Hip Hop Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. In hip-hop production, what is sampling?
Reusing part of an existing recording within a new work
Performing every instrumental part live in one take
Removing all percussion from a finished track
Speeding up a complete song without editing it
2. A DJ has two copies of the same record and alternates between them to keep a short drum passage playing for dancers. Which early technique is being applied?
Breakbeat extension
Vocal doubling
Harmonic singing
Tape saturation
3. Which New York City borough is most closely associated with hip-hop’s emergence during the 1970s?
Staten Island
Brooklyn
Queens
The Bronx
4. Which rock group collaborated with Run-D.M.C. on the influential 1980s version of “Walk This Way”?
The Rolling Stones
Public Image Ltd
Aerosmith
Guns N’ Roses
5. A producer builds a track around hard, prominent kick-and-snare patterns and chopped samples, aiming for a classic 1990s East Coast feel. Which style is the closest match?
G-funk
Trap
Boom bap
Miami bass
6. A track examines inequality, policing, and conditions in the artist’s community. Which description best fits its lyrical focus?
Novelty rap
Party rap
Socially conscious rap
Instrumental hip-hop
7. N.W.A. is most closely associated with which city and regional scene?
Atlanta and the Southern scene
Detroit and the Midwest scene
Compton and the West Coast scene
Philadelphia and the East Coast scene
8. A mural artist creates elaborate letter-based pieces associated with hip-hop culture. Which commonly recognized element does this represent?
DJing
MCing
Breaking
Graffiti art
9. A DJ wants to move smoothly from one track to another without disrupting the dance floor, so the tempos and beats are aligned before the transition. What technique is this?
Freestyling
Beatmatching
Overdubbing
Backspinning
10. A performer imitates a kick drum, snare, and hi-hat using only the mouth and voice. What practice is being demonstrated?
Beatboxing
Toasting
A cappella harmonizing
Scatting
11. At an early hip-hop party, one performer controls the records while another delivers rhythmic spoken lines and energizes the audience. What is the second performer primarily doing?
Beatmatching
MCing
Breaking
Tagging
12. Several MCs form a circle and take turns delivering improvised verses. What is this gathering commonly called?
A soundcheck
A cipher
A remix session
A dance break
13. In a rap battle, which verse would most directly fit the format?
A repeated club hook with no reference to an opponent
A sung ballad focused entirely on romantic nostalgia
A spoken introduction listing the event sponsors
A verse using punchlines and wordplay to answer an opponent
14. During a performance, a DJ moves a vinyl record backward and forward under the needle to create rhythmic sounds. What technique is this?
Looping
Scratching
Punching in
Remastering
15. Which artist released the album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”?
Lil’ Kim
Queen Latifah
Missy Elliott
Lauryn Hill
16. DJ Kool Herc became especially influential in early hip-hop for extending which part of a record?
The instrumental break
The sung chorus
The opening vocal harmony
The closing fade-out