Hip Hop vs. Pop — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Published on December 9, 2023
Hip Hop is a cultural movement with rhythmic music, often featuring rap; Pop is catchy, mainstream music targeting a wide audience.
Difference Between Hip Hop and Pop
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Hip Hop emerged from African American and Latinx communities in the Bronx during the 1970s. It's not just music but an entire cultural movement, which encompasses rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti art. Pop, on the other hand, is derived from "popular" and represents any music that gains mass appeal, regardless of its origins or style.
Hip Hop often addresses societal issues, politics, and the experiences of urban communities. The lyrics are critical, reflecting the reality of the artists' lives. Pop music focuses on universal themes, such as love and relationships, and aims for a broad appeal, making its content more generic.
Musically, Hip Hop features rhythmic spoken verses (rapping) and often utilizes samples from other songs. Pop music is characterized by its melodies and hooks, utilizing a verse-chorus structure and is designed to be catchy and memorable.
The audience for Hip Hop is often more niche, attracting listeners who appreciate its authenticity and message. Pop seeks to cast a wider net, targeting the masses for radio play and commercial success.
Production in Hip Hop heavily leans on beats, turntablism, and sampling. Pop often integrates electronic sounds, live instrumentation, and is polished for mainstream consumption.
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Comparison Chart
Origin
Bronx in the 1970s
Varies; mainstream appeal
Themes
Societal issues, urban life
Universal themes like love
Structure
Rhythmic spoken verses
Verse-chorus with melodies and hooks
Audience
Niche, urban communities
Mass appeal
Production
Beats, turntablism, sampling
Electronic sounds, polished production
Compare with Definitions
Hip Hop
A cultural movement that includes rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti.
The youth were deeply influenced by the elements of Hip Hop, especially rapping.
Pop
A genre derived from "popular", encompassing various styles.
Pop artists like Taylor Swift have experimented with various musical styles.
Hip Hop
A reflection of urban and street culture through music and art.
Hip Hop captures the essence of city life, both its challenges and triumphs.
Pop
Short for "popular music", targeting a wide range of listeners.
Pop concerts usually attract a diverse audience, from teens to adults.
Hip Hop
A genre that emphasizes lyrical dexterity and rhythmic flow.
Hip Hop artists like Kendrick Lamar are praised for their lyrical prowess.
Pop
Songs with repetitive hooks and a verse-chorus structure.
The repetitive chorus in pop songs makes them instantly recognizable.
Hip Hop
A platform for marginalized voices to express their experiences and narratives.
Hip Hop has been instrumental in highlighting issues of racial injustice.
Pop
To make a short, sharp, explosive sound.
Hip Hop
A style of music usually based on rap and often including elements of other styles such as funk or rhythm and blues.
Pop
To burst open with a short, sharp, explosive sound.
Hip Hop
An urban youth culture originating in the 1980s in New York City, involving such forms of expression as hip-hop music, b-boying, and graffiti art.
Pop
To move quickly or unexpectedly; appear abruptly
At last the cottage popped into view.
Hip Hop
Of or characteristic of hip-hop culture.
Pop
To open wide suddenly
The child's eyes popped with astonishment.
Hip Hop
An Afro-American urban youth culture based on rap music, breakdancing etc.
Pop
To have the eustachian tubes open suddenly, equalizing pressure on both sides of the eardrum in response to changes in atmospheric pressure, as in a descending airplane
After I swallowed, my ears popped.
Hip Hop
(music) A form of popular and dance music featuring strong percussion and a powerful rhythm, usually accompanied by rapping.
Pop
(Baseball) To hit a short high fly ball, especially one that can be caught by an infielder
Popped out to shortstop.
Hip Hop
To move by hopping or with a hopping motion.
Pop
To shoot a firearm, such as a pistol.
Hip Hop
To perform hip-hop music.
Pop
To be exciting
A club that really pops at night.
Hip Hop
An urban youth culture associated with rap music and the fashions of African-American residents of the inner city
Pop
To be visually striking
A logo that really pops.
Hip Hop
Genre of African-American music of the 1980s and 1990s in which rhyming lyrics are chanted to a musical accompaniment; several forms of rap have emerged
Pop
To cause to make a sharp bursting sound.
Hip Hop
Rhythmic music often featuring rap and DJ-produced tracks.
Hip Hop music often carries strong messages about societal issues.
Pop
To cause to open with a sharp bursting sound
Popped the hood of the car to check the oil.
