Hip hop soul is sub-genre of Contemporary R&B which fuses R&B, neo soul and dance elements with hip hop. The term did not originate until the promotion for Mary J. Blige's debut album What's the 411? in 1992 when Uptown Records proclaimed her to be the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" and generally describes a style of music that blends soulful R&B singing and raw hip hop production. The genre served as a middle point between two other hip hop/R&B blends, new jack swing and neo soul, and while it was most popular during the mid-1990s with the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, and Aaliyah, it still finds popularity with newcomers such as Ashanti, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Keyshia Cole and Amerie.

Many of the artists who released hip hop soul records had previously released new jack swing (or, for the female performers, new jill swing) recordings, including Jodeci, SWV, and TLC. The main difference between the two was that hip hop soul was less rough and contained more of an R&B feel than new jack swing. For example, Hip hop soul used samples instead of synthesizer lines, and featured strong elements of 1990s East Coast hip hop and gangsta rap while deftly incorporating them into a more soulful sound. Hip Hop Soul turned down the booming bass, the deafening drum machines and the Public Enemy-esque wall of sound of new jack swing in favor of a more R&B side of the blend of hip hop and soul. Some of its primary figures include Montell Jordan (the first R&B artist to sign with hip hop label Def Jam Records), Blackstreet (led by Teddy Riley, the inventor of new jack swing), and the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul" Mary J. Blige, TLC, Aaliyah and R.Kelly who adapted the nervy swagger of their rapping counterparts without sacrificing soulful vocals or influences.

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic subculture that originated in African-American and Hispanic-American communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically within the Bronx. The term often refers to hip hop music, which consists of poetry that is spoken - rather than sung - over either original or sampled instrumental recordings mixed with new original sounds from drum machines, and/or other instruments. However, the culture has expanded far beyond its original roots, and now is considered a worldwide subculture comprising rapping, DJing, hip hop dance, and graffiti art - known collectively as "Four Pillars of Hip Hop".

The block parties of DJ Kool Herc at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, where Herc would mix samples of existing records with his own shouts to the crowd and dancers, are generally considered the birthplace of hip hop. Kool Herc is credited as the 'father' of the art form. DJ Afrika Bambaataa of the hip-hop collective Zulu Nation outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, B-boying and graffiti writing. Since its emergence in the South Bronx, hip hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the world.Hip hop music first emerged with Kool Herc and contemporary disc jockeys and imitators creating rhythmic beats by looping breaks (small portions of songs emphasizing a percussive pattern) on two turntables, more commonly referred to as sampling. This was later accompanied by "rap", a rhythmic style of chanting or poetry presented in 16 bar measures or time frames, and beatboxing, a vocal technique mainly used to imitate percussive elements of the music and various technical effects of hip hop DJ's. An original form of dancing and particular styles of dress arose among fans of this new music. These elements experienced considerable refinement and development over the course of the history of the culture.

Peter Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. After the duo went their separate ways, Rock continued with a solo career that has garnered him worldwide respect, though little in the way of mainstream success. Along with groups such as Stetsasonic, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and Gang Starr, Rock played a major role in the merging of elements from jazz into hip hop music (also known as jazz rap). He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, the RZA, and J Dilla as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. Pete Rock is also the older brother and younger cousin, respectively, of rappers Grap Luva and the late Heavy D.

Pete Rock was born in The Bronx, New York, the sixth of seven children of Jamaican immigrant parents. His family moved to Mount Vernon, New York when he was seven years old. During high school, he met his future recording partner CL Smooth. According to Rock, his father was also a part-time DJ who had an impressive record collection. Rock would often accompany his father to a cricket club called Wembley in The Bronx and watch as he spun records for the guests. His first job was as a paperboy, in his neighborhood.

Anouar Hajoui better known as DJ Cut Killer or just Cut Killer (born 6 May 1971) is a renowned French DJ of Moroccan origin with a versatile repertoire of hip hop and rap.

He enjoys international fame and mixed in United States of America through invitations by DJ Big Dawg Pitbulls of Funkmaster Flex and Shadyville DJ's of rapper 50 Cent. For more than fifteen years, he has been one of the most emblematic DJs in French hip hop.

Killer as a young Parisian who loved music and a frenzied activist embraced wholeheartedly the emerging Parisian movement. He joined IZB, the first association to promote the hip-hop and organize concerts, and put down scratches on Original MC’s 1991 album. He performed a memorable role as himself in a scene from the cult movie La Haine. He was a DJ for MC Solaar’s concerts, scratcher on IAM member Akhenaton’s solo album, and a radio show on Radio Nova.

In the middle of the 1990s, Killer had already become a well-respected and active DJ. He adapted and consolidated New York hip-hop in France through many of his mix tapes, mixing the latest releases and the freestyles of French rap, and they became favorites and collectors' items. His dynamic mixes, his smartness to catch the best maxis before anyone, and his flair to find local rappers made his mix-tapes important. The big number of top brass of the second generation of French rap went through this: Sages Poètes de la Rue, Lunatic, 113 and many others. The Hip Hop Soul Party series, composed of double mixed CDs, started in 1996 at MCA’s. From the second volume on, exclusive tracks began to appear from Fabe, Busta Flex, among others, with one CD dedicated to hip-hop, the other to R&B. In volume three, a CD was dedicated to international hip-hop, the other to French hip-hop.