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Phi Hoang

Professor Lilley

Research in Disciplines 201

13 December 2019

Express or Impress: Hip-hop in the Cypher

In the past two decades, hip-hop has gained traction as one of the fastest growing cultures

in the world. The global arena may generally recognize the term ‘hip-hop’ associated with hip-

hop music and street fashion, but the totality of hip-hop encompasses many different elements,

lifestyles, and subcultures. Hip-hop is a culture and art movement characterized by four main

elements: MCing (also known as rapping); DJing; breakdancing; and graffiti. As the hip-hop

nation has grown, subcultures emulating the hip-hop aesthetic and values have broken out –

examples include street knowledge, street fashion, beatboxing, etc. I will mainly be looking into

rap and breakdance to elaborate on my research. “MCing”, or “rapping”, is characterized by

rhyming, rhythmic speech, which is often performed over a beat. “Rap” and “hip-hop” are

oftentimes used interchangeably, but “[s]trictly speaking, however, rap and hip-hop are not the

same thing. Rap is a style of music, while hip-hop is a culture or aesthetic, one component of

which is rap music” (Hein). “Hip-hop” music is an umbrella term that encompasses both the

rapping and production (or beat/musical accompaniment) aspects of the music. In many pieces of

academic work, I have found that the terms “breakdancing”, “bboying”, and “breaking” are used

interchangeably, but within the culture of the dance, only the terms “bboying” and “breaking”

are accepted. Using the term “breakdancing” is frowned upon because “in the 1980s when the

dance caught on and [became] a commodity [,] the media renamed it ‘breakdancing’” (Lefebvre

13). To stay politically correct with the culture, I will address this athletic form of hip-hop as
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“breaking” in this paper. Most of hip-hop’s subcultures are underrepresented in the global arena,

giving commercialized rap the most control over hip-hop’s image. Commercial rap has a

reputation that represents the celebration of street warfare, gangs, violence, the consumption of

drugs and alcohol, and many other negative themes. Representing hip-hop, rap creates many

negative stereotypes for the culture. However, there is a hidden side to hip-hop that can better

represent hip-hop’s true values. I borrow from Benedict Anderson’s concept of imagined

communities to illustrate rap and breaking acting as a single force, collectively driving the

growth of hip-hop. I incorporate Galinsky et al.’s stigma reappropriation theory in this study,

analyzing the underground breaking and rap scenes to show how they can subvert the general

perception of hip-hop’s aggressiveness. By reappropriating the meaning of ‘aggression’ in

cyphers and battles (hip-hop’s primary cultural activity), the global audience will attach more

positive meanings to them, allowing hip-hop to grow in a more positive direction.

Context: Hip-hop’s Link to Gangs

To understand hip-hop’s self-perspective as well as its global perspective, we need to

look at hip-hop’s history and culture. Hip-hop emerged in the 1970s, from the ruins of post-

industrial South Bronx. This was a time when violence, exploitation, and gang activity ran

rampant in urban areas, especially in the Bronx. “While the gang battles intensified, big parties

known as block parties organized by street gangs became regular occurrences in some South

Bronx neighborhoods. They were at the heart of a cultural movement—hip-hop culture—that has

continued to grow ever since” (Lamotte 687). This links the development of the hip-hop

movement to gang influence, but while this is true, hip-hop’s main values do not support

violence or any gang related activities. In 1975, Afrika Bambaataa, a former gang member,

launched an organization called the Universal Zulu Nation (UZN) as an alternative to gang
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participation and unlawful activity. UZN hosted block parties that brought together the four

pillars of hip-hop: “DJing, MCing, Bboying, and graffiti” (Lammote 689). “[T]hough the legacy

of the gangs remained (symbolically at least), Bambaataa cemented his organization’s

emergence, doing so in a style epitomized by his new catchphrase: ‘peace, unity, love and having

fun’.” (Lamotte 692). UZN’s block parties and values were the catalyst for hip-hop’s emergence

and core identity in the 1970s. With hip-hop’s roots in ‘peace, unity, love and having fun’, the

culture acts as an alternative to the violence and exploitation that exist in the city. However, with

its history deeply linked to gang influence, hip-hop’s subcultures and activities still experience

stigmatization that prevents them from going mainstream. All of hip-hop’s subcultures exhibit

some form of rebellious or offensive aggression, originating from the influence of gang

operations. The global arena may still associate hip-hop with its history in gang culture rather

than its values rooted in ‘peace, unity, and love’.

Cyphers and Battling: Hidden from the Mainstream

As one of the most recognizable elements of hip hop, rap music’s popularity over the past

few years has sky-rocketed. “Hip-hop tracks were already more popular than any other kind in

2017, accounting for 20.9 percent of songs consumption. That number jumped to a stunning 24.7

percent in 2018, meaning that nearly a quarter of all tracks listened to in the U.S. came from rap”

(Leight). Music genres like rap are very likely to receive global attention considering its

popularity and reach with streaming services and global advertising, but other elements of hip-

hop do not have the same opportunities to spread globally. Breaking, for example, as one of the

main elements of hip-hop, seems to have a scarce number of texts on its culture in academia.

After the spike in popularity from breaking’s commercialization in the 1980s, it fell into the

underground, only recently seeing some media coverage because of its acceptance in the 2024
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Olympics (IOC). Despite the massive difference in popularity and content, both rap and breaking

are direct manifestations of hip-hop’s fundamental values. As global commodities, rap and

breaking are usually seen performed with pre-written lyrics and choreographed movements, but

there exists a cultural symbol and community-defined practice called the “cypher” (or cipher)

that is not often mentioned outside of hip-hop culture. Physically, a cypher is a circle of people

where participants have exchanges with each other in the middle. “Hip-hop cyphers are highly

codified yet unstructured practices where youth who identify with hip-hop culture information

exchange in the form of raps or dance” (Levy et al. 104). The exchanges are performed as

freestyles and in the moment, offering participants a chance to express their stream of thought

through lyrics or movement. Cyphers may escalate to “battles”, which are a “playful way of

resolving perceived dis-respect” (Lee 578), or a way to express an issue you may have towards

another individual. Cyphers and battles are considered the most important phenomena in the

subcultures of hip-hop, especially breaking. The verbal duels and physical contests in rap and

breaking respectively, are essential to hip-hop culture, but they may be the reason why hip-hop is

not represented accurately to the global audience.

Urban Communities on Rap Cyphers

As Butler says, “we are more about how people in our communities label us than how the

law does” (Butler 997). This implies that we are more concerned about what is immediately in

front of us than otherwise. In the context of an urban environment, areas with rampant gang

activity forces people to act and react violently protect themselves from gang culture. In Butler’s

essay, he implies that the concept of retribution is embraced in hip-hop, quoting a Nelly lyric

saying that “if you take a life, you gon’ lose yours too” (Butler 1002). The main idea of ‘taking a

life’ in this song lyric is phrased in a way that seems attach violence to hip-hop and rap. With
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more context in the lyric, Nelly shines a light on the poor condition of urban communities, while

giving a word of precaution on the consequences of participating in its violence. Nelly expresses

his experience through rap, presenting an issue on violence in the city – in no way does he

romanticize violence as one might think. In urban communities, retribution is associated with

violent gang activity, and it just so happens that many hip-hop artists are from these violent

urban communities. Hip-hop’s link with gangs and violence is often misunderstood, which

incorrectly presents hip-hop in the light of “hip-hop is violent” in the global audience’s

perspective. With such negative stigma attached to hip-hop culture, rap cyphers and battles on

street corners have been subjected to implicit banning. “[I]n 2000, policymakers banned hanging

out and ‘cruising’ along Crenshaw Boulevard, out of fear that such gatherings sparked street

violence among urban youth (LAPD 2000)” (Lee 595). To an outsider, verbal duels on these

street corners are seen as a prelude to violence among the youth. There have been times when

violence nearly broke out because of rap battles, but Lee’s research found that an overwhelming

majority of battles ended peacefully. The abrasive nature of cypher battles may seem like a

contributor to urban violence, but the negative stigma ignores the possibility of cyphers reducing

violence and gang activity in the urban environment. The issue is that many rappers are either

directly affiliated with a gang or have some sort of connection to one. Lamotte says that “hip-hop

music challenges urban exclusion, violence and exploitation by ‘offering an alternative sense of

place, a means of interpreting the world’ and, I would add, also a different way of being”

