African American Culture Influence

The U.S. has been influenced by different cultures, trends, and movements. For instance, protest movements and hip hop have been used by African Americans as an avenue to tackle social injustices and other issues. South central L.A. chief rapper of the group N.W.A (Nig*** with Attitude), Ice Cube, seems to have firsthand experience about the hardships of the ghettos. According to the rapper, if one sits calmly at night, he or she is more likely to hear nothing but gunfire, which he has heard so much in his neighborhood (1). At night helicopters are always flying with their spotlight on, looking for someone. If one hears a vehicle with a beatbox and heavy sound at night, of course they are looking for someone. This is what has become of the

Rather, they (Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy-E) decided that they would wear black, as many of the Compton crew, Calif, were fans of the L.A. Raiders, which meant wearing much of Raiders gear. For several years, Raiders apparel was synonymous with N.W.A. and even gangsta rap. O’Shea Jackson, aka Ice Cube, has created a documentary, “Straight Outta L.A.,” about his former group’s connection to Raiders, a pun intended on N.W.A’s 1988 debut album dubbed “Straight Outta Campton.” Cube felt like his uncles played for the Raiders (Cube

rapper Toddy Tee launched the alleged West Coast hip-hop’s opening salvo criticizing police for their brutality in black-dominated neighborhoods. Apparently, the electro-grooved “Batterram,” inspired by the battering ram then-LAPD Chief Daryl Gates could ambush homes of suspected gangster drug dealers, became a hit on KDAY-AM, a local radio station. This is just an example of how the Los Angeles has been affected by the elements of hip-hop and gangster-related music of African-American origin. The track became a protect anthem in the black-dominated neighborhoods around the city of L.A., where many homes were suspected of harboring drugs. The 1992 L.A. riots came and found the soundtrack already in place. West Coast rappers were documenting racial tensions, a grim job market, sanctioned police brutality, a decimated school system, gang life, and the toll of crack cocaine on poor neighborhoods long before the beating of Rodney king by the LAPD officers was documented on tape (Cooper