Hip-hop emerged from the conditions of poverty, neglect, and abandonment faced by Black Americans in the post-Civil Rights era, representing a defiant resolve and imaginative toughness born out of struggle. Its energy and life force can be traced back centuries to the African drum and the experiences of enslaved Africans, a continuum of Black artistic expression. Hip-hop's physicality, swagger, and unapologetic pride emanated from Black egos long denied the freedom to fully embody excellence and confidence. While rooted in hardship, it reveled in gain, luxury, and getting even - a form of revenge against systemic oppression through economic success. From its raw beginnings of DJs, breakdancing crews, and MCs, hip-hop has infiltrated every aspect of culture, yet its ubiquity is an indictment of the country that drove its people to dream it up in the first place, containing the stubborn truth of how America has treated certain Americans.