I am not sure how many people in this class listen to Hip Hop but I have a couple questions to through out there. When I say Hip Hop I do not mean lame Lil' Wayne or any other rapper that is out there for a quick buck. I am referring to the ones that have something to say, the ones that test the limits, and that try to teach us something. Personally, the "mainstream" rappers I am a fan of are Common, Nas, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. What do you think Du Bois would say about Hip Hop? How do you feel about Nas wanting to name his new album the N word or Reggin? And how do you feel about the record company (def jam) making him change it?
Furthermore, how do you feel when you see people of other races listening to rap music? Ever since I first started to listen to Hip Hop, which is over 15 years ago, I was told that it was "black" music. That was the time of Tupac and Biggie. I never cared because I felt like I could relate to it. I was a young kid from the hood that was poor, that was always tempted to join a gand and was discriminated by the administrators at my high school. So, why are people of other races influenced by Hip Hop even though most artist of Black?
11 years ago
6 comments:
Good questions. I hope you get some comments.
I'm too old to have 'gone for' Hip Hop - but about a year ago I found myself on YouTube one night listening to song after song of tupac. I had no idea how good he was - and I am not only talking about "the message". I felt the production values were fantastic, which is what impressed me. The production values "upheld" the message. and there were lots of babies in them - as if the message is "take care of babies". That surprised me and I thought that was good.
I have to say,,,, I don't like hip hop. But, I think the reason I don't like is because much of it offends women. But I think that if I listen to someone that tries to teach us something of tell us something possitive, maybe I would. Well, do you listen to rock??? Do you like rock?? Or do you think is more of a like or dislike, that makes us listen to the music we listen to. Our Genes, neighborhood, friends. What do you think?
I like music and I listen to everything it all depends on my mood and what I am doing. I respect what other people listen to, because it is their right to listen to what they enjoy. What I don't get is how the N word is used in Hip Hop and it is offensive to African-Americans's. I was watching a movie (I forgot the name?) and a black man goes into this white man's body when he is killed. He is listening to hip hop with ear phones on and is rapping along with the song saying the N word, but the people listening to him start giving him dirty looks because here is this white man rapping along. They don't know the man is really black. You kind of have to see the movie. I guess what I am saying is if it is offensive then it shouldn't be used because people of all races listen to hip hop.
I think that hip hop has been last for quite a while now. Lil' Jon, Lil' Wayne, Lil' Bow Wow, and any other Lil's you can think of are just in it for the money. This may seem an extreme statement, but I think that "hip-hop" today is an indirect form of oppression to minorities. Black bodies, white heads!
Check out the PBS documentary:
Hip Hop: Beyond the beats and rhymes by Byron Hurt. It will change your way of thinking about today's "hip hop"
All I can say is that I am a music fan, from loving all kinds of different genre and different timeline. I am a musician as well. When I see Hip Hop, I see it more of a culture.
Learning its history and roots, Hip Hop can be traced all the way from the Harlem Renaissances during the 1920s. Accompanied with poetry and jazz music as a form of artistic expression. Until the culture was labeled as Hip Hop in the 1980s. Looking at Dubois perspective regarding how capitalism can change a culture. I would claim that Dubois would probably say that the Music "Business" or capitalism has tainted the culture of Hip Hop. Due to capitalism or the business aspect of music, this idea has led many artist to materialism and the objectification of women. They lean their artistry to promote merchandising and "they do whatever it takes" just to make a profit... So, they lean their creative aspect to what they are supposed to do just to make money.
In addition, when it comes to race, it is hard for me to explain, because I am too lazy to type all the deep stuff. All I can do is show you some short clips and documentaries on how they view Hip Hop regarding their ethnicity.
Hip Hop in Japanesse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm9VK16MmGU
Hip Hop in Uganda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2FnO9zjYx8&feature=related
Hip Hop in Korea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=070cWKswnOA
Hip Hop in Cuba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOG_SwRL18s
Hip Hop in Haiti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-92knT5sSk
Hip Hop in Palestine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0f8cL9ZUE
Hip Hop within Native Americans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbeaNmGk6wE
Hip Hop in France
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woyIb9LsSfU
Hip Hop in UK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKSyMlFF6OQ
Hip Hop in Australia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU4MPw_zb38
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