Hip hop music was primarily limited to its country of origin, the United States, until the mid 1980s, at which point it reached into other countries and continents until its presence was worldwide. Along with the music spread the culture. World hip-hop emerged as the genre traveled outside the US and became evolved and localized to the distinct culture of the nation it arrived in. Ian Condry divides the evolution of hip hop into three phases. In his book, Hip-Hop Japan, Condry states the first phase is the imitation of American hip hop. This is followed by a commercial breakthrough during which the music becomes more marketed and mainstream. Using Japan as an example, hip hop maintained underground popularity in nightclubs for years until the late nineties when it became commercialized and integrated into the country's pop music. Once hip hop has achieved a commercial breakthrough, it typically develops some sort of local identity and authenticity specific to each region of popularity. However, Condry makes the argument that in Japan and other hip hop scenes, this development may not be a simple convergence into one sub-genre.

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