Pop
To cause to explode with a sharp bursting sound
Popped the balloon.
Pop
To put or thrust suddenly or unexpectedly
"popping a crisp plump shrimp into her mouth" (Kathleen Winsor).
Pop
To discharge (a firearm).
Pop
To fire at; shoot.
Pop
To hit or strike
Popped me on the head.
Pop
(Baseball) To hit (a ball) high in the air but not far.
Pop
To release (a clutch) suddenly.
Pop
To take (drugs), especially orally
"To calm a case of the jitters ... the bride popped Valium" (People).
Pop
To have (a drink)
Popped a few beers after work.
Pop
(Slang) To take into legal custody; arrest
"Her friend was visiting and got popped for a DUI while he was driving her car" (Jamie Harrison).
Pop
A sudden sharp, explosive sound.
Pop
A shot with a firearm.
Pop
Chiefly Midwestern US See soft drink. See Note at tonic.
Pop
(Baseball) A pop fly.
Pop
Father.
Pop
Popular music.
Pop
Pop art.
Pop
With a popping sound.
Pop
Abruptly or unexpectedly.
Pop
Of or for the general public; popular or popularized
Pop culture.
Pop psychology.
Pop
Of, relating to, or specializing in popular music
A pop singer.
Pop
Of or suggestive of pop art
A pop style.
Pop
(countable) A loud, sharp sound, as of a cork coming out of a bottle.
Listen to the pop of a champagne cork.
Pop
An effervescent or fizzy drink, most frequently nonalcoholic; soda pop.
Lunch was sandwiches and a bottle of pop.
Pop
A bottle, can, or serving of effervescent or fizzy drink, most frequently nonalcoholic; a soda pop.
Go in the store and buy us three pops.
Pop
A pop shot: a quick, possibly unaimed, shot with a firearm.
The man with the gun took a pop at the rabbit.
Pop
A quantity dispensed; a portion; apiece.
They cost 50 pence a pop.
Pop
Something that stands out or is distinctive to the mind or senses.
A white dress with a pop of red
A pop of vanilla flavour
Pop
(computing) The removal of a data item from the top of a stack.
Pop
A bird, the European redwing.
Pop
(physics) The sixth derivative of the position vector with respect to time (after velocity, acceleration, jerk, jounce, crackle), i.e. the rate of change of crackle.
Pop
A pistol.
Pop
A small, immature peanut, boiled as a snack.
Pop
(colloquial) freeze pop
Pop
A (usually very) loud audience reaction.
Pop
One's father.
My pop used to tell me to do my homework every night.
Pop
Pop music.
Pop
A Russian Orthodox priest; a parson.
Pop
(intransitive) To make a pop, or sharp, quick sound.
The muskets popped away on all sides.
Pop
(ergative) To burst (something) with a popping sound.
The boy with the pin popped the balloon.
This corn pops well.
Pop
To enter, or issue forth, with a quick, sudden movement; to move from place to place suddenly; to dart.
A rabbit popped out of the hole.
Pop
To place (something) (somewhere); to move or position (something) with a short movement.
Just pop it in the fridge for now.
He popped his head around the door.
Pop
To make a short trip or visit.
I'm just popping round to the newsagent.
I'll pop by your place later today.
Pop
(intransitive) To stand out; to be distinctive to the senses.
This colour really pops.
Pop
(transitive) To hit (something or someone).
He popped me on the nose.
Pop
To shoot (usually somebody) with a firearm.
Pop
To ejaculate; to orgasm.
Pop
To remove (a data item) from the top of a stack.
Pop
To give birth.
Pop
To pawn (something) (to raise money).
I had to pop my watch to see me through until pay-day.
Pop
To swallow or consume (especially a tablet of a drug, sometimes extended to other small items such as sweets or candy).
Pop
To perform (a move or stunt) while riding a board or vehicle.
Pop
To undergo equalization of pressure when the Eustachian tubes open.
My ears popped as the aeroplane began to ascend.
Pop
(dance) To perform the popping style of dance.
Pop
To arrest.
He's on probation. We can pop him right now for gang association.
Pop
Used to represent a loud, sharp sound, as of a cork coming out of a bottle.
Pop
(used attributively in set phrases) Popular.
Pop
A small, sharp, quick explosive sound or report; as, to go off with a pop.
