cultural fact, a new massive reality, ultimately a rich mix of creative practices that became known as hip hop. Eventually, many of these self-educated graffiti artists became well-known graphic designers working for Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC, Buddy Esquire, Spike Lee, Dapper Dan, designing album covers, sportswear, stage backdrops and great logos.

Hip hop graffiti is not vandalism as many people wrongly believe. Another element that differentiates graffiti artists from gang graffiti is that hip hop graffiti is constantly improved with new additions in its techniques. In contrast, the function of gang graffiti is mostly related to marking territorial boundaries and, therefore does not require, neither presupposes artistic intent. Those who differentiate between tagging and graffiti generally view tagging as gang-directed or vandalism-oriented with vulgar meaning and extremely controversial to encompass public value. In contrast, they consider hip hop graffiti as creative expression, even when it bears elements of political controversy.



By: Christina Pomoni

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Hip hop is a cultural movement which originated from New York in the 1970s. Rapping, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti art are considered the main components of hip hop culture. Hip-hop music style consists of a rhytmic style of speaking (rap) over backing beats which are played by a DJ. Although rap is often confused with hip hop, it is not quite the same thing. Rapping is a vocal style which implies a performer speaking rhythmically to a beat and it is usually a component of hip-hop. Hip hop music was inspired from funk or disco songs, from which it borrowed the beats. Since 1979, it has entered the American mainstream and became a popular genre. In 1990s, a form called “gangsta rap” evolved. Today, hip-hop is in vogue not only in the USA, but also in the entire world.

The rise of hip hop was not arbitrary. It happened in the 1970s, when people were tired of dance and rock and needed a change. But that was not the only reason. There were also some social and political causes. Hip-hop’s popularity grew in the same time with the power of black and Latino gangs. Hip hop became a protest against middle-class white community from the poor black community living in “ghettos”. The lyrics spoke about the reality in ghettos which wasn’t exactly peachy. Consequently, hip-hopers used their music to express their feelings and frustrations. Of course, what begun as a poor class’s protest transformed into a million dollars industry, but that is another story.

Today, hip hop is listened to not only by Afro Americans, but also by white people. In fact, many successful hip hopers are white, an example being the notorious rapper Eminem. Hip-hop fans have their own way of dressing (with large clothes usually, baggie pants, bandanas, tattoos, sportswear and gold or platinum chains) and speaking. Consequently, we can say that hip-hop is more than just music and has turned into a life style for many. However, given the popularity of rap music, there are very many artists and the competition between them is fierce. The question is how can a young artist, at the beginning of his career, become popular and make himself a name? How can he obtain the attention of a producer who can help him to get into show business? The first step would be to record a hip hop mixtape and send it to several important music studios. The problem is that these studios receive thousands of records everyday. Many young artists, charmed by the mirage of easy success and fame, knock at the doors of music studios with a hip hop mixtape in their hands.

What every aspiring hip hoper must know is that there are web sites where you can post your songs in order for thousands of interested listeners to hear them. If you are lucky, you will receive an offer from one of the music studios and get to record your first album. The most important thing is to believe in your talent and not to give up easily. Send your hip hop mixtape to all the producers that you have heard of. Even if you don’t get any feedback at first, don’t lose hope. If you are talented, your hip hop mixtape will eventually be listened to by someone who realizes your potential. The road to success is not as easy as it may seem; it requires hard work, talent and maybe a bit of good luck, but in the end it will be all worth it.



By: Ken Wilson

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There is nothing more uplifting that can make your heart soar and touch your soul, than music. Now days music can be transformed to greater heights with the use of high-tech, well-equipped and hip recording studio.

In fact, what once seemed like a pipe dream is now a possibility and you can actually set up your own recording studio within the comfort of your home.

With technology moving at such an amazing pace, you really are spoiled for choice and the sky is the limit. However, you need to have some understanding of what it takes to make a great recording and the equipment you would require to set up that dream home recording studio.

Undoubtedly, having a computer with a fast CPU and a powerful soundcard would be a good start, followed by the appropriate software, to get the sound impact that you want. Additionally, a basic set of headphones and a good quality microphone is just as essential, as it has a lot to do with how your recording will finally sound.

Every soundcard or external audio interface has different features in a range of prices, so it would be a wise choice to shop around before you settle for the right one.

