Characteristics of Hip Hop Culture - Essay Example

Hip Hop Culture Introduction The 1990s can be considered the most influential period of the 20th century, andthis is mainly because it saw the spread of a unique culture that had developed in the United States to the rest of the world. This culture was hip-hop and unlike the common belief that it is based on music, it came to influence art, culture, fashion, among many other aspects of life. The hip-hop culture reached its zenith in the 1990s and despite the concern from many individuals in American society that it had a corrupting influence, it managed to enter the mainstream, and it has now come to be accepted as a basic part of the diversity of American culture. Hip-hop was extremely influential in the last decade of the twentieth century, and its influence has continued to this day. Characteristics Hip-hop developed in the 1970s as a cultural movement within the black community who lived in certain sections of New York City. It came about as a result of the efforts of the youths from this community who attempted to develop their own sense of identity apart from the negative one that they were normally depicted in by mainstream society (Chang 2011, p.111). It can be considered to have been a rebellion against the negativity that surrounded black youth as well as an attempt to show the reality concerning the lives that these individuals lived. Aspects of this culture include rap music, graffiti, as well as diverse others that have come to be identified with it. It should be noted that despite its having began in the 1970s, hip-hop rose to become one of the most influential aspects of American culture decades later and this has remained the case in the contemporary world of the twenty first century. Despite its continued influence, hip-hop reached its golden age in the 1990s and this was mainly as a result of the influence of the music that was produced by individuals who had been raised within the hip hop culture. The ability of this culture to flourish to such an extent can be attributed to its highly influential nature as well as the music influenced by it, such as rap, which has come to be listened to throughout the world. The 1990s saw the rapid spread of hip-hop culture all over the world from its traditional base in the black neighbourhoods of the United States and its promotion by such influential rappers such as Nas and Busta Rhymes made it extremely attractive to the younger generations during this decade. Music One of the most prevalent aspects of hip-hop culture in the 1990s was music, and this acted as a way of showing the diverse social problems as well as the positive aspects of black communities in the United States. One would suggest that among the greatest and most unappreciated roles that hip-hop music played was that of helping to undermine the wrong perception that American society about black communities (Dyson 2007, p.64). This form of music ensured that the perception of black communities being a part of mainstream American society because of the institution of affirmative action was dispelled. Instead, the reality of the extreme poverty and lack of opportunities in black communities were for the first time highlighted through rap music and this was a means of creating social awareness. It created a situation where a significant number of individuals in American society came to look at black people as a whole differently, and it enabled rap music to acquire a fan base not only in the United States, but also in the rest of the world (Cobb 2007, p.47). The success of hip hop music was so great that it was able to have a wide audience in the mainstream American society despite the massive social and economic gaps that existed between it and the minority black population. One would go as far as to say that hip hop music may have played a huge role in ensuring that the American culture in 1990s was marketed in such a way that showed the society as being one where freedoms were enjoyed from birth. Moreover, in order to show that it was high time for black people to be recognised as being a part of this culture (DiCola and Mcleod 2011, p.132). This is perhaps the reason why despite living in different social settings, black and white people in the United States were brought together for the love of hip hop music, especially rap. The power of this form of music was so great that it may have influenced the development of the social rebellion that would later lead to the significant blurring of social barriers that had continued to exist in the United States even after the institution of Civil Rights for minority groups. The marketing of hip-hop was done using all the media available at the time, both visual and print, to ensure that a much wider audience was reached on a global level, hence its success. Public Enemy’s 1990 album Fear of a Black Planet is one of the most influential hip-hop albums of the 1990s, and it was among the top of the billboards for many weeks. This album was especially most influential among the young generation of the time that it was released having a significant following in the decade. This album was most influential for its being a form of social protest and because of its international flavour; it was able to attract a wide audience in many countries, reaching the top of the popular music charts in many countries (Myrie 2008, p.121). It is possible that this music came at a time when the world was ready for something new and this is what Public Enemy gave them and the fact that it remained at the top of the charts in many countries is a true testament of just how good the album was. The Fear of a Black Planet album can be said to have also been influential in the social perspective because it was able to bring individuals from all over the United States together because of their love for the songs contained within it. This album has been recognized as being among those that have been able to profoundly influence the hip-hop culture across the world, as people from diverse regions are its avid fans. Fashion As a result of the development of hip hop as a music genre, there also developed a fashion to accompany it. The hip-hop fashion came to be adopted all over the world and this was as a result of the effect of its music (Jordan-Smith, 2004, p.112). The ability of hip-hop music to influence individuals was accompanied by its fashion and this was ensured through the commercial success of this music. Hip hop fashion brought about a situation where items that were believed to go hand in hand with it managed to break into mainstream culture with many individuals in society, especially youth who were interested in hip hop taking to wearing