Music
boombox
What does boombox mean?
A large, portable, battery-powered stereo with speakers, central to 80s street and hip-hop culture.
"He carried that boombox on his shoulder blasting the latest jams."
Origin
The big portable stereos that defined 70s and 80s urban America, the boombox carried hip-hop out of the home and into the streets, parks, and subways where the culture lived.
Frequently asked questions
What is a boombox?
It's a large portable stereo with built-in speakers, a defining piece of 70s-80s street and hip-hop culture.
Where did the boombox come from?
Portable stereos rose in the late 70s and 80s; in urban America they became inseparable from hip-hop, b-boying, and public block culture.
Was the boombox also called a ghetto blaster?
Yes, 'ghetto blaster' was a common nickname, though boombox is the more neutral and enduring term.
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