Hyphy: The Next Generation of Hip-Hop

Posted on January 29, 2008
by: Big Jar

The streets of Oakland have given rise to an emerging hip-hop subculture called hyphy. Wikipedia defines the music as follows:

Hyphy music is distinguished by gritty, pounding rhythms and in this sense can be associated with the Bay Area as crunk music is to the South. An individual is said to “get hyphy” when they act or dance in an overstated, fast paced, and ridiculous manner.Those who consider themselves part of the Hyphy movement would describe this behavior as “getting stupid” or “going dumb.”In contrast to much of popular American culture where these phrases would be considered negative or even insulting, Hyphy is distinguished by taking this kind of behavior as a form of pride.

Cars are also a crucial component of Hyphy culture, as they are in other forms of hip-hop and street culture. Participants will often gather on street corners to show off their vehicles and their prowess behind the wheel (these gatherings are often called “sydeshows”). Activities include street racing, stationary maneuvers such as doughnuts, and “Ghost Riding the Whip.” Ghost riding, the most famous expression of Hyphy culture, occurs when a driver puts his or her car in neutral, opens the doors, and dances on the hood or alongside the car (usually, the driver recruits others to join in on the celebration.) For a more detailed explanation, please refer to the video below:

Here are some examples of ghost riding gone horribly wrong. If you want to ghost ride the whip, you should probably do it at speeds under five miles an hour: