It’s obvious that Hip Hop has been a significant influence in today’s society. Hip hop has managed to shape thinking, crossed cultural barriers, and have been considered, by some, to be a lifestyle and not just a music genre. Hip Hop has been a “movement” in today’s society. Although all of this is true about hip hop, there is still controversy on whether hip hop, as a whole, has effected society more positively or negatively. This blog will try to present both arguments of hip hop and allow YOU, as a reader to provide your comments about which you feel more about.
According to hiphop-history.com, the culture/lifestyle started in the late 1960’s and the Official Birthday of Hip Hop is November 12, 1974. Most current rap/hip hop listeners didn’t know that this culture/genre/lifestyle started at such an early time. Also according to hiphop-history.com, hip hop music was first introduced in the Bronx located in New York City by a Jamaican DJ, named Clive Campbell a.k.a. “Kool Herc”. Hip hop music and rap are two inseparable terms. The word “rap” derived in the 1960’s, from a slang word that basically meant conversation. Rap was speaking up rhythmically in rhymes with style and is generally along with beats. Rap currently represents the recording aspects of hip hop. According to an article called Hip Hop: Negative Effects on Today’s Youth on bookrags.com, hip hop branched off into “rap” near the end of the 1970’s.
On the negative side, hip hop and rap is believed to have caused a generation of young adults to be more violent, abuse drugs, and be more sexually promiscuous. Hip hop & Rap music contains some violent lyrics and can be interpreted as endorsing violent and illegal behavior in order to get material things such as gold and/or platinum chains, expensive cars and clothes.
Positively, according to ehow.com in an article entitled Positive Effects of Hip Hop Music, violence, drugs, and mysogyny is only a small portion of hip hop and suggests that there are many positive effects hip hop provides to its listeners. The article also suggests that hip hop promotes critical thinking, political awareness, and have the ability to provide role models(can be good) for youth. Since hip hop/rap is such a pop culture phenomenom, then it has the ability to affect the most change in the young generation.
In my opinion, there is no doubt that hip hop has its negative and positive contributions to society. Just as anything, parents and others have to be selective in what type of music we're allowing the youth to listen to. Just as there is bad hip hop/rap, there's also bad music in ALL other genres. Hip Hop does indeed expresses a lifesyle of many African Americans and currently, even others outside of the African American culture.
How do you see it influencing society?
Well, I knew the history of "Hip Hop" and when it was born, November 12 (my birthday). In the beginning I think it was more of an entertainment venue and a way to take yourself away from the stresses of everyday life i.e. poverty, unemployment, violence or whatever! Now a days the kids here these lyrics and automatically think because Jay-Z said (Crack was in my Palm) that they automatically have to sell drugs, carry a gun, and do harm to their peers. I consider myself a Hip-Hop head but on the same token I know that I can't live that Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, or Trey Songz life! I have bills, responsibilities, and this thing that lingers in my brain called "reality." These kids today think that they have a better chance or rapping their way out of the hood instead of going to class and graduting. Truth of the matter is, less than one percent of the population possess the raw talent to even make it to the next level. I am one of the first to pre-order the latest and greatest Hip-Hop album before its released but I know that its only catchy entertainment and once that CD goes off, I have to come back down to Earth and pay my light bill!
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