According to Wikipedia, hip-hop music, also called rap music, is a musical genre consisting of stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rap, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is sung. It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching, breaking/dancing, and graffiti writing. Hip hop is also characterized by these other elements: sampling (or synthesis) and beatboxing. Hip hop music developed from the mixing and remixing of popular music already in circulation by party DJs. This music usually came from the funk, soul and disco genres. It started in the 1970s in the Bronx in New York City and is very popular among African Americans. Spoken word hip hop music is said to have been heavily influenced by West African culture, the call and response practices of African religious ceremonies, and jazz poetry. As such, soul singers such as Blowfly, James Brown, and Rudy Ray Moore are considered the "godfathers" of hip-hop music. Spoken word poets such as Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets in New York City also played an important role in the cultural environment in which hip hop music was created. During the early days of hip hop music, it was often described as a creative outlet and a voice for the harsh realities of inner-city youth living in low-economic areas. During the 1980s hip hop music began to spread from America to other countries. Starting on the streets of New York City, hip hop music has transcended cultural boundaries and changed the face of music around the world. Internationally, hip-hop is the most popular youth culture in the world. From countries such as England, Brazil, Tokyo, India and South Africa, the impact of hip hop music on cu... . Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. 255-56. Print.Thompson, Ben "MIA paper planes turn globalization on its head | Music | The Guardian." Latest news, sport and commentary from the Guardian | The Guardian. June 15, 2011. Web. December 21, 2011. .Neate, Patrick. Where You Are: Notes from the Front Lines of a Hip Hop Planet. London: Bloomsbury, 2004. Print.Nederveen, Pieterse Jan P. Globalization and Culture: Global Mélange, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. Print.Galenson, David “The Globalization of Advanced Art in the Twentieth Century.” Bureau of Economic Research. May 2008. Web. 21 December 2011. .Canclini, Néstor G. "Hybrid cultures and communication strategies" Web. 2011