The expansion of hip can be tied directly to the growth of urban america. The streets of New York at the end of the 19th century became a conglomeration of cultures, two of which were not accepted by mainstream white america. Due to geographical constraints placed upon these cultures, they were thrown together and began to communicate and develop means of expression that were somewhat based on their societal situation. As the new century wore into the 20's, returning veterans came home with a different outlook towards their country and began to express themselves outside of the norm. As these expressions became more popular, those not within those specific groups or cultures began to enjoy, even emulate, the forms of entertainment provided. The close proximity and higher numbers in an urban setting made the growth of hip what it is today.
Imagine a hipster creating a new style that is trendy and hot, with no audience in which to display his talents. There would be no emulation, no spread of influence or desire to improve upon the new style. A performer needs an audience, correct? The population of Harlem, which I consider the birthplace of today's description of hip, was around 150,000 in the 1920's, providing an audience for hip artists to be seen, heard and most importantly, copied. This in turn, provided the impetus for hipsters to continue evolving and creating new trends.
If the same creators of hip were living in Harlem, Montana in the 1920's, Hip would still be in Harlem, Montana today.
