Hip Hop Sociology

Hip hop is one of the most prominent component in life and culture today. Today, it is often affiliated as being a musical genre and style that is debatably the leading factor in music today. But hip hop is far more than that. It is a culture and a way life. It has helped form most what we know today. It has greatly influenced many ways that we choose to define ourselves. Clothing styles, all forms of art media, storytelling, and many other canvases that we typically use in our everyday life has been tremendously impacted the culture form of hip hop, and this trend is on a steady constant growth.

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

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.

This paper will explain what some states are doing about prison gangs to prevent them from increasing. The number one reason why staff say that they don't like prison is not due to the contraband or violence. “Prison gangs create the idea in other prisoners head that the prison staff is not in full control (Jane wood, Emma Alleyne, Katarina Mozova, Mark james,page 1).” A prison gang is described, “as a cohesive group of prisoners with a leader, whose criminal activities negatively impact the institution” (Jane wood, Emma Alleyne, Katarina Mozova, Mark james,page 2).

Hip hop has had a considerable influence on modern popular culture, saturating mass media through music, radio broadcasts and a variety of other

Most of these prisoners have families, and a lot of them also have children who heavily rely on them for financial and emotional support. The absence of family members in the homes due to incarceration has a massive indirect impact on society as a whole. These factors usually go unconsidered when sentencing criminals despite the large impact it has on society. When a mother or father goes to prison families usually suffer financial issues due to the loss of regular income. Where there is poverty, depression, anxiety, and insubordinate behavior amongst children follow, according to research by The Annie E. Casey Foundation called “Focus on Children with Incarcerated Parents” [repositories.lib.utexas.edu]. The absence of a mother or father figure also creates an unstable household where children have been shown to participate in criminal activities and join gangs in search for the support they lack. These kids consequently end up suffering the same consequence as their parents, creating a nasty cycle of imprisonment and impoverishment amongst certain

Watching the video “gladiator days: Anatomy of a prison murder” changed my perspective about the prison system. Based on the video I believe that some prisoner is just violent and aggressive. They are the ones that control the prison and really run the prison. The prisoner over run the prison guards just because of the numbers and they cannot be watched all the time. The gang member, who are the violent ones, who run the prison system prey on the new inmates who are weak and vulnerable.

I love everything about hip-hop during that time. The fashion style big chunky gold chains, and earrings, the clothes, the music, and the meaning behind a lot of the songs. Hip-hop music has developed over decades and has had a tremendous global impact on millions of people around the world. Hip-hop is a variety of things, it is rhythm, fashion, vocabulary, and many other things. Hip-hop has pave the way for so many young African American men and women to rise above their hardships.

Even with the seemingly endless list of negative influences, there are countless positive influences deeply rooted in the soul and culture of hip hop. Hip hop is facing the same criticisms that every new type of music has faced in the development of that genre of music. Blues, Jazz, and Rock (in their beginnings) all scared parents and were criticized by the media, but they are now widely accepted and considered “clean” music. New music of any generation is always scary to the non-youth in society because the media only focuses on bad points and downfalls, but always fail to mention the good being done. Breaking down cultural barriers is the most positive influence rap has had on society. It creates/sustains community, is the voice of the people, defines generations, fuels needed protest, and calls attention to injustices. This new style of music allows anybody to control their destiny from the ground up, and has become a new medium for social commentary. Hip hop allows the underprivileged and discriminated to express their feelings, and

They feel that it is good for them to be in prison because it makes them look tougher. Even though most do not want to live a life of violence, they could come across situations that would make them decide if they should act based on violence or live according to the norms. Many people in these black communities try to adjust to the mainstream culture, but for some of them it is hard because they face racism and inequality. Some therefore would accept the code of the streets. Having fewer job opportunities and facing racism is what draws them to a life of

1.) In this class we have examined the sociological forces that created the social conditions from which Hip-Hop emerged in the Bronx. Drawing upon Chang, as well as videos (Bronx is Burning, Flying Cut Sleeves etc.), discuss the sociological roots of rap. Specifically, what social forces (for example: state policies, global economic trends, technological advancements, community characteristics as well as race, class, gender politics) were present and facilitated the development of Hip-Hop?

Hip-Hop has an overwhelming influence on every race, but mostly a significant influence on the black community in America. Hip-Hop is more than music; it is a culture that many people in our society enhances. Over the past decades Hip-Hop has done more than just being a type of music everyone listens to; it also has influenced and uplifted America. Hip-Hop provides a platform for MC’s and rappers to express their opinion about society because not everyone on a day to day basis get the chance to express how they feel about society so they express it in music. Hip-Hop also gives the black community and other communities to express themselves as individuals because that's all some people live up to,music.

Street gangs in this country can probably be traced back to the first wave of Europeans who migrated to the colonies for a better life for themselves and their families. Many of the first gangs were formed as a means of self protection, with the thinking that there is simply strength in numbers. The missions of gangs in today’s society have grown and emerged to include many violent criminal avenues, including drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering, and extortion but the original thinking that there is strength in numbers remains true. Criminology experts believe that the number of teens involved in gangs or gang activity may be as high as 1 in every 5 people in most urban areas. Those number jump to 1 in every 3 people in

The 1980’s consisted of several historical events and societal changes that have been relived though the lyrics of many young hip-hop artists. Of the numerous genres of songs, hip-hop has been labeled as of the most relatable genres. During this 1980’s, many of the songs that were written by male hip-hop artist tend to focus on the relationship aspect of male and female interactions. This finding is similar to what was stated in Frith’s article (1986) that most successful pop songs were about being “happy in love” and “frustrated in love” as well as having a sex interest (p. 78). Instead of using derogatory terms to describe women, men felt the need to use more delicate and gentle terms. Through their music, artists portrayed women as individuals who provide love, support, happiness and fulfillment to a man’s life. Furthermore, male artists portrayed themselves as men who weren’t afraid to express their emotions, admit their dependency on women, and their willingness to do what it takes to keep a woman. There were no signs of hypermasculinity or dominance in the first few songs

Hip Hop in the most popular genre of music between all African American communities, not just in America, but worldwide. Hip Hop has expanded itself into music, fashion, advertisement, movies, and it’s given many rappers, and those associated with the genre, the chance to influence their communities, societies and their culture in general, but commercial Hip Hop in the U.S. has branded Hip Hop in a negative way. (The Young and The Hip-Hop, Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem, 2012, Web, Oct. 27, 2014) This is all due to the negative imagery and negative lyrics like the term nigga, negative implications of Hip Hop include exploiting black adolescent girls, promoting unhealthy lifestyles, and implying that the open use of the word nigga is not harmful. Hip Hop has become a global phenomenon where it has evolved from a genre of music to a lifestyle for the African American community.