hip-hop

/ˈhɪp hɒp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɪp hɑːp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhip-ˌhäp/ (ame, mw)

hip-hop — noun

1. A style of popular music built on a strong, steady beat, in which performers spe

1.名詞B1
釋義

A style of popular music built on a strong, steady beat, in which performers speak or chant rhyming lyrics instead of singing them. The lyrics often address social or political topics.

例句

Jabari downloaded a new hip-hop album and played it on repeat all weekend.

attributive: hip-hop album

The bass in that hip-hop track made the windows of the car vibrate.

collocation: hip-hop track

同義詞
  • rap music

    Often used interchangeably with hip-hop in everyday talk, but rap music strictly refers to the vocal style (rhyming lyrics delivered over a beat), while hip-hop names the whole genre and its associated culture.

  • rap

    Shorter, more casual form of rap music. Can also mean the act of rapping itself (e.g. 'He does rap'), whereas hip-hop is always a genre or culture noun.

文法句型

hip-hop + noun (attributive)

用法筆記

Frequently used attributively before nouns such as music, song, artist, album, track, and beat. The hyphenated form hip-hop is standard in most publications, but the open form hip hop also appears in informal contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I like hip-hop songs because they sing beautifully.
✅I like hip-hop songs because the rappers’ wordplay is clever.
💡Hip-hop features rapping or chanting, not conventional singing.
❌Hip-hop and rap mean exactly the same thing.
✅Hip-hop is the broader music genre and culture; rap is the vocal style within it.
💡Rap is one element of hip-hop, not a synonym for the whole genre.

2. A youth culture that grew out of African American communities in United States c

2.名詞B2
釋義

A youth culture that grew out of African American communities in United States cities during the 1970s, encompassing not only hip-hop music but also distinctive forms of dance (breaking), visual art (graffiti), fashion, and language.

例句

Layla wrote her school essay on how hip-hop culture influenced street fashion around the world.

attributive: hip-hop culture

The community center offers free classes in hip-hop dance and graffiti art for teenagers.

elements of the culture: dance, graffiti art

同義詞
  • hip-hop culture

    Emphasises the cultural rather than musical aspect; often used to distinguish this sense from the music genre sense.

  • street culture

    Broader term that includes other urban youth cultures; less specific than hip-hop and may refer to skateboarding or punk-influenced cultures as well.

文法句型

hip-hop + noun (attributive)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (MUSIC GENRE): this sense names the full cultural movement—including dance, visual art, fashion, and language—not simply the music. Common attributive combinations include hip-hop culture, hip-hop dance, hip-hop fashion, hip-hop community, and hip-hop art.

常見錯誤

❌Hip-hop is just a type of music.
✅Hip-hop is a culture that includes music, dance, art, and fashion.
💡Reducing hip-hop to only the music ignores its broader cultural roots and practices.