Is Hip Hop a Culture - Essay Example

?Running Head: Hip Hop Hip Hop [Institute’s Is Hip Hop a Culture? The question of the significance and even the validity of HipHop are much discussed in the United States of America today. Hundreds of universities and community colleges around the world offer courses discussing and dissecting the inception and evolution of Hip Hop, so inspirational is the story of this "revolution." So, is Hip Hop truly a culture? Or is it merely another art form having its fifteen minutes? (Ogbar, 2007). Hip Hop started as an underground movement in around 1970 in Bronx, a run-down borough in New York City (Hess, 2009). It now consists of various art forms that are in a somewhat rough organization, but has four main elements: rap music, turntablism, or DJ-ing, breaking, the Hip Hop dance, and graffiti. It started with house parties at the home of Clive Campbell, or DJ Kool Herc, as he is known, a figure that is widely associated as "the father of Hip Hop" (Hess, 2007). Overtime, the parties became more frequent, attendance grew and the movement spread across the borough. The pioneering stage of Hip Hop was developing at these parties, with Jamaican-inspired events such as impromptu toasting or loud, boastful poetry reading about current events and hardships the main highlights of the soirees. The location of the inception of Hip Hop, and the period in modern American history in which this happened are not a coincidence. The 1970s were a time where social classes were further being cemented in urban cities across America, and the Black youth was feeling resentful towards their dismal standards of living. Furthermore, street gangs were aplenty in the streets of South Bronx at the time, as they still are today, a sign of the struggle with poverty of the region. Due to the competitiveness of the gangs, Hip Hop evolved further as it became a lot about the gangs beating each other in the form of graffiti, or rap, or breakdancing, as opposed to beating each other up (Rose, 2008). And so, it was recognized that the kids of the Bronx and other such beaten down neighborhoods could shape their violent urges into creative ones, and crews focusing on dance, graffiti, rap music began cropping up in the form of Zulu Nation (Rahn, 2002). Over time, the movement gained enough attention to garner dedicated articles and documentaries. Therefore, Hip Hop came to be. While it is true that Hip Hop may have been the result of the united creativity of some poor American kids, what it has grown into is something much bigger. Many argue that it is now one of the most important modern cultures of all time, having an effect on teenagers and the young worldwide (Price, 2006). The incentive behind these frequent get-togethers was to let troubled teenagers stay out of trouble, out of the streets and to give them an outlet for their frustrations without any physical danger to them or anyone else. There are, of course, many critics weighing in on how valuable Hip Hop has been to American kids and the society in general (Lewis, 2009). Many people around the United States of America, and the world, too, argue that Hip Hop has been a negative influence on the youth. It is widely known and acknowledged that Hip Hop came into existence as a distraction for the economically depressed youth of the Bronx. Many of the active players in this movement were Black teenagers, mostly boys that were also in gangs. Over time, this image of Hip Hop has not changed much and instead, has been propagated by music videos that glorify sex, drugs and weapons. Many argue that Hip Hop is an art belonging to the hooligans of society. Moreover, many music videos frequently portray rich Black men visiting clubs and bars, dancing with barely dressed women rapping about money and sex. In fact, many a time, Hip Hop dancers and rappers are frequently associated with criminal tendencies, and do not always harbor a stellar reputation among the more conservative and orthodox members of society. Many experts had recommended that Hip Hop be given official recognition as one of the greatest cultural movements in Art and Music but due to offensive lyrics and themes, this suggestion was not carried through. While it may not elicit unhindered support from all sects of society, the movement in itself has done enough to rock the world. When small groups were getting together in South Bronx 40 years ago, they would not have imagined that they were beginning what was to be a multibillion-dollar empire spanning a multitude of countries. In fact, many researchers have studied the evolution of Hip Hop and come to the conclusion that it is a culture that saved a generation (Pinckney, 2007). Ever since its inception, Hip Hop consisted of expression dealing with struggle, suffering, and the plight of the downtrodden. It gave the lower class a voice, and a channel to release their complaints and grievances, instead of resorting to violence and crime, as the poor usually did at the time, and, unfortunately, continue to do. For the teenagers of the poorest families in New York City, Hip Hop was a new, fresh way to get together with people that were going through similar, if not the same, troubles in life. It was a way for them to think past the classes and the social infrastructure that ruled their daily lives. It was, quite simply, a way for them to leave that all behind and transform their aggression, resentment and anger into something that they could sing, dance and cheer about their struggle became its own expression, and the small house parties grew, with attendance reaching the hundreds, the venues changing from houses to bigger houses and parks. The meetings consisted mainly of loudly spoken words about the struggle of the Black man in this White world, and gave many people hope in the face of adversity, a front where they were all united. The poor, in solidarity, was what Hip Hop symbolizes even today, although commercialism has somewhat swayed it away from its initial purpose. The early lyrical content focused on issues the people faced, social issues concerning money and classes. The lyrics did not shy away from mentions of violence, law breaking and gangs because they were very much a part of the daily life of the people in the movement. In fact, it is because of such sensitive topics that Hip Hop sparked controversy, ever since its young days. Therefore, the legitimization of Hip Hop as a culture was always in question, especially as the movement grew and the focus of the lyrics and other expression shifted to cruder concepts of sex, misogyny and drugs. In fact, the emphasis of Hip Hop has shifted so greatly that many people believe that the mainstream audience has largely ignored the point of spreading the message and truth about living conditions in the ghettos