What is Hip Hop? There are a lot of different answers, depending on who you ask. Before I give my definition, let me start with what isn't Hip Hop: Gangstas, Pimps, Hustlers, Drug Dealers. Basically, all the negative stigmas of urban life glorified in today’s rap music. It’s downright insulting to call the rap (or crap) music of the last few years Hip Hop. The early foundations of Hip Hop culture were built on the desire to escape the dreary existence of street life.