(Lamotte 691). The cypher in particular, is a space that is slightly disconnected from reality,

having a whole new set of social norms unknown to those outside of it. It is a much freer space

where rappers can express themselves. Hip-hop was originally founded as an alternative for

people who wanted to get out of gang culture, so violence was common knowledge as forbidden
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territory. Even if some rap artists have gang affiliations, rap ciphers on street corners actively

steers people away from violence and gang culture, even if only for the moment.

Aggression in the Breaking Battles

1. Backflip over current dance 2. Escalation of aggression 3. Showing respect after battle

Figure 1. Battle at a competition from Stance. “MASSIVE MONKEES vs JINJO CREW.”

YouTube, Stance, 17 Nov. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JjjoZtKM5E.

Generally, dancers are judged on the aesthetics of their form and movement, but

aggression, such as offensive gestures or verbal insults, introduces another layer to the battle.

Aggression is used as a battle strategy, “provok[ing] emotional reactions causing dancers to lose

their composure and competition points” (Lefebvre 108). In organized battles such as these,

aggression is used to diminish the opponent’s confidence and display one’s own

(over)confidence, which earns some ‘competition points’ from a panel of judges. For example, at

‘SUPER BREAK’, a breaking competition hosted in Japan, two dance crews take turns to

present the skill of each of their members to advance to the next round. On one side was Massive

Monkees, a crew founded in Seattle, Washington, and on the other was Jinjo Crew, a crew

founded in Korea. In the following example, a member of Massive Monkees does a flip over

Jinjo’s member as Jinjo is in the middle of their round. The backflip takes attention away from

Jinjo Crew’s spotlight. This perceived disrespect causes both crews to get aggressive, putting up
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aggressive stances, escalating the battle into what might turn into a physical altercation. The

aggression eventually deescalates, and at the end of the battle, each crew shows respect to each

other for a well fought battle with hugs, handshakes, and smiles (see Figure 1). This illustrates

the artistic element of aggression in battles, showing that while dancers may act aggressively

towards each other, it all comes down to ‘peace, love, unity, and having fun’ as hip-hop’s core

values suggest. It is important to add that both Massive Monkees and Jinjo Crew have had over

seven years of history battling each other at these large-scale competitions, warranting the high

level of aggression displayed here. Not all battles display this level of aggression, but disrespect

is very common. However, what is common here that is also seen in rap battles, is that

participants almost always come together at the end to show a sign of respect, regardless of what

happens during the battle. In smaller scale battles, there is a slight distinction of how aggression

is used. Cypher battles for example, are formed spontaneously usually within a cypher and is not

judged by a panel of dancers. They are implicitly judged by the cypher itself – oftentimes that

also includes the participants of the battle. Usually between two equally skilled dancers, the

dancer that loses their composure first implicitly ends the battle, automatically declaring the

opponent as the winner. The idea of losing out of discomposure reinforces the challenge of

“being able to ‘dish it out’ better than one’s opponent, while also being able to ’take it”” (Lee

581). It is an unspoken rule that also acts as a safeguard against the escalation of violence.

Dancers not only need to dance well and dish out insults – they also need to be able to keep their

emotions in control. This aggressiveness is an indispensable part of hip-hop’s performing

subcultures, giving them additional layers of complexity while adding to the abrasive, rebellious

aesthetic of hip-hop’s identity. Unfortunately, this complex part of the culture is often
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misunderstood by the global arena, understandably attaching aggression as a negative aspect to

hip-hop.

