Final answer:
Hip hop originated in the mid-1970s in the South Bronx and gradually diffused to nearby locations before spreading nationally and internationally. It exhibited contagious diffusion initially and later hierarchical diffusion. Early hip hop graffiti in cities like Denver likely emerged after the genre had spread from larger urban areas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The origins of hip hop are rooted in the South Bronx of New York City during the mid-1970s, where it started as a powerful cultural and musical movement among Black and Latino youths. It is from this cultural hearth that hip hop began to diffuse, spreading through contagious diffusion nearby before reaching more distant cities. As hip hop music slowly made its way out of the Bronx, it encountered various social, economic, and cultural barriers, which slowed its spread to other areas such as Manhattan and beyond.
It was not until artists like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince from West Philadelphia and acts from Los Angeles that hip hop began to gain recognition on the national stage. This change marked the shift from contagious diffusion to hierarchical diffusion, spreading from larger cities to smaller ones over time. Internationally, countries like Japan and those in the Middle East have embraced hip hop, tailoring it to their cultural contexts.
Graffiti, as a part of hip hop culture, also followed this diffusion pattern. In the case of Denver, it is likely that early hip hop graffiti started after the genre had already established its roots in larger cities and began influencing smaller cities and urban communities across the United States.