Preview

Hip Hop American Culture

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
713 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hip Hop American Culture
When the public thinks about hip-hop, people more than likely come up with the rhyming, beats with profound base, and the scratching of a record into their mind. However, Hip-hop has become a part of American culture with its music, and lifestyle. The style of music has transformed from the rap music that we see these days. The ground-breaking establishment of artists helped institute the hip-hop movement in many types of music, and its performance. It has also branched into in many different styles making the music particularly versatile. Today Hip-hop is not only a type of music that we listen to everyday , but it 's a culture that is deeply related with American society in 20th century .Disagreements of hip-hops origin have always been heated. …show more content…
Abundant amounts people deem the bards as the original "rappers ", and that their performance contributed to today’s Hip-hop. Like early bards, the rappers held on to the customs of scrutinizing and depicting society as they saw it. The issues described in their music were social issues such as drug problems, corruption, teen problems, and poverty. Since the rap was commercialized as it grew more popular, the rappers began to portray the life of urban African Americans through the new type of communication. The group Run-DMC was broadly known as the progenitor of contemporary rap. They were creative and unique enough to get Hip-hop out of the streets and push it more mainstream Run-DMC’s creative ability to incorporate of social commentary, diverse musical elements, and uncompromising cultural identification an integration that pushed the music into the homes of suburban America. They secured its future as an American musical genre with an identifiable tradition. Run-DMC produced the first rap album that was considered gold meaning that five hundred thousand copies were sold and the first rap album to go triple platinum album which means that three million copies of their record was …show more content…
Political rap is a sub-genre of the larger category of rap music, which itself is a subcategory of Hip-Hop. Political rappers construct identities based on an ideology that rebel against the government. Political rap lyrics are used to depict supposed rebellious acts against the United States Government, and often refer to its actions as having negative effects all over the world. Underground rap is differentiable from other rap music in that it denounces the values of popular culture .Underground rappers construct identities based on an ideas that rebel against pop culture. Underground rap lyrics are used to rebel against pop culture, and often blames the world s materialism on this pop culture craze. Gangster rap is differentiable from other rap music in that it makes use of images in urban life associated with violence and crime. This outlet of rap is very unique because it opens a world to that many Americans would not have the opportunity of knowing or

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    "From the school yards of the South Bronx to the tops of the Billboard charts, rap has emerged as one of the most influential musical and cultural forces of our time" (Yale University Press). Rappers and hip hop culture are often criticized for advocating violence, misogyny, and crime. However, rap is actually a form of self-expression for African Americans that is available and accessible to just about everyone. The music and culture that stem from hip hop, "emerged from a uniquely African American disposition, and like the blues, jazz, and soul before it, give voice to those who tend to occupy the lowest rungs of the American social ladder" (NPR). It is one of the most influential and ubiquitous art forms of the past few decades because of…

    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It has been a quarter of a century since hip-hop first made its mark on the American music scene. Hip-hop has become a popular trend that is echoing around the world. By definition, hip-hop refers to a culture that embraces a particular music, language, attitude, and dress fashioned after disadvantaged urban youth. Born out of the ghettos of the South Bronx, New York, and created by black and Latino youth in the late 1970's and early 1980's, this music genre closely identified with the spoken rhymes of rap. When it first emerged, it was considered "ghetto music", a music variety which had no cultural worth or value. Yet its popularity grew with the Internet and MTV reaching millions of homes around the world. Hip-hop music has successfully been exported from the United States to the entire globe; however exporting the hip-hop culture itself remains a challenge.…

    • 893 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip-Hop has been a substantial part of African American society since it emerged in the 70’s. Hip-Hop was created as a musical expression of the low and middle working class of African Americans. Social, economic, political views along with the condition of African American lives are expressed through hip-hop. The cultural aspect of hip-hop contains various different aspects of its significance on society. The historical aspect of hip-hop contains information about how hip-hop was created and how it evolved.…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There once was a boy named Tyrone. Tyrone was having problems at home. So every day he would go meet his uncle at the studio, that he happened to own, and that is where he wrote down all of his emotions and recorded them to music. This is how he successfully gets through his day. Rap music or better known as Hip Hop was originated in the Bronx. Artist like: Biggie and Tupac has effected artist like Jay Z and Andre 3000. Tupac and Biggie have a similarity with Jay Z and Andre 3000, they all speak their reality and relate to a lot their fans. Breakdancing and Graffiti are two of the four elements of Hip Hop. Although some people believe Hip Hop influences African American teens in a violent way; it actually gives the power to find your own voice and free their minds; therefore, hip hop inspires and enables young people to connect to their culture.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Political rap is more understood as a genre that influences actions towards the government (What is Political Rap, 2010). It is clear to see where the confusion would lie in understanding the difference between the two genres considering the definitions intertwine. But political rap is more specific, focusing on just political issues and not others as well. An example of a political rapper would be Dead Prez, a duo group always aiming towards politically unfair issues. Their album RBG Revolutionary but Gangsta, talks about police brutality and the system. A line from the song W4 says “Aint nobody in the hood got no hope in this fucked up system and that’s why we don’t vote”. They are expressing the fact that no matter what we do, whether it is who we vote for, or how hard we work, the system will always push us back down. It is and has always been difficult for colored people to strive because forces are against us. Dead Prez wanted to be the face of revolution against the man. They do have some songs that are made to please their fans, but their political versus stand out the most. If Dead Prez spoken on other topics such as social, economic, and or philosophical, then they can be considered a fully conscious…

