Beats, Rhymes, and Life
Hip-Hop Progression from Activism to Sexism and Materialism
Hip-Hop Progression from Activism to Sexism and Materialism
The entire genre of hip-hop brings up fond memories for me. In third grade, I was listening to Dr. Dre on cassettes, I had no idea what he was saying, it just sounded cool. Why do I have the feeling that now, the case is the same as ten years ago for me? We listen to this music because it sounds good, it gets us moving, it isn't what it used to be...enough with cynicism, hip-hop was an amazing form of activism that could not have risen from anything but the gritty, urban areas where the oppressed reside.
I think that this is the draw of hip-hop, it's the people who are oppressed who, instead of using conventional methods of political activism, created their own style of music, with the pretense of empowering these urban citizens, the purpose of setting themselves apart, but also presenting an intelligent argument. When children were told how to rhyme in school, they rhymed about their struggles and fears, during late 60s South Bronx, this was the only form of activism they could use, and look at where it is now.
In one of the articles I was reading, (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050314/hatchmiller) the author talked about the commercialization of hip-hop. Record executives decided that they would like to make money off of this new form of music, but as soon as they realized what it was about, they opted out of artists like Ice-T, Public Enemy, etc. and probably signed the artists who rapped about sex, drugs, and money, the exact opposite of their predecessors. It seems that every movement that had a large following somehow ends up in the hands of a CEO who wants to make money off of either nostalgia or common interest, rebranding the phenomenon with a corporate logo and selling it off as authentic, sick.
On an off note, I was thinking about the exclusiveness of hip-hop. Is it "socially acceptable" for a white person to listen to rap? Many people think not. I think this is a big problem, for hip-hop isn't the only medium in which minorities take an exclusive stance. Here at the university, there are groups such as Trio, or Posse, which aim to unify minority students. But by doing that, they are distancing them from the rest of campus, because they have a LABEL, and it's very hard to become friends with someone part of these groups, for they already have their own friends within their group. This campus should really make a better attempt at diversity, because as far as I can tell we are 0 for 2; remember that photoshop incident? Ok, I'm just ranting now, so let me wrap it up. I feel that hip-hop was a truly groundbreaking medium for self-expression, but it just disappoints me that it has to become a way to make money for corporations, just as previous movements that are over and obsolete, they continue living only in a corporate scheme.
I think that this is the draw of hip-hop, it's the people who are oppressed who, instead of using conventional methods of political activism, created their own style of music, with the pretense of empowering these urban citizens, the purpose of setting themselves apart, but also presenting an intelligent argument. When children were told how to rhyme in school, they rhymed about their struggles and fears, during late 60s South Bronx, this was the only form of activism they could use, and look at where it is now.
In one of the articles I was reading, (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050314/hatchmiller) the author talked about the commercialization of hip-hop. Record executives decided that they would like to make money off of this new form of music, but as soon as they realized what it was about, they opted out of artists like Ice-T, Public Enemy, etc. and probably signed the artists who rapped about sex, drugs, and money, the exact opposite of their predecessors. It seems that every movement that had a large following somehow ends up in the hands of a CEO who wants to make money off of either nostalgia or common interest, rebranding the phenomenon with a corporate logo and selling it off as authentic, sick.
On an off note, I was thinking about the exclusiveness of hip-hop. Is it "socially acceptable" for a white person to listen to rap? Many people think not. I think this is a big problem, for hip-hop isn't the only medium in which minorities take an exclusive stance. Here at the university, there are groups such as Trio, or Posse, which aim to unify minority students. But by doing that, they are distancing them from the rest of campus, because they have a LABEL, and it's very hard to become friends with someone part of these groups, for they already have their own friends within their group. This campus should really make a better attempt at diversity, because as far as I can tell we are 0 for 2; remember that photoshop incident? Ok, I'm just ranting now, so let me wrap it up. I feel that hip-hop was a truly groundbreaking medium for self-expression, but it just disappoints me that it has to become a way to make money for corporations, just as previous movements that are over and obsolete, they continue living only in a corporate scheme.
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