What you would basically need for a home recording studio is keyboards, synthesizers, adapters, 2 or more sets of speakers, computer monitors, mikes and lighting equipment. In order to have perfect harmony, you should have your music keyboard and computer keyboard near each other. Another good idea would be to include a bass trap and sound absorber as this would help to disperse the uneven bass frequencies.

When it comes to buying equipment it can be an expensive affair. However, while second hand equipment can be quite functional, you need to take extra care before making a purchase.

Some music shops and even individuals sell off second hand items quite cheaply, but ensure that you can return it, if it doesn’t work as expected.

The bottom line is that things with moving parts tend to be less reliable in comparison to equipment like computers. Additionally, any equipment, even a computer, which is more than seven years old, cannot be considered reliable.

However, should you still consider purchasing such equipment for your home recording studio, check for signs that the machine has been cleaned, by paying close attention to the nooks and corners that would be really hard to clean. If you notice that some switches and knobs are a bit loose or show other signs of wear, you need to be cautious. Furthermore, check out the user manual, the condition of which will tell you just how used the product probably is.

Now that you have all the equipment set up, it is time to work on recording your music. One popular way to compose and record your own music on your computer is to use PC music software programs. However, just having the gear is not enough and what is most important is to have a musical understanding to write music and how to use the equipment and software that you have. While the thought of making high quality music recordings may seem overwhelming for a beginner, all it takes is some musical talent and cash of course, to get you started.

Therefore, even if you are not skilled at playing a musical instrument, you can still get good practice by trying different things, experimenting, mimicking, tweaking and mixing. You will soon come to realize that making music is a craft and the studio is its workbench. Slowly, with knowledge and experience your recording studio will equip you to play the role of musician, audio engineer and producer. Additionally, if you have modern software packages or hardware digital multi-track, you too could be on your way to creating some fantastic sounds.

For those music lovers, for whom music is more than a hobby, a passion that inspires you to set up your own home recording studio, it can now be a reality. All it takes is talent and the will to succeed. When you increase your ‘know-how’ through trial and error and the cash flow to purchase the necessary equipment you can then work on letting your creativity flow to produce the kind of music that you can proudly call your own.



By: Kevin Sinclair

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Music is often the rhythm of life. It has the power to invoke our emotions so that we experience the pain of heart break or the passion of living. It can rev us up or calm our soul. Music just plain helps us to experience life. Wouldn’t it be nice to see what you hear? Wouldn’t it be nice to see your favorite artist decorating the wall of your home? Capture the essence of your favorite music in a visual experience using a few of the ideas here.

Print the words of your favorite song on special parchment paper. Add this along with a black and white photo of the artist who sang the song. Set these items against a blue felt background for a calming effect or a red felt background for a more passionate one. For some of us, a nostalgic touch can be added by simply noting the date of the song when it came out. This idea would look especially nice in a glass or ceramic frame with matching colored trim (matching to the felt background). Or what about combining the lyrics with several photos that evoke the ambiance in a collage frame?

Like show tunes? Combine an element of the song with a movie trailer poster for a powerful expression. For example, the spirit of the song “The Eye of the Tiger” can be shown using a Rocky movie trailer poster along with some boxing gloves. Frame these items in shadow box in a bold color like red or black. The striking accent of the frame will reinforce the power of the fighting spirit in the song.

Have you attended a concert lately? Don’t be so quick to trash your concert ticket stubs. Use them as part of this tribute to your favorite artist. If you’re really aggressive, obtain an autograph of this artist to add to this frame concept. Combine these items with a photograph of the band or artist in a gold picture frame. Gold is a bold color often denoting significance or value.

If you’re an artist yourself, consider framing a photograph of your favorite musical instrument in a picture frame. For example, a guitar photo framed with a pick that you use along with the titles of a few of the songs you sang are great items to frame. Set these items against a colored felt back ground and set it in a black picture frame with gold trim. Simply original!

If your favorite music has no lyrics, such as orchestra or some techno music, consider finding a painting or print that depicts the mood that your musical choice creates. For example, maybe the piece has a majestic feel to it. Consider selecting a view of the mountains to display the emotions of the song. Maybe the song has a light, whimsical feel to it. Consider a picture of a lone flower bending in the wind. Add the title or composer to enhance the effect.