    • 2027 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “By 1980s, Hip Hop had become an influential culture throughout United States. Hip Hop artists became signs of the popular culture after releasing successful songs, appearing in several televisions and radio shows, and winning awards. The main artists in this period included Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube, Tung Twista, Quincy Jones, Ice-T, and Snoop Dogg,” (Persaud, 631). “During this period, Hip Hop experienced censorship after realize of a song that was seen by the FBI to causes violence and disrespect the police,” (Gordon, 369). Many Hip Hop musicians releasing songs during this period faced numerous lawsuits because some institutions thought the songs were controversial. Recording companies started to be strict with the lyrics included in the songs. Realizing a song in the first half of 1990s was very challenging due to censorship. The 2000s marked the fourth decade of Hip Hop. Hip Hop music…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip-hop is the latest expressive manifestation of the past and current experience as well as the collective consciousness of African-American and Latino-American youth. But more than any music of the past, it also expresses mainstream American ideas that have now been internalized and embedded into the psyches of American people of color over time.…

    • 1655 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nas said, “When I say 'hip-hop is dead', basically America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead ... Our way of thinking is dead, our commerce is dead. Everything in this society has been done. …..once hip-hoppers owned hip-hop ... We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say”. The introduction new and alternative rap of the mid to late 2000’s and 2010’s changed hip hop to what we know it today and helped to increase…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip hop is a cultural movement that began its journey during the early 1970s, among African American young children’s residing in the South Bronx in New York City. Afterwards, became popular outside of the African American community in the late 1980s and by the 2010s it became the most listened-to musical genre in the entire world. Furthermore, it consists of four fundamental elements, which represent the different manifestations of the culture: rap, turntablism, b-boying, and lastly graffiti art. The term hip hop is often used in a restrictive fashion as synonymous only with the oral practice of the rap music genre. The origin of the hip hop culture stems from the block parties of the Ghetto Brothers.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite heavy debate whether or not Hip Hop is regarded to have the ability to empower a nation, the fact remains that Hip Hop culture has truly influenced Americans nation wide. Hip Hop culture stands as a poignant and historically consequential factor of society as it represents a reflection of socio-political woes and widespread sentiment of traditionally marginalized and oppressed communities. Hip Hop will always provide a voice to a group of people endeavoring to send a message. For many generations to come, Hip Hop will influence and uplift…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Evolution Of Hip Hop

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Hip-hop has many credited fathers; all who have enhanced hip-hop-adding their own style and feel to the new more relatable sound. Hip-hop began as a solution for young people who could not relate to other genres of music such as, funk, soul, and disco. As more faces joined the evolution, hip-hop changed and transformed into something much larger than anyone could have ever imagined…

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Planet Analysis

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In James McBride article “Hip Hop Planet”, he introduces the reader to many issues that are affecting society, including violence, social class, and racism. McBride ensures that he includes hip-hop’s history, in order to explain that the musical genre began as an attempt to avoid or prevent teen gang involvement. Additionally, social class is present in hip hop culture because many of the artist's success determined by the resources that they have when beginning their career as a DJ. Lastly, race is revealed to play a large role in hip hop culture due to the fact that many rappers include lyrics about racial injustices, as well as tension between people of different cultures. Although McBride introduces different arguments throughout his essay,…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Essay On Rap Music

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages

    One of the most influential, and probably the most popular types of music is Rap. Rap music has its own stereotype of what it stands for. Many people think rap music is always about shooting cops, drugs, money and sex. Rappers use quick speaking rhyming sounds to aim for the urban ghetto and speaks of poverty, drugs, money, and fame. Many trends are also associated with rap music. For example, wearing baggy pants, gold chains, and violent…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The History Of Rap Music

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Rap music, likewise often called hip-hop music, is a style of popular music believed to have its starting point in African-American urban neighborhood culture. Generally rap music is quite simply to define. When it comes to rap songs, emphazes in on rhyrhm and rap artist instead of singing are mostly talk the lyrics in different pace and rhythm. However during time rap music has developed in many specific ways, like what is called hip hop with often complex, poetry lyrics than by its topic. Also, since start of rap music in New York City neighbourhood, some sub-genres began to develop with the passing of time, with gansta rap as perhaps one of the most commonly known. Most of rap songs are commonly recognized by for their uncompromising lyrics,…

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women In Hip Hop Culture

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hip Hop has gotten too hard core, it’s only about misogynist and materialism. Back in the day rappers had more to talk about than guns, money, jewels, cars and women. In today’s Hip Hop, it glorifies the ghetto, gangs, guns, money and jewelry which reinforces the tradition of the black stereotypes. Gangster rap is described as the angriest type of rap music where it glamorizes sex and violence. N.W.A was one of the most controversial rap groups in the world of hip hop who are known as the creators of “gansta rap”. The group was an influential force in the Hip-Hop culture because of their harsh music which questioned the government and the police. In all Hip-Hop music video you will always see a female flaunting her assets. These women are often called…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics