Hip Hop Music And Hip-Hop As A Cultural Rap Music

Hip hop, the creation of electronic sound and enticing language is a style born from the African American and Hispanic cultures. It formed in New York City from block parties and the participation of the youth culture. This style of music began as a minimal change in rhythm to a globally popular culture consisting of graffiti art, dancing, and music. Hip hop was not only a type of tasteful music, but it also became a benchmark in history. When this style of music was created, it served as an outlet for those who did not have a voice, particularly the minority groups. These groups were given rights that they deserved just like everyone else. In the 1970’s is when hip hop began to spread, creating not just

stuff, so I don't listen to that genre all that much, but there are many

The author was categorical on various issues related to Hip-Hop music and other genres such as Jazz and Rap. The major assertion was that Hip-Hop has grown and attracted attention of many black Americans and media. Maybe, this was the only way that they could have expressed their discontent and tribulations they were facing especially from a political perspective. The author asserts that Hip-Hop was mainly an avenue to show resistance and the call for deliverance of black Americans.

If we look back at the origins of hip hop it is clear that rap began as a form of expression that allowed black people to stand up to prejudice. The soul that hip hop music communicates is rooted in oppression and marginalization from white people as far back as slavery, to the long time fight for freedom and equality. Hip hop is a

“Examples abound of hip hop permeating the entertainment world and beyond, from television and film, various musical genres, clothing styles, dance styles, marketing trends, the use of language, and more.” (Kitwana 109) Can something actually exist that undermines Middle American and family values threatening the assumed superior culture? There may just be such an inferior culture. This culture being hip-hop.

Hip hop is a culture style that started in the 1970’s. Majority of different funk groups began playing disco music at that time it was popular. During this time funk music was technology driven more electronic sounds was being used on the drum machines. Funk was the new dance in the early 70’s. This particular style of singing in which was being used is called rapping, this begun in African American, Urban Areas, Jamaican American, Latino American and many others cities of the United States. The group of artist or singer say words with a rhythm that rhymes. Some hip hop music lyrics are about violence and illegal drugs. Often time lyrics are about the life of urban people who stay in big cities. Other styles that hip hop uses come from pop music such as disco and reggae. Hip hop and rap music has become very popular and a successful genre in music. The style of dressing called urban clothes is also involved with the hip hop culture. They wore big baggy pants, large t-shirts, and Timberland leather work boots. In the 2000’s the United States and Canada popular music style was hip hop music (Kavanagh).

You’re standing in a crowd amongst thousands of fans at an Eminem concert, people from all over, shoulder to shoulder in a massive stadium, singing along every word of their favorite song for hours. People from all over are connected to each other through the power of music. When it comes to music, the life experiences, inspiration, and current events play a tremendously significant role. Hip hop is a form of art which can be expressed through rap songs, break-dancing, and graffiti art. The culture has become so popular that it has entered today’s fashion and modern language. Hip hop music is an extremely large part of today’s generation and a global genre, which influences the generation all over the world.

Hip-Hop Culture and race have had a complicated relationship in the past two decades. It has been commonly referred to as “black music” and a reflection of black culture. However, recent studies done by the Mediamark Research Inc. showed that 60% of rap music buyers are white. With the emergence of white, Latino, Asian, and other rappers with diverse backgrounds on the Hip Hop scene it is important recognize the changing color of the genre and the stereotype it holds as “black music”. Black culture has also been subject to appropriation because of the popularization of Hip-hop music. However, much of the discourse on the topic confuses cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, and states that hip-hop music is strictly for African Americans or that it doesn’t belong to anyone at all. Hip-Hop is a black art form that transcends cultural boundaries and can be appreciated through the lenses of different cultures as long as those who enjoy it acknowledge its roots. The genre’s growing number of non-black rappers is not due to the appropriation of the genre by other cultures but as an expansion of it due to it’s growing popularity across the world.

In seventh grade, I stumbled my way upon the Detroit based rapper Eminem. I was at 150 listens on his track The Real Slim Shady before I knew it. I then found my way into Kanye West, which exploded my interest into the genre. I have listened to all of the considered essential hip hop “classic” and modern day albums. I noticed in these “classic” albums very distinct change in subject matter and style that each of the different areas of rappers on where they originate from. Some people believe that the hip-hop culture is at a decline with the lose of this uniqueness and individuality shown in each of these areas. I too even thought that the hip-hop culture was at a decline until I was researching my topic, but instead this individuality and uniqueness in the rapper’s different stories that they tell in their raps. The genre has expanded throughout the world and continued to evolve while sticking to these roots of individuality and uniqueness.

Hip hop has, since its creation, been a form of music that has been very prominent in the African American community. However in the two essays, one written by Baruti Kopano, the second by Carlos Morrison and Ronald Jackson II, they make the argument that white community is appropriating hip hop and African American culture through certain actions.

It was not to long ago when Nas said that he believed that Hip Hop was dead which left people offended and confused by his views of Hip Hop music. Nas album “Hip Hop is Dead” was the eighth album by the American Rapper , which was dropped during the year of 2006 and successfully charted at No. 1 on the U.S Billboard 200 chart, which sold over 350,00 copies in its first week. “Hip-hop has had many deaths,” he said during his interview with VH1. “First was when it changed from the park jams and went to corporate America. It became a business, then there was an element lost” ( VH1, Bene Viera).

Hence, allowing diversity within the same culture can be a critical aspect, in accepting the way of life for different groups of people, who makes a choice of pursuing certain values, styles of clothing and attitudes in a given society. Based on this argument, music that is played by a section of the society can be a presentation of their values, attitudes, and ways of doing things in life. Therefore, when looking at whether hip hop is a culture for the black, Latino and other white adolescents living in suburban areas, diversities can be a key in arriving at a conclusion in this discussion.

Hip-hop is the root of black culture. Hip-hop is the insight to black communities and was created in the ghetto (unprivileged black communities in North America). It was a will response to systematic violence in the community. To better understand hip-hop and the issue of gender one must question “at what point did violence, sexism, and homophobia become primary components of a subculture that once was founded on refusal of gang violence and the harmful side of street life and when did black women become the enemy of black male rappers and the hip-hop generation (Guy-Sheftall pg. 191). Hip hop culture is constantly growing, the commercialization and the changing image of hip-hop resulted in the the sexual objectification of women in the

Hip Hop, Rap music, and the culture behind it all, are arts. No two ways about it. The history behind how it started comes from the worst of walks of life. It isn’t only about music either. It’s about the way people spoke, dressed, and carried their lives.

After reading this chapter I learned that Hip-hop is originated from the streets black culture, but also refers to rap. There are five performance forms of hip-hop culture, including rap (rhythm, rhyme to speak), b-box, djing (play record and turntable skills), graffiti writing (graffiti art), beat-box (body Audio). So rap just an element of hip-hop culture. The complete hip-hop culture has dances, clothing, even life attitude. The origin and development of Hip-hop culture was closely related to the United States and Europe. From jazz to the rhythm and blues, to Rap, the contribution of black to American music is really profound. Hip-Hop is not only popular among blacks; it has also been liked by whites, especially young group. Hence by the