The roots of hip hop can be traced back to the African griots, who were storytellers and musicians who used their music to pass down oral traditions. In the United States, hip hop was influenced by the African American musical genres of jazz, blues, and R&B, as well as by the Latin music of salsa and merengue.
Hip hop music began to gain popularity in the 1980s, thanks in part to the release of the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," which was the first hip hop song to reach the top of the Billboard charts. Other influential hip hop artists from the 1980s include Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run DMC, and LL Cool J.
In the 1990s, hip hop music became even more popular, with the rise of artists such as Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., and Dr. Dre. Hip hop also began to crossover into mainstream pop music, with artists such as Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, and Eminem achieving commercial success.
Today, hip hop music is one of the most popular genres of music in the world, with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Cardi B dominating the charts. Hip hop has also had a significant impact on popular culture, with its influence being seen in fashion, film, and television.