Even though they have been around for nearly four decades now, mainstream listeners are still confused about the difference between rap and hip hop. The terms are confusing because the music genres tend to overlap a bit. In other words, hip hop artists can produce both rap or hip hop songs and albums, and vice versa. This is because the skill set required to do so is somewhat similar.

The founders of the genre were DJs who sampled popular genres of music from the past, particularly soul, funk, and later disco. Unlike rappers, hip hoppers did not rely entirely on spoken lyrics and poetry. In fact, many hip hop artists are famous because they actually sing.

An American Grammy Award winning musician, Nelly has sold nearly more than ten million albums and has two number one albums under his belt. Like most hip hop artists, Nelly typically sings in the chorus of his songs and uses memorable hooks that are more reminiscent of pop music than they are of hardcore rap.

Hip hop is now the most popular music genre for kids and teenagers, according to a recent poll. Nearly two-thirds of American tweens (i.e., someone between the ages of 8 and 14) listen to hip hop on a daily basis. Even as the music industry has suffered a severe decline in recent years due to easy access to digital copies, hip hop is still going strong. As a result, hip hop posters are currently more popular than posters of rock or pop gods.

Until only recently, kids did not have their own rooms. They often had to share one with a sibling of the same sex. But as the size of the average American home continues to grow, most kids now have their own space and are allowed to decorate it any way they see fit, within reason, of course. Not surprisingly, hip hop posters are more popular than ever. They can be found on the walls of tweens who reside in the cities, suburbs, and even in rural areas.

It is now far more likely for an American kid to have a Lil Wayne poster on his wall than one that features a top rock band or country star. There is no doubt that this trend represents a cultural shift from music that was produced primarily in suburban or rural environments to a genre that was created in the inner city, mostly by minorities.

According to music historians, hip hop was developed in the 1970s in New York City, when youngsters would gather at massive block parties. With the help of an experienced DJ, guests would create a new genre of music that gained a loyal following in short order. The genre predated rap, which did not come until a few years later and was much more aggressive and less positive.

Depending on your definition of the genre, the most popular hip hop artists on earth, in no particular order are: Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj. Their hip hop posters can be found at just about any poster store, whether brick and mortar or virtual. That said, the easiest and often the cheapest way to order new hip hop posters is to look on the internet.

Author's Bio: 

With a growing catalogue of wall art, poster.com offers an extensive selection of hip hop posters and fine-art prints. All of the items they sell can be matted and framed for an additional fee. Shipping discounts may apply on large orders.