Subkultura hip-hopowa w Polsce: jej istota, geneza i rozwój

Hip-hop subculture in Poland: its essence, origins and evolution The main objective of this article, is to show the origins, essence and growth of the Polish hip-hop subculture, both in terms of music and related activities that are part of its foundations. The analysis is based on a number of sources; academic articles, book publications, recordings, interviews, documentaries and songs related to the subject in the context of Poland and the US. Hip-hop is currently one of the most popular music genres in the world. The author begins by describing the American foundations of the hip-hop subculture. He then points out that the new wave of Rebel culture, began to develop in Poland in the 1980s and became popular in the following decade, when the first generation of young adults of the period of systemic change was getting to the voice. This stands in opposition to the common belief that hip-hop in Poland began in the mid-1990s. Because Polish hip-hop escalated from year to year, the events influencing the development of the subculture were divided into periods. This helped to systematize the development of specific phenomena, such as the popularization of breakdance, as well as rap as a form of expression, and the emergence of hip-hop graffiti. Before 1990, hip-hop was present in Poland mainly through dance. The years 1990-1995 were a time of rap’s development and the emergence of the first groups recording underground albums. The period from 1995 to 1998 was the years of nationwide popularization of the subculture in the media and public space. In the article, the author recalls, among other things, the pioneering formations, the first Polish hip-hop video, as well as the recording methods and themes of early albums. The discussion leads to the conclusion that hip-hop, treated by its representatives as a platform for expressing disapproval of social inequalities, despite its embedding in its American prototype, was shaped in Poland according to the location and socio-economic situation of the artists and evolved quite rapidly towards commercialization.