Hip Hop and Lyrical Intent - Essay Example

Teacher 10 November 2007 Hip Hop and Lyrical Intent The lyrics of mainstream hip hop songs are widely controversial because of constant references to violence, sex and materialism, but the fundamental intent of this musical genre is to unite an otherwise marginalized population within America. From the time that slaves were freed in the United States until now, black Americans have utilized their own unique music to unite themselves as a cultural minority and to deal with the continued oppression of society. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, this musical facet of African American culture developed into hip hop: a genre that not only gives marginalized blacks a strong voice but draws in other minority groups because of its ability to protest against established unethical social structures. The lyrical content of many rappers is highly controversial: songs can often seem very materialistic, racially degrading and misogynistic. Hip hop artists like Kanye West, who are very blatant about their social views and their desire for change, are admittedly difficult to find in mainstream rap. Other artists like DMX often produce songs that are superficially violent and demeaning, but the lyrical content can actually be quite revealing of the modern state of black America. Regardless of controversy, hip hop lyrics have been able to unite American blacks and help them establish a group identity that is essentially the foundation of the continuing civil rights movement. Through this unique use of language, hip hop artists are responsible for not only the unity of American blacks over the past several decades but for the association of many other American minority groups with this common cause. Although it is the lyrical content of hip hop songs that makes them controversial, the interpretation of such songs is completely reliant on the viewpoint of the audience. African-American writer and essayist Gloria Naylor agrees that "words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them their power" (238); one of her main ideas concerning black American language is that to a small black audience, certain themes and words are expected and understandable. When the audience is made larger and incorporates people that are not black Americans, these themes and slang words seem insulting because they are not a part of normal language for such people. Certainly this theory can be applied to hip hop, since the genre often uses words that are completely reliant on context to be interpreted many different ways. The use of racial slurs by white people is universally insulting however when used by minority groups is often considered a symptom of social unity. Kanye West uses the term "niggas" as a way not only to embrace the word as a part of black American culture but also to highlight the ambiguity of the term: originally used by white people in reference to their black slaves, "nigga" worked its way into the black lexicon and became a way for blacks to label themselves and their counterparts. Given the origins of the word, "nigga" is ambiguous in that it represents slave ownership and degradation of black Americans while simultaneously being used as a unifying force within the black culture. Kanye's song "Jesus Walks" talks about the negative aspects of black urban society and uses the word "nigga" not only because it is a term used by blacks to label themselves but because it emphasizes how many white people view blacks: Where restless (Niggas) might snatch your necklace And next these (Niggas) might jack your Lexus These lyrics portray two simultaneous themes: first, a not uncommon reality to blacks living in segregated neighborhoods, and secondly the stubborn views that many white Americans have of black society. The song puts a spotlight on the cycle that is black urban crime and white authoritarian prejudice: by doing this he wants black people to fully understand their own identity and behavior and to try to rise above what history and modern circumstances have led them to. "Nigger" is what the American linguists S.I. and Alan Kayakawa refer to as a "loaded" word; a term that has a specific, strong and emotional connotation. Popular gangster rap artist DMX uses the term repeatedly as a way to identify himself and others: virtually every character in his songs is referred to as "nigga", with the emphasis on such people as his brothers whose lifestyle he fully accepts and understands although it may be based on crime. DMX's lyrics clearly show one of the main controversial themes of hip hop: materialism. This theme works together with the black connotations of the word "nigger" in the hit song "One More Road to Cross" to focus directly on the drive for money in poverty-stricken black communities: "see money get high, I don't knock what a nigga do to get by". What the artist means by using this line is that money is the most important thing in life, and because of this he won't judge any "nigger" for doing whatever is necessary to get it; essentially, the song says that anything a black person needs to do to get money is unfaultable. "Nigger" is often used in this way, as a means to unite the black American community. Hip hop language has spread its realm of influence from a small black population to different societal groups all over America, and currently there are several other minority groups that have found a refuge of sorts within the hip hop genre. Time Magazine writer Tony Karon asserts that "hip-hip's languageis not only the preeminent musical genre of a generation, it's also a complex, ever-evolving organism that has spawned countless dialects that are constantly in conversation with each other". What he means is that the original hip hop form, created by urban black Americans, has been accepted and subsequently reproduced by different cultural groups such as Latin Americans and Asians who appreciate the ability of this kind of music to express life as they see it. By using slang terms and communicative styles inherent in black culture and predominantly black neighborhoods throughout America, hip hop artists like Kanye West and DMX are letting their audience identify with them and subsequently listeners are able to better understand one another in terms of their place in society and what ought to be changed. The unexpected result of the rise of hip hop as the voice of disenfranchised black Americans was the fact that other minority groups felt they could also identify with the music and culture portrayed in hip hop: this is proven by the existence of the Latin-American rapper Pittbull and Asian-American rapper Jin. The prominent black civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. is a figure who also unwittingly recruited other minority groups into the fight for equal rights. In speaking about the Declaration of Independence, King said something that struck the hearts of blacks, Latinos and every other minority group within the United States: This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. By pinpointing the failings of the American government to properly incorporate diverse people into society, King Jr. and his ideal world appealed not only to his own sub-culture but to other socially depressed groups within America as well. Martin Luther King Jr. took the struggle for equal rights between blacks and whites in