Changing Global Perception

In order to rally against negative stereotypes in hip-hop, both the rap and breaking scenes

need to have a very strong sense of cohesion as hip-hop subcultures. Galinski et al. says that

“[r]eappropriation may be more likely to occur when group cohesion is high, but it is also likely

to increase that same feeling of cohesion, a state of mutual support and solidarity along with the

perception that the group is a tightly knit, self-contained entity” (Galinsky et al. 239).

Hip-hop’s subcultures already have the cohesion to rally for change. The rap community for

example, stands together as one against the unfair imprisonment of loved ones. Butler explains

how “the hip-hop nation virtually speaks as one” “on the social meaning of punishment” (Butler

999). Responding to the mass incarceration of people in this stigmatized group, rappers

humanize those that are in prison and “presents prison as a rite of passage” (Butler 999).

Standing together, rap reappropriates the popular view of imprisonment and lowers the

effectiveness of prison as a deterrent in rap culture. Destigmatizing imprisonment prompts the

reevaluation of law enforcement operations, which can trigger discussion on topics closely

associated with hip-hop culture such as race relations, gang activity, and in this case, aggression.

Hip-hop’s cohesion is capable of prompting political changes external to the culture itself, but

hip-hop also has the option to change how its members represent themselves to the public. In

2019, the International Olympic Committee announced that breaking will be part of the 2024

Olympics. Many argue that the inclusion of the dance on the big stage will bring a lot to the

dance, but Kong says that “[t]he incorporation of street dance into mainstream media only served

to dilute the dance form for the community that originated it” (Kong 19). Bringing breaking into
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the Olympics forces the breaking community to question the inclusion of obscene gestures in

their performances. If hip-hop’s aggression is removed from battles, it will make the perception

of battling more consumer friendly, spreading a much cleaner message to the global audience. If

we consider how breaking is portrayed to the global audience on the main stage in the past, this

censorship may work in spreading the dance, but can also dilute its own cultural values. Simard

explains that “a commercial event might be an ideal place to see a live version of what they

viewed as 'breakdancing'” (Simard 165). ‘Breakdancing’ in this context refers to flashy

performances on the big stage, a term with connotations that are widely rejected by the breaking

community. It is a name that the media gave the dance in the 1980s, giving it a commercial

aspect, further ‘diluting the dance form’. When breaking makes its way to the stages shown in

mainstream platforms, it is seen in a light that warrants a completely separate term –

‘breakdancing’ – a term that does not authentically represent the dance and its values. However,

Simard says that “such competitions also bring more visibility to marginalized dance practices,

leading to a renewed interest in the practice” (Simard 64). Large-scale competitions such as the

Olympics may help expose more people to hip-hop culture. Hip-hop’s subcultures need to be

advertised on the big stage in order to gain any sort public interest. Battling for example, can be

shown on the big stage, to ‘bring more visibility’ to it, ‘renewing interest in’ breaking, while

keeping the aggression hidden away in the underground scenes.

Conclusion: Aggression as a Cultural Element

There has been discussion in the breaking community about whether competitors should

be using obscene gestures in the Olympics. These obscene gestures are the most obvious

examples of gang influence in the dance, and may increase stereotyping when introduced to the
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Olympics. Hip-hop’s negative stigma at the root is tied to the culture’s history with gangs and

the influences that gangs brought to hip-hop. Despite this, hip-hop differs from gangs by its

complete rejection of violence. Hip-hop is defined by the values of ‘peace, unity, love, and

having fun’, so no real violence should be involved in cyphers, or battles. However, simulated

violence (or aggression) is allowed, which is the primary issue in subverting the perspective on

hip-hop. In order to spread hip-hop’s positive message and increase its global reach, dancers

would need to eliminate excessive displays of aggression in their performance. However, this

ignores the artistic and competitive aspects of aggression. Aggression adds a layer to the battle,

both for onlookers as well as the performers themselves. To the onlooker, this aggression is a

form of entertainment, adding an element of surprise to the battles. To the performers, aggression

is used as a battle strategy, a way to diminish the other’s confidence and reduce the quality of

their performance. If aggression is taken out of battling, it changes a fundamental part of battles

and cyphers, endangering an essential aspect of the culture. Simply put, going to the large-scale

stages like the Olympics can endanger hip-hop’s identity on the removal of aggression.