Pop
A nonalcoholic carbonated beverage; - so called because it expels the cork with a pop from the bottle containing it; as, ginger pop; lemon pop, etc.
Pop
The European redwing.
Pop
To make a pop, or sharp, quick sound; as, the muskets popped away on all sides.
Pop
To enter, or issue forth, with a quick, sudden movement; to move from place to place suddenly; to dart; - with in, out, upon, off, etc.
He that killed my king . . . Popp'd in between the election and my hopes.
A trick of popping up and down every moment.
Pop
To burst open with a pop, when heated over a fire; as, this corn pops well.
Pop
To thrust or push suddenly; to offer suddenly; to bring suddenly and unexpectedly to notice; as, to pop one's head in at the door.
He popped a paper into his hand.
Pop
To cause to pop; to cause to burst open by heat, as grains of Indian corn; as, to pop corn or chestnuts.
Pop
To eat or swallow; - of food, especially snacks, in small pieces; as, he popped a whole can of peanuts while watching the movie.
Pop
Like a pop; suddenly; unexpectedly.
Pop
An informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk
Pop
A sweet drink containing carbonated water and flavoring;
In New England they call sodas tonics
Pop
A sharp explosive sound as from a gunshot or drawing a cork
Pop
Music of general appeal to teenagers; a bland watered-down version of rock'n'roll with more rhythm and harmony and an emphasis on romantic love
Pop
Bulge outward;
His eyes popped
Pop
Hit a pop-fly;
He popped out to shortstop
Pop
Make a sharp explosive noise;
The cork of the champagne bottle popped
Pop
Fire a weapon with a loud explosive noise;
The soldiers were popping
Pop
Cause to make a sharp explosive sound;
He popped the champagne bottle
Pop
Appear suddenly or unexpectedly;
The farm popped into view as we turned the corner
He suddenly popped up out of nowhere
Pop
Put or thrust suddenly and forcefully;
Pop the pizza into the microwave oven
He popped the petit-four into his mouth
Pop
Release suddenly;
Pop the clutch
Pop
Hit or strike;
He popped me on the head
Pop
Drink down entirely;
He downed three martinis before dinner
She killed a bottle of brandy that night
They popped a few beer after work
Pop
Take drugs, especially orally;
The man charged with murder popped a valium to calm his nerves
Pop
Cause to burst with a lound, explosive sound;
The child popped the balloon
Pop
Burst open with a sharp, explosive sound;
The balloon popped
This popcorn pops quickly in the microwave oven
Pop
(of music or art) new and of general appeal (especially among young people)
Pop
Like a pop or with a pop;
Everything went pop
Pop
Music with a broad appeal, characterized by catchy melodies.
Pop songs often top the charts and are played on mainstream radio.
Pop
Music designed for commercial success and mass consumption.
Pop tracks often dominate the Billboard Hot 100.
Common Curiosities
Can a song be both Hip Hop and Pop?
Yes, some songs blend elements of both, often called "pop rap" or "hip pop".
What are some themes commonly found in Hip Hop?
Hip Hop often addresses societal issues, urban life, politics, and personal experiences.
Why is Pop music so popular?
Its catchy melodies and broad themes resonate with a wide audience.
Who are some iconic Hip Hop artists?
Artists like Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Nas are considered Hip Hop legends.
What is the origin of Hip Hop?
Hip Hop originated in the Bronx during the 1970s among African American and Latinx communities.
What are the common themes in Pop music?
Love, relationships, and universal experiences are frequently addressed in Pop.
What does Pop stand for?
Pop stands for "popular", representing music that has mass appeal.
Is rapping exclusive to Hip Hop?
While rapping is a primary element of Hip Hop, it can be found in other genres too.
How does Hip Hop differ in various countries?
While the essence remains, Hip Hop often melds with local cultures, producing unique regional variations.
Who are some top Pop artists?
Artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars are pop icons.
Is beatboxing a part of Hip Hop?
Yes, beatboxing is one of the vocal elements associated with Hip Hop.
Is Pop only about love songs?
No, while love is a common theme, Pop songs can address a variety of topics.
How has Hip Hop influenced culture?
Hip Hop has influenced fashion, language, art, and has sparked discussions on social issues.
Can Hip Hop be instrumental?
Yes, instrumental Hip Hop focuses on the music without vocal elements, often used for beats and background tracks.
Do Pop songs always have a repetitive chorus?
While not always, a catchy and repetitive chorus is a hallmark of many Pop songs.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