America very seriously, as did his many followers. These principles were instilled into the black and minority youth of America and in many cases used as fuel for the cultural music that would become modern hip hop. The situations described in hip hop songs, concerning crime, violence, oppression and unnecessary aggression towards blacks, not only were recognizable to the entire marginalized black population of America but to other small oppressed ethnic groups all over the country. Members of minority groups often feel that they are shut out by the predominant white culture of America because of differences in their beliefs and traditions. The variation between the two cultural groups was celebrated for the first time in hip hop and because of this the musical style continues to have an undeniable linguistic and idealistic influence in American music and in minority culture. Although the genre began as a purely black form of expression, modern rap encompasses work by many Latinos as well as a handful of Asians and impoverished whites. This celebration of fundamental differences in black and white culture was what helped to cultivate a unified group that would work towards societal equality and a better way of life. Rapper JT the Bigga Figga is an American musician who summed up the way black language developed into a way for black communities to express their unique take on life and to turn their poor standing in society into something they could actually be proud of: All the slavemasters gave our people straight chittlins and greens, you feel me, stuff that they wasn't eating. But we made it into a delicacy. Same thing with the language. It's the exact same formula. How our people can take the worst, or take our bad condition, and be able to turn it into something we can benefit off of. (Alim 1) In saying this, JT the Bigga Figga has pointed out one of the major themes of black society and music: in dealing with every problem encountered as a culture, black Americans have found a way to conquer challenges and turn this success into the basis of a culture and the hip hop genre. Critics of hip hop are often of the opinion that the use of derogatory terms and constant references to violence does nothing to benefit society, black, minority or otherwise; Harvard psychology professor Gordon Allport believed that the use of labeling in hip hop "distracts our attention from concrete reality" (217). This meant that he thought the act of labeling people, races and themes within music changed the focus from reality to a false sense of society. He believed that certain themes within hip hop, such as labeling of black people themselves as gangsters or niggers, did not help to unify the culture but gave only solidified negative connotations that already existed throughout society. Allport and many other critics maintain that such themes in hip hop merely perpetuate a negative situation in terms of crime, gangster mentality and low education rates. Still other critics believe that while hip hop may have had a real impact on the activism of blacks and other minority groups in the recent past, it has become such a marketable musical genre that contemporary rappers and artists are too distracted by money to deliver any real kind of message. Rap does often revolve around materialism: DMX makes constant references to it in songs such as "One More Road to Cross": I bust off, I need this dough; F**k you think I'm here for my health I need this wealth, because I feed myself. You play with my life, when you play with my money These lyrics show how highly the artist views money; specifically he references how his entire life is put in jeopardy when money becomes an issue. Other artists get even more involved in their references to money, however the common thread throughout hip hop is that money is important and if you are wealthy you ought to be proud of that fact. Money is something that blacks and disenfranchised minorities in America have historically not had a great deal of access to; as this slowly changed, minority groups came to cherish wealth and now this has morphed into what is often a superficial, materialistic outlook on life. With record labels promoting many different kinds of hip hop not only to blacks but to large white audiences as well, the idea that rap and hip hop comes from a rough part of the country where blacks and minorities are constantly fighting, shooting each other and living on the edge. The unique hip hop style of language and music appeals to large numbers because it motivates people from all walks of life to accept that darker side of themselves and stand up for that part of their personality that dissents from the majority. This characteristic of hip hop makes it a success with blacks, minorities and even with millions of white people. Record labels have tended recently to take advantage of the tough image that rappers promote along with the materialistic themes that go along with them; hip hop does still represent the diverse views of its artists and all the walks of life they came from. Hip hop has served as a way for the average black American to express him or herself as part of a fragmented and ailing society. The mere fact that unjust elements of black life were being showcased in this way meant that all minority groups could come together in the knowledge of what they were and work towards the image of what they wanted to be. Materialism, violence and other negative aspects of hip hop were only incorporated because of their presence in the daily lives of hip hop artists and regular citizens; the lyrical content of the songs and the use of black slang merely reflected the truth of their situation. Despite these major themes in today's hip hop and the promotion of such an image by record labels, hip hop still has the ability to unify disenfranchised populations of all kinds because these themes remain true (although often repeated) and because of dynamic artists such as Kanye West who endeavor to further activate blacks to take their futures into their own hands. As time goes on, hip hop is certain to appeal to an even larger audience, and as this happens the lyrical content will become more diversified. The future of the genre will see many new and different types of artists as well as expanded lyrical content that will begin to reflect different societal circumstances that are in need of change. Works Cited Allport, Gordon. "The Language of Prejudice". Language Awareness. 9th edition. Paul Escholz, Alfred Rosa and Virginia Clark. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. 217-228. Hayakawa, S.I. and Alan R. Hayawaka. "Words with Built-In Judgements". Language Awareness. 9th edition. Paul Escholz, Alfred Rosa and Virginia Clark. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. 229-234. Naylor, Gloria. "The Meanings of a Word". Language Awareness. 9th edition. Paul Escholz, Alfred Rosa and Virginia Clark. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. 237-240. King Jr., Martin Luther. "I Have a Dream". Language Awareness. 9th edition. Paul Escholz, Alfred Rosa and Virginia Clark. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005. 244-247. Alim, H. Samy. Roc the Mic Right: The Language of Hip Hop Culture. Routledge, 2006. Karon, Tony. "'Hip-Hop Nation' Is Exhibit A for America's Latest Cultural Revolution". Time Magazine. September 22, 2000. Read More