Hyphy

Hyphy (pronounced HI-fee; IPA: [ˈhaɪfiː]) is a style of music and dance primarily associated with the Bay Area hip hop culture. It began to emerge in early 2000 as a response from Bay Area rappers against commercial hip hop for not acknowledging the Bay for setting trends in the hip hop industry. Although the "hyphy movement" has just recently seen light in mainstream America, it has been a long standing and evolving culture in the Bay Area. Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak takes credit for coining the term when, as a young boy, his mother would often tell him he was hyperactive. He would repeat the word "hyper" as "hyphy".

Hyphy is distinguished by gritty, pounding rhythms, and in this sense can be associated with the San Francisco Bay Area as crunk music is in the South. Contrary to popular belief, the musical aspect of the movement has very few similarities to crunk music, as it is dictated by more uptempo beats. An individual is said to "get hyphy" when they act or dance in an overstated and ridiculous manner. Many in the Bay Area would describe this as acting "Retarded", "Riding The Yellow Bus/Short Bus", "Stupid" or "Going Dumb". E-40 is seen by many in the Bay Area as the "door opener" to a much bigger movement yet to be exposed to the world in its entirety.

Culture

A particular feature of hyphy culture in the Bay Area are sideshows or sydeshows, when one or a series of cars do multiple doughnuts by braking and turning at high speeds. Other car maneuvers include "Yoking" and "ghostriding". Hyphy culture, like much of rap culture, focuses heavily on the usage of alcohol, marijuana and ecstasy. The face made when taking ecstasy is commonly known as the Thizz face. Dancing and partying are important aspects of hyphy culture, though it is not necessary to be on drugs or alcohol to participate.

Bay Area hyphy producers include Rick Rock, Traxamillion, E-A-Ski, Droop-E, and Sean T.

Slang

Like many Bay Area trends, Hyphy has a unique culture of slang. Below is a partial list of notable slang terms in hyphy culture:

This is a core list of slang associated with hyphy culture, it is not meant to be exhaustive.

• "Gas-brake dippin'" - Driving while quickly alternating between stomping on the gas and the brake. Also known as "Yokin'".
• "Ghost ride the whip" - Driver walks alongside slow-rolling car with the door open, giving the appearance that the car is driving itself. Passengers ride with all the doors open and sometimes leap out of the moving cars, sometimes dancing on top of the hood.
• "Going or getting dumb/stupid/ignorant/retarded/hyphy/Ridin' the yellow bus" - is the main concept, which means having a good time while ignoring society's negative opinion of "uncivilized" behavior.
• "Runner"/"Ripper" - A girl who is known to get around.
• "Scrapers" - Vintage four-door American sedans with whistling pipes, oversized spinning rims and a powerful stereo system. They hang low in the back and send off sparks when one is "gas-brake dippin".
• "Slapper/Slumper" - A song with particularly loud bass and/or Hyphy connotations.
• "Stunna shades" - aviator style glasses with dark, reflective mirror lenses. They are more elaborate and/or attention getting than regular aviators.
• "Thizz" - Street slang for being up on Ecstasy, popularized by the late Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks. Thizz is also the name of Mac Dre's record label.
• "Yadadamean?/Yadadamsayin?" - A phrase popularized by Keak Da Sneak meaning "Do you know what I mean?" and "Do you know what I am saying?" The 'dada' usually sounds like rolling the letter 'R', however, for effect and for people who cannot roll their 'R's, the informal 'didi' (pronounced did-I) is appropriate.
• "Yay Area" - The Bay Area of California.
• "Yee" - Originating from the streets of Richmond, California meaning "HEY" or "WASSUP".

Cities/Locations

Centered around the San Francisco Bay, the capital of the Hyphy Movement is Oakland. Additionally, Vallejo, [[Richmond, California|Richmond], San Jose and various other locations in Northern California are key areas in the hyphy movement.

Artists

Further information: List of Hyphy artists

Major entertainers from the Bay Area who are considered hyphy artists include:

• Dem Hoodstarz
• E-40
• The Federation
• Keak Da Sneak
• Mac Dre
• Mistah F.A.B.
• The Team
• Too $hort
• Turf Talk
• Yukmouth
• Ya Boy

Note: please see the longer list of artists linked to above.

External links

News Media

• Lee, Hildebrand (November 21, 2004). "Streets team". San Francisco Chronicle.
• Arnold, Eric K. (June 30, 2004). "The Politics of 'Hyphy': Snoop Dogg, et al. have pilfered Bay Area hip-hop slang for years. No more". East Bay Express.
• Tapan, Munshi (April 4, 2006). "Hip-Hop to the Nth Degree: Hyphy". NPR Online.
• "Flambosting the hyphy nation". USA Today. April 13, 2006.

Sites

• Super Hyphy Movement
• Get Hyphy
• Hyphy Movement
• E-40 - The Rapper E-40's web site
• Get Stoopid - A Hyphy Music Blog
• Nation of Thizzlam - A Hyphy Music Blog
• Thizz Faces
• Mac Dre "Thizzle" Dance
• The Architeckz - The Bay's leading Hyphy dance troupe