However, aggression can stay confined in the underground scenes, keeping hip-hop’s cultural

identity while showing a cleaner side to the global audience for exposure.
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Works Cited

Dehui, Kong. “Internet Killed the b-Boy Star: a Study of b-Boying through the Lens of

Contemporary Media.” Columbia University Libraries, 1 Jan. 2010,

https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/D8KS6XB5.

Farquharson, Karen & Marjoribanks, Tim. (2003). Transforming the Springboks: Re-Imagining

the South African Nation through Sport. Social Dynamics-a Journal of The Centre for

African Studies University of Cape Town - SOC DYNAMICS. 29.

10.1080/02533950308628649.

Galinsky, A., Hugenberg, K., Groom, C. and Bodenhausen, G. (2003), "THE

REAPPROPRIATION OF STIGMATIZING LABELS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL

IDENTITY", Polzer, J. (Ed.) Identity Issues in Groups (Research on Managing Groups

and Teams, Vol. 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 221-256.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1534-0856(02)05009-0

Hein, Ethan https://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2018/participant-ethnography-of-a-hip-hop-cypher/

IOC. “Breaking, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing Provisionally Included on Paris

2024 Olympic Sports Programme - Olympic News.” Olympic.org, IOC, 1 July 2019,

https://www.olympic.org/news/breaking-skateboarding-sport-climbing-and-surfing-

provisionally-included-on-paris-2024-olympic-sports-programme.

Lamotte, Martin. “Rebels Without a Pause: Hip-Hop and Resistance in the City.” International

Journal of Urban and Regional Research, vol. 38, no. 2, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Mar.

2014, pp. 686–94, doi:10.1111/1468-2427.12087.

Lefebvre, Haidee S. B-Boy (Dance) Cipher: An Innovative Knowledge Community's Shared

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Activity, McGill University (Canada), Ann Arbor, 2012. ProQuest,

https://search.proquest.com/docview/1040881763?accountid=13626.

Leight, Elias. “Hip-Hop Continued to Dominate the Music Business in 2018.” Rolling Stone, 3

Jan. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hip-hop-continued-to-dominate-the-

music-business-in-2018-774422/.

Levy, Ian & Emdin, Christopher & Adjapong, Edmund S. (2018) Hip-Hop Cypher in Group

Work, Social

Work with Groups, 41:1-2, 103-110, DOI: 10.1080/01609513.2016.1275265

Montalvo, Starr, "The Integration of Hip-Hop Culture and Cyphering in Dance/Movement

Therapy" (2017). Dance/Movement Therapy Theses. 26.

http://digitalcommons.slc.edu/dmt_etd/26

Stance. “MASSIVE MONKEES vs JINJO CREW.” YouTube, Stance, 17 Nov. 2019,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JjjoZtKM5E.
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78

Phi,

You chose an amazing topic, and it certainly does have so much potential to become a

phenomenal research project.

You’ve made some important revisions throughout the drafting process, but in this final draft

your argument is still missing for the most part. When an argument does start to emerge, it’s not

fully explicated and it’s still surrounded with observation and report. Often you are telling us

about hip-hop culture, the cypher, and breaking instead of building an interpretive, academic

analysis. I know firsthand that your critical reading and writing skills are very strong, and they

are not reflected in this draft. I feel that this is a couple revisions away from being a really stellar

project.

Overall, you did some terrific work this semester, Phi, and it was a pleasure to have you in class.

Best of luck with all your studies, and I hope you have a warm and wonderful holiday break.

final grade: B (87.44)