clothes related to this genre. Despite the development of hip-hop fashion, it should be noted that clothes mainly came from such designer labels as Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, and others and this created a situation where despite rappers actively promoting these brands, they gained very little as a result. In general, hip-hop fashion tended to consist of baggy jerseys, jeans, and shirts and the big brands mentioned above tended to give artists these clothes for free so that their products could be promoted (Miller 2011, p.13). Clothes that were associated with hip hop culture, as a result of their popularity, became more expensive and individuals in society ended up purchasing them in order to create a link with hip hop. Embracing major designers allowed for the further enhancement of hip-hop fashion to such an extent that a significant number of individuals in American society came to show an interest in the clothes that were promoted. The branding of rapper apparel during the 1990s came about as a result of a shift in the manner through which rappers expressed their masculinity. This change saw a change from these individuals’ using violence to promoting entrepreneurship and a display of wealth as a means of showing their masculinity (Arthur 2006, p.113). These new circumstances brought about a situation where major designer companies saw the potential of promoting themselves through hip-hop culture though alliances with rappers. Therefore, because of hip-hop fashion that there developed a wide range of magazines whose purpose was to promote this new form of fashion to the rest of the world. Features of hip-hop artists on magazine covers allowed for the maximisation of the view of hip-hop culture and made individuals want to dress in the new fashion. The ability to influence the rest of American and world culture made it essential for the hip-hop artist to act as trendsetters and this in such a way that through their being featured in magazines and other media types; they would be able to influence individuals to seek to adopt the culture that they were promoting. Hip-hop artists would in the 1990s come to influence the manner in which individuals from minority groups in American society behaved as a result of their identifying with the music of social struggles against the majority white-dominated society. In this way, hip-hop fashion came to be adopted mostly by the minorities in American society who felt that by dressing in the new way, they were showing their rebellion against mainstream society while at the same time seeking for a form of social justice that was elusive (Elam and Jackson 2005, p.329). Despite this being the case, hip hop fashion in media came to be depicted as a form of rebel fashion and hip hop artists featured in magazines were often shown wearing expensive apparel to ensure that not only were sales high, but that they remained connected with their fans through their dressing informally. The mode of dress that was promoted by hip hop artists came to be viewed as works of art mainly because their fans believed that what these individuals wore was the most appropriate for their daily interactions (Motley and Henderson 2008, p.243). This fashion also came to be depicted on graffiti and this further promoted it to such an extent that by the end of the decade, hip-hop fashion had become among the most important aspects of the fashion industry with many companies often developing clothing lines for ensuring that they tapped into the hip hop fan base. Conclusion Hip-hop fashion and culture today has largely been globalised with very few exceptions, and this can be considered to be as a result of the globalisation of culture in such a way that while it had its origins in the black neighbourhoods of New York, hip hop came to influence the rest of the world. Hip-hop fashion, in this case clothes and accessories, is not only common but it also comes at a much cheaper rate than the traditional ones. Consequently, there is a tendency by the majority of the young population across the globe to conform to what has come to be considered the mainstream youth fashion at the expense of traditional fashions which are losing popularity and in time will become obsolete. The identification of the young population of the world with hip-hop culture has led to a situation where there has largely been a form of conformity with the current fashion trends. A major factor for the dominance of hip-hop fashion is the idolizing of celebrities who are themselves trend setters in the fashion world because they dominate news, magazines and television which have audiences in the billions all over the world. It can be suggested that a significant number of individuals, who would otherwise have been quite ordinary in their choice of clothes are now the biggest consumers of mainstream hip-hop fashion products in their attempt to imitate hip-hop artists or celebrities who are the real fashion icons of the contemporary world. References Arthur, D., 2006. "Hip Hop Consumption and Masculinity." Gender and Consumer Behavior, vol. 8, p.113. Chang, J., 2011. Cant Stop Wont Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation. New York: St. Martins Press. Cobb, J.W., 2007. To the Break of Dawn. New York, NYU Press. DiCola, P. & Mcleod, K., 2011. Creative License: The Law & Culture of Digital Sampling. Duke University Press. 2011. Dyson, M.E., 2007. Know What I Mean? Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. Elam, H.J. & Jackson, K.A., 2005. Black Cultural Traffic: Crossroads in Global Performance and Popular Culture. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. Jordan-Smith, P., 2004. “Fashion and Its Social Agendas: Class, Gender, and Identity in Clothing.” Journal of American Folklore, vol. 117, no. 463, pp. 112-113. Miller, J., 2011. Fashion and Music. Oxford: Berg. Motley, C. & Henderson, G., 2008, "The Global Hip-Hop Diaspora: Understanding The Culture". Business Research, vol. 61, no. 3, pp. 243–244. Myrie, R., 2008. Dont Rhyme for the Sake of Riddlin: The Authorized Story of Public Enemy. Edinburgh: Canongate. Appendices Appendix I Example of hip hop inspired graffiti (Source http://riotsound.com/Graffiti/art-gallery/Rome-Graffiti-Art/Hip_Hop) Appendix II Front cover for the album Fear of a Black Planet by the artist Public Enemy. (Source Def Jam Records) Appendix III Influential hip hop artist Nas (Source hiphopwired.com) Appendix IV Example of hip hop fashion (Source okiwrongwaycrew.wordpress.com) Appendix V Cover of a 1990s hip hop magazine (Source pinterest.com) Appendix VI Picture from the film Style Wars that depicts the beginning of the hip hop subculture (digitizedgraffiti.com) Read More