Hip Hop is the culmination of many different styles and cultures expressed through music, poetry, dance and art in general. Hip hop has existed throughout society for debatably the past thirty years not just as a style of music but as a social movement embracing diversity and celebrating it for all to enjoy.

Many groups of like minded individuals work together to form hip hop collectives. In this loose structure people can observe new techniques and trends and learn from each other helping to inspire and further diversify hip hop to its extended peers. A key part of this process is exhibiting and showcasing these skills to entertain and further captivate new audiences.

Many people are interested in booking a hip hop group or collective for entertainment but are unsure what to expect. To help you learn more we have provided a brief run down of some of the main aspects of a live hip hop show.

DJing is often cited as the backbone of hip hop. The tradition of djing has a long lineage tracing it's roots back to reggae music. At live shows djs would often set up competing sound systems, each would play different songs hoping to entice party goers to dance at their stage over other rivals. This is also where many people claim mcing originated from. Djs would often reel off short rhymes in between songs to further encourage the audience to dance.

Over time this tradition made it to the Bronx in New York with the emergence of the now legendary DJ Kool Herc. DJ Kool (as he was otherwise known) inspired new generations of DJs to start experimenting with whatever equipment they had to hand. This was the start of several trends which would later lay the foundations of hip hop as we know it.

DJs would dig for obscure and classic records to sample for their sets. They would play two records simultaneously, using a tiny portion such as a drum break from each which would be rewound and respun to create a continual loop for an MC to rap over and for breakers to dance to.

As time progressed these techniques developed into numerous different disciplines such as mixing, scratching and beat juggling which are now practised by DJs worldwide.

As mentioned above the MCs role was originally performed by the DJ during a set. But as djing became more complex so did the rhymes until it became tradition for DJs to have their own MC or group to accompany them.

The role of an MC can vary between different styles and different events but generally speaking the MCs role is to get people up and dancing and enjoying the music. Some MCs will have a strong message to their music which can sometimes take over proceedings. Whether or not the MCs lyrical content is fully taken onboard the rhythms and delivery can be used effectively to fit the pace of the music, adding extra texture and yet more reasons to dance.

While not always a prominent element of live shows street art and graffiti has always played an important role in hip hop. Many DJs and MCs try their hand at graffiti and vice versa.

The Bronx was adorned by graffiti which reflected thoughts and views of the local area in a visual language everyone could read. As hip hop moved outwards from its home in the Bronx graffiti remained a key element.

At many hip hop events and house parties people can be found creating art that reflects the mood of the music while musicians and dancers perform. Similar to how DJs and MCs stage battles artists also often stage face offs allowing the crowd to decide the victor.