Hip-hop has influenced nearly every aspect of modern pop culture, including music, fashion, visual art, technology, and even politics. A global force of artistic expression, it’s an accumulation of several elements that make up the culture; emceeing, deejaying, breakin’, graffiti, and beatboxing. Jamaican immigrant Clive Campbell, a.k.a. DJ Kool Herc, set the stage for hip-hop’s early rise by throwing parties in The Bronx at the now legendary 1520 Sedgwick Avenue apartment complex.

Herc’s early 1970s parties would have him serving as DJ, playing various funk and disco tracks by extending the drum breaks with two record players. Through his understanding of Jamaican toasting inspired by American jive-talk, he hyped break dancers through syncopated spoken vocals, which evolved into emceeing or rapping. Before then, Herc got his name by running with a graffiti crew as that then-controversial style of art began to become more intricate than simple name tags thanks to Philadelphia-based legends Cornbread and Cool Earl.

As hip-hop gained national recognition during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sylvia Robinson helped the culture reach new heights through Sugar Hill Records. The label released two essential tracks out of the culture through Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Sampling Chic’s “Good Times,” “Rapper’s Delight” became one of the first chart-topping rap songs ever. Meanwhile, “The Message” proved that hip-hop could become a voice for recognizing socio-economic issues within the Black community. Becoming the first emcee to get a major label record deal, Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to get a gold-selling plaque for “The Breaks.” That doesn’t even count how Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force forever changed dance music through “Planet Rock.”

Around that time, The Funky 4 Plus One also became the first hip-hop act to perform on Saturday Night Live. A year later, Fab 5 Freddy and promoter Kool Lady Blue would take hip-hop international through the New York City Rap Tour featuring Bambaataa, The Rock Steady Crew and Futura 2000. This would set the stage for various hip-hop scenes to emerge from Europe.

The entrepreneurial leaning of hip-hop even allowed Richard Simmons and Rick Rubin to link up to start Def Jam Records. The first single released in 1984, “I Need A Beat” by LL Cool J, set a run not only for Todd Smith but a pioneering label that’s impacted is still felt to this day. With hip-hop getting serious mainstream notice, major Hollywood film studios began to realize everything cool about the culture. Films like Style Wars, Wild Style, Beat Street, Breakin and Krush Groove became huge box office draws. Even Rock Steady Crew (including Crazy Legs) appeared in Flashdance.

Heading into the late 1980s, Def Jam artist Run-DMC gave the world “Walk This Way.” Not only did it help hip-hop deliver its first huge cross-cultural moment, but helped serve as a comeback for the rock group Aerosmith. Sometime later, hip-hop became even more political and militant thanks to groups like Public Enemy. The culture also began to spread into various regional territories and deliver various styles.

The West Coast transitioned from electro-style hip-hop to gangsta rap through N.W.A. The group gained popularity and controversy through tracks like “Boyz-n-the Hood” and “Fuck Tha Police.” Once the group broke up in the early 90s, Ice Cube's legendary solo run transitioned into film. N.W.A. 's de-facto leader Eazy-E went on to scout groups, including Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and A.T.B.A.N Klann that would later transition into The Black Eyed Peas. Lead N.W.A. producer Dr. Dre even went on to help be a founder of iconic labels Death Row Records and Aftermath Entertainment.

Taking elements of blues, jazz and r&b, Southern hip-hop managed to rise into prominence in various cities, including Miami, Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans. In Miami alone, the Uncle Luke lead 2 Live Crew had their 1990s album Banned In The U.S.A. to have the RIAA-standard Parental Advisory warning sticker that became a must-have for artists with explicit lyrics. Some even consider Rap-A-Lot Records group The Geto Boys one of the first horror-core rappers.

Now, there isn’t a place on this earth that hip-hop hasn’t touched and influenced.