Hip hop originated in the 1970s in the Bronx, New York among African American communities. It began as a musical genre consisting of rhythmic music accompanied by rapping. Early hip hop music focused on rhythm rather than melody and was characterized by rapping, sampling, programmed beats, and DJing. It provided an outlet for marginalized youth to express the social and economic realities of their lives through music. Key figures like Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc extended instrumental sections of records and some DJs began rapping over the music, which helped establish hip hop's early form.