Hip-hop culture has been the topic of various academic, social, and political discourses. Rap music, in particular, has made its way to mainstream media which is evident in the numerous films and movies that centers on what was once a part of an underground culture. Scholars explain that the popularity of hip-hop in both music and films are partly due to its potential to disseminate information, address an issue, and promote social change. Tinson and McBride (2013), for example, note that hip-hop is a “…form of critical education at the intersection of, and inseparable from political engagement” (1). Scholars further note that hip-hop’s current state “…requires frequent accounting of its engagement with the social, political, and cultural climate
To understand the complexity and influence of Kanye West, one must grasp the context of the music industry at his arrival. Hip hop has become one of the most popular forms of music of the 21st century. Unfortunately, rapping was not always considered this beloved genre of music like it is today. In the 80s and 90s, hip hop had an extremely ardent fan base because many critics considered the genre as “gangsta” or “hood” music. This criticism emerged, “with the mainstream success of gangsta rap, where drugs, violence, and misogyny became more prominent” (Holly).
In American culture, there is a constant state of flux in regards to what is in and what is not. In John Leland’s study, Hip: The History, these fluxes are examined in depth and are thouroughly investigated. Leland establishes that being hip is not something that can be defined by some locals hanging out in a coffee shop in a rainy city wearing combat boots and flannel but rather by centuries of cultures in what was the mxing pot of America all melding together to create a unique yet unified sound. Through his anaylsis of the Beboppers, Leland sets up a premise for Hip that had previously not been established. To be considered hip, in modern day terms, is not someting that is commonly achieved.
As acknowledged by Candice Jenkins, a researcher on Hip-Hop and the Literary from Duke University , “indeed, it calls for a rigorous attention to rap's language and to the genre itself as a particular kind of verbal artifact, one driven as much by aestheticized oral communication as by musical expression” (Jenkins, 2013). Hip-hop and Literary studies focuses on the message that hip-hop music portrays, and the meaning of the diction. Society's ability to function stimulates from being able to communicate and be expressive through different formats. American culture norms are seen to include patience and peacefulness (InterExchange, 2018). Hip-hop was centered around a self-expression for artist, and a form of relatability for audiences;
The legacy of this movement had a powerful impact on the formation of Hip Hop as a subculture, community and subsequently one of the biggest music industry. Hip Hop also plays a very important role in modern culture and society of African-Americans. After the abolition of slavery, African-Americans
Introduction Hip-hop is a cultural art form that originated in urban centres on the American East Coast in the 1970s (Morgan, Marcyliena, and Dionne Bennett, 2011, p.1). From the point of its conception to today, hip hop has been used as a political tool for African Americans to express their discontent with their marginalized status in North American society (Eberhardt and Freeman, 2015). Due to the large role that African Americans played in the development and continuation of the genre, hip-hop has often been described as a part of “black culture” (Ghandonoosh, 2010). By the late 1980s, however, other cultures and races had begun to appreciate and recreate the art form (Rodriquez, 2015). Most notably, starting in the 1990s, white North
Rap started out as a platform for the African American youth to express themselves through this form of poetry about their life experiences. Since it was founded, hip-hop has been a trend setter, but not always in a positive manner. Emerging in rap in the late 1980’s, misogyny is now a constant feature in rap music today. Misogyny can be defined simply as the hatred of women. It reduces women to mere objects to be used and abused by men as they wish.
Street style, however; followed the rise of Hip Hop and Pop, taking inspiration more from music stars in the form of sequin dresses, colorful athleisure pieces, wild prints, and outrageous colors. Fleeting trends during this time included jelly shoes, parachute pants, leg warmers and so much more. Although many look back and see these as silly, numbers of the 1980’s trends have reared their heads in modern culture in the form of ironic tee shirts, mom jeans, and bodysuits (DeLeon). Although many things seemed good in the 1980’s, there was also issues plaguing America. The drug epidemic had by then spun completely out of control.
People were experimenting with vocals creating characteristic "talking-singing" " called rap, pre-recorded tapes on beats usually in 4/4 time signature. DJing, unique stage presence like breakdance was a big factor in hip-hop culture. At the beginning of creating the genre, lyrics was focused on topics such as: racial inequality, government issues, economy, hardships in life. Today, especially in America, topics are more about making money, sex, drugs
Before major hip hop groups such as NWA arrived on the scene, people would refuse to admit they were even from Compton. Nowadays, everyone wears the identity with pride. The genre was a testament to triumphing over hardships, to having enough confidence in oneself not to let the world drag you down, and to rising above the struggle, even when things seem hopeless. Violence in rap did not begin as an affective agent that threatened to harm America 's youth; rather, it was the outcry of an already-existing problem from youth whose world views have been shaped by the inequalities and prejudice they have experienced. The relentless wave of heroic new rappers arriving on the scene formed the golden age of hip hop in the 1980s, a newfound voice which rose from the impoverished ghettos during the 1980s and inspiring a generation of black youth to fight the police brutality they faced on a daily basis.