of America. In addition, this mainstream audience is found paying attention to songs about sex, women and money, a theme that is in direct clash with the originators of Hip Hop. Commercialism, capitalism, and classes were the very thing Hip Hop began to "fight" and instead, in modern America, it is the very thing it has started catering to. Hip Hop's legitimacy as a culture, in my opinion, is plain for all to see. It has had a profound social impact on the upbringing of young, black Americans growing up in the ghettos riddled with poverty, disease and struggle. It gave a voice that reflected the harsh social and political truths of the disenfranchised youth. Hip Hop is not merely a genre of music. It is a language, a lifestyle that has transcended tens of cities and united communities under the banner of meaningful expression. While it is true that the commercialization of Hip Hop has greatly affected this art form and the product, there still do exist many rappers and graffiti artists that make up Hip Hop crews that have stayed true to the spirit and soul of Hip Hop, so to speak. Hip Hop has been a catalyst not only for the poor of the Ghettos in America, but also of the downtrodden everywhere else. For example, in Paris and Cape Town, many non-governmental organizations use graffiti and rap beats and lyrics to convey their message to the government and the public, and to let their stance on issues they do not agree with be known. Even in cities in the third world, Hip Hop is a regular form of self-expression. In major cities of India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, for instance, numerous walls and big buildings are covered in graffiti bearing political messages directed towards the government, there for every passerby to see. Another way in which Hip Hop continues to stay true to its roots has been in the latest series of revolutions, where Arab artists have sprung up and written raps in their native language about the on goings in their countries. In addition, they have done so by relating beats and lyrics with what the public and the participants of the revolutions are going through, once again an example of self-expression pertaining to the current issues of the world. Hip Hop has elicited much attention, both negative and positive, in the few decades that it has been around. Many critics, as aforementioned, state that Hip Hop has a terrible influence on teenagers that listen to Rap music religiously, and are given misleading and dangerous ideas about the glory and romance of violence, sex and drugs. Furthermore, many current Hip Hop albums focus on women as inferior beings domesticated by their male counterparts. On the other hand, proponents in favor of Hip Hop argue that it has been a saving force, literally, for many people around the world, and has been a major force in many political movements at the hands of citizens. Be it spontaneous break dances around major venues in Europe, stubborn graffiti in metropolitans in Asia, or angry, honest raps booming in the streets of American ghettoes, Hip Hop is alive and very much shaping up to be a culture that continues to grow and evolve every day (Hess, 2007). Conclusively, the paper included arguments regarding the status of Hip Hop as a culture in light of global and local literature. It is anticipation that the paper will be beneficial in better understanding of the topic. Word Count: 1739 words References Hess, M. (2007). Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=WUJDr83m4n8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Icons+of+Hip+Hop:+An+Encyclopedia+of+the+Movement,+Music,+and+Culture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-IulUqqtMaKx0QWI-4HgCA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Hess, M. (2007). Is Hip Hop Dead? The Past, Present, and Future of America's Most Wanted Music. Greenwood Publishing Group. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=AzRFxdOvAw0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=).+Is+Hip+Hop+Dead?+The+Past,+Present,+and+Future+of+America's+Most+Wanted+Music&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FoylUtDhJafA0QXiwICwCQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Hess, M. (2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide. ABC-CLIO. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=XkCncJ7j744C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hip+Hop+in+America:+A+Regional+Guide&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KYylUqe_Gsmk0QXqhIGQCQ&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA Lewis, G. C. (2009). The Truth behind Hip Hop. Xulon Press. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=WGhA-SP4My8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Truth+behind+Hip+Hop&hl=en&sa=X&ei=N4ylUr_BHYeZ0QXu8YCACQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Ogbar, J. O. G. (2007). Hip-hop revolution: the culture and politics of rap. University Press of Kansas. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=CAZSPwAACAAJ&dq=Hip-hop+revolution:+the+culture+and+politics+of+rap&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SYylUpWTNqeV0AXyvYH4CQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Pinckney, C. (2007). The Influence of Hip-hop Culture on the Perceptions, Attitudes, Values, and Lifestyles of African-American College Students. ProQuest. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=QOzGNrhIWjwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Influence+of+Hip-hop+Culture+on+the+Perceptions,+Attitudes,+Values,+and+Lifestyles+of+African-American+College+Students&hl=en&sa=X&ei=V4ylUqHXJuSm0AXEwYGYBw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Price, E. G. (2006). Hip Hop Culture. ABC-CLIO. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=Q84TiHcqDqcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hip+Hop+Culture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Y4ylUs7jLIGX1AXArYDQCA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Rahn, J. (2002). Painting without Permission: Hip-hop Graffiti Subculture. Greenwood Publishing Group. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=tw90vBmNKhEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Painting+without+Permission:+Hip-hop+Graffiti+Subculture&hl=en&sa=X&ei=b4ylUr-eKsa60QWY_IHwCQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Rose, T. (2008). The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk about when we talk about Hip Hop--and why it Matters. Basic Books. URL: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=PuxOLsxrs-sC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Hip+Hop+Wars:+What+We+Talk+about+when+we+talk+about+Hip+Hop--and+why+it+Matters&hl=en&sa=X&ei=foylUoCcG8Gn0QXThoDoCA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA Read More