There are so many ways to visualize the emotions that music brings out in us. Get creative in the way you display them. Any of the ideas above can be mixed and matched to create just the right mood for your needs. Visually experiencing music can be a fun and decorative concept for your home.



By: Kathy Page

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Trend of wearing Jewellery is one of the most volatile trends in fashion streets. Recently Hip Hop Jewellery items gained momentum worldwide due to its attractive design, unique looks and low prices. Elder women, office going and even college going girls are mad these days because of the fever of this hip-hop jewellery.

When we look at the place of origin for new jewellery fashion trends we observe that film stars, models, and celebrities are the most important cause. The large fan following behind celebrities always want to look like them, they are not only eager to follow hair styles, and clothing but also their jewellery and personal gadgets. But it’s not possible for every fashion carving people, due to their different income range and economic status.

However, to solve this problem of common man, jewellery designer and manufacturers come up with option of hip hop jewellery. These jewellery products are generally made of low cost metal with several replica stones set on a single item. People who are mad behind fashion and show off are going with such kind of jewellery that results a boom in hip-hop jewellery market segment.

Quality conscious people or real jewellery lovers are still with original hallmarked jewellery items instead of hip-hop jewellery which are a favorite of fashion mad people. There is a very simple reason behind this. Most of the jewellery sales are dependent on either wedding and other celebration or special festivals or occasions throughout the year, when people buy jewellery for them of their loved ones. On such occasions people never go behind hip-hop jewellery because of the importance of situation as well as the sentiments which are being carried out with their jewellery products. For example, a couple who is getting engaged will never think of a replica engagement ring for the occasion, or a wife looking for an exclusive gift for her husband to present on their anniversary will never think of buying a hip hop style studded watch.

Therefore, the temporary fashion enthusiasm or blindness for hip hop jewellery cannot compete with original jewellery products. Although we cannot ignore the utility of hip-hop jewellery products for daily use, so the demand for such products will be there always. So, we can conclude that both the segments of jewellery products are different, their utility, and customers are different.

After all, “A Diamond is forever” and nothing can challenge the glow and beauty of diamond and diamond jewellery. It’ll be glowing like always, and day by day its glitter will attract more and more people.

Rivazge.com is an U.K. based Diamond jewellery manufacturer, engaged in production of high quality diamond jewellery. Diamond jewellery manufactured by Rivazge contains 100% certified diamonds. To know more about our products, visit: http://www.rivazge.com



By: Aadil Bandukwala

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Golden songs of 80’s and 90’s rejuvenate our cells & soul

Music is a magical word that automatically generates a feeling of high awe in us. And when the context is of golden melodies of 80’s and 90’s, people really can’t help themselves to listen it. It is a not a serendipitous gift from God, instead it’s a true form of hyper meditation for God. It takes us towards the purity of emotions and inner random feelings. Golden old melodious songs drag us to the unending streak of happiness and euphoria.

Old Hindi songs from various classic movies of 70’s to 90’s are still loved by almost everyone; all of us have their own favorites also. There are usually times, when sitting in a group of friends, we start remembering the old gems, singing them, discussing our favorite singers. Quite often in discussion we debate, who was the greatest or who was better. No one can conclude anything from these discussions or rather speculations.

People who like golden euphoria show their inner reflection, as such old songs not only shake the foundation of relational feelings but also stir’s it. Old songs create a nimbus of superlative divine hood. These songs are always related to our heart palpitations and ignite a magnetic feeling of love and emotions. This is the only reason why it is still hard to compare the golden songs with our stone-crashing rocks and pops!

Of course both entertain us in a realistic way but still a physical separation is there which identifies the transformation and final effects. It is believed that those who are keen in relationships and naturally flowing emotions tends to listen old songs as compared to those who are like young music are more materialistic and full of paranoid fantasies. Golden songs ethereally runs deeps down our bones and rejuvenates our cells, it fills us with pristine gospels. Its true that golden songs are ageless immortal and nothing can defy there presence in the deepest dimension of our souls.

With the explosion of the Internet, and the ease of availability of online file hosting servers, today it is much easier for people all over the world to listen and download old songs collection.



By: oldsongsuttam

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