Sociology of Hip-Hop Music - Coursework Example

There is no doubt that hip-hop has permeated popular culture in a fashion that can only be defined as, unprecedented. There exists a crossover type of appeal in this form of music from all the various ethnic groups in the world which establishes it as an artistic element that holds the capability to “unify many diverse populations commonly” (Chang, 2005). Although it is commonly known that initial rap and then the newer wave of hip-hop was developed by black youth who hung on the street corners quite often, its influence has moved beyond just the streets and has turned into a musical prodigy that has become well received by a vast number of races spanning across various parts of the globe.

There exist many things in this musical form that are not well known, such as the fact that many rap and hip-hop audiences are non-black. The music has moved from the fringes to the suburbs, and more recently into corporate boardrooms (Chang, 2005). The reason for this is because it is one of the fastest-growing genres that exist in music today.  Because it is so big and so widely accepted from a sociological standpoint, corporate giants have made it even bigger by using its appeal and capitalizing on it. Furthermore, despite what critics say about it being fixated upon “sex, violence, and harsh language”, a majority of people (specifically the younger generations) see it as a new paradigm of what type of life they might be able to achieve and how different the world could be (Foreman & Neal, 2004). As was stated music has the potential to mend many ethnic relations and this is what many people do want or otherwise, the music would not be as popular as it is today. The music industry itself claims that hip-hop has challenged the governmental systems in ways that have brought unification among the people across a hugely diverse and ethnically rich sphere. Although it was once considered to be only a fad and something that would disappear over time, it has instead taken hold of the people and has been going strong for more than three decades now. Sociologists show that the current generations which find this music appealing consist of “Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and even Asians”, all of whom are growing up on this style of musical representation (Foreman & Neal, 2004). The more defined and higher quality changes that hip-hop has brought have to do with the realignment of cultural aesthetics which have spanned a wide-berth in societies everywhere around the world.  The music has inevitably influenced all young people of all races who now search for “excitement, artistic fulfillment, and a sense of identity through their exploration of the black underclass” (Chang, 2005). Though it is only music, many people do not realize the true potent effect something so simple can have on such a wide range of culturally oriented generations.

The cultural awareness of hip-hop developed during the period the seventies though it was just barely evident during that period time. The true and more natural embodiment of hip-hip took shape in the urban ghettoes where young African American youth felt isolated, degraded, and held down due to societal influences in their environments. There are three known forms of hip-hip and these are the basic rap, then reggae, and zouglou for the international community of Africans (Farley, 1999, p. 60). These very pronounced forms of hip-hip emerged as a means of communicating feelings. Rap is meant for the inner-city youth while reggae is intended for Africans of Caribbean descent and zouglou is for urban African youth. Regardless of the different geographies, the main message is clear. This message that hip-hip has sent out since its birth has held a highly influential and calculating one which this research has been describing as being a force that has taken over an entire generation of people.

Its sway of it is so pervasive that it has driven businesses such as advertisers, filmmakers, and even writers to adopt what is known as a “street” signifier such as cornrows and literary street terms such as “player hater” to gain approval and make a profit from the youth population (Gyekye, 2000). The common perception is that the hip-hip movement has given the invisible the right to now be seen and heard. It is these multitudes of voices that signify the socio-cultural issues which have been in existence for decades yet now they are gaining their constituency (Gyekye, 2000). Furthermore, hip-hip openly debates many social concerns without fear such as a variety of social ills like racism, racial violence, segregation, degradation, and many other societal factors that pose adversities to African Americans. At the same time, it celebrates the opposing sides of capitalism as well.  Many rappers summarize materialism and capitalism in society by their most famous slogan, “It’s all about Benjamin’s Baby” (Massey, 1993). The intelligence of the artists is obvious as well as it has been shown that they are keenly aware of the various global social, political, and economic struggles as well as upheavals throughout the world because they rap about them in their songs. Through hip-hop, the underclass population has been able to thrive because rap has given them a voice to do so. Rap is utilized to be able to plug into the psyche of underappreciated, under-classed, downtrodden, and the people that otherwise would not be seen throughout the world.