Disclaimer: As a white girl with a primarily suburban middle-class background, living in the year 2010, I am starting a hip-hop blog with a little trepidation. I don’t feel entirely qualified to form judgments about the hip-hop world. However, as a music fan, I am fascinated by this movement, especially its translation and transformation into present-day hip-hop and rap culture. I will try to tackle the issues as thoroughly and respectfully as possible.
After reading this week’s material, I’ve been thinking about hip-hop’s beginnings—how it gained such cultural momentum, the type of people who established and refined it, the basic values and ideals underlying its foundation, and the changes it has undergone since the 1970s. I was interested to find so much positivity and optimism at the roots of hip-hop.
Today, many people associate hip-hop culture with rap artists who glorify materialism, violence, misogyny, ego battles, jail time, “street credibility,” and other vices. This may not be a correct representation, but the media frequently upholds it. However, in the readings, hip-hop founding fathers like DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa spoke about being role models and giving troubled youths a constructive outlet for their boredom and frustration. Hip-hop was borne out of a sense of community, of people coming together for a common cause and turning their backs on gangs and violence. Early hip-hop lovers shared a mutual respect for one another that they incorporated into their dancing, DJ-ing, and party hosting. In a setting full of tension and unrest, hip-hop provided a common bond for many different types of people.
Especially in the case of the Zulu nation, the hip-hop community revolved around unity. In several of the interviews I read, the DJs and artists refer to black women as their “sisters” and discuss the importance of eradicating gang violence and treating each other like family members—being “warriors for the community.” These are certainly different values from the ones upheld by many popular black rap artists who currently sell millions of records each year.
This brings me to another question: in today’s culture, what exactly qualifies as hip-hop? Has the definition of hip-hop music and culture changed and expanded over the years? Does the term apply to mainstream rappers like T.I. and Lil Wayne, or to more underground DJs, artists, and dancers whose names I wouldn’t recognize? Or is this incorrect labeling? Early hip-hop seemed to revolve more around actions—drawing graffiti, DJ-ing, b-boy dancing, and so on. Today, the word “hip-hop” seems rather broadly applied to most of the music and images created by black artists. I’m sure we will explore the range and definition of modern hip-hop culture in class, but I am interested to understand the implications of the word “hip-hop” in the year 2010 and beyond.
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Same as you, I am a white girl from the suburbs. I hate to admit that I am one of those people who have a tendency to associate hip hop with violence and gangs. Just these first few readings have changed my views.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the definition hip hop culture and music has changed. The beginnings of hip hop, to me, to not nearly resemble the hip hop that people experience today. At least, it doesn't seem to resemble what I have personally experienced as hip hop. While there are similarities, I still feel that what we know today is drastically different.
Mari M.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI was also intrigued by the positive things I read in this week's readings. Not knowing much about hip-hop myself, I was not aware of the emphasis that many DJs and artists placed on peace and non-violence. It was also uplifting to read that many of the gangs that were causing the violence were soon disbanded and the members became more involved in break dancing. But as you and Mari said, none of this is represented in today's perspective of hip-hop.
A possible reason for this might be found on page 55 of "That's the Joint!". The Source asks: "Who owns hip-hop now?" Bam replies: "White Industry." Flash states later: "I think someone went around and said that in order to cut a hit record, he have to disrespect our brothers, sisters, mothers, and children."
Maybe the modern view of hip-hop has been shaped around the idea that offensive content sells records?
Stef F.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteLiked your thoughts, and approach. You make a great point about the need for some definition of terms. It occurred to me that I had been writing on a topic that I could not wholly define. It does appear often that an essentially race based definition of "hip hop" can emerge if some thought isn’t given to terms.
Good insight,
Tom
Katie,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the selections for this week, I also came away with many of the same sentiments regarding the origins of hip-hop. I was encouraged to see how some of the “founding fathers” of hip-hop had such deep respect for not only the women in the community but also each other. To me, it is so sad that today’s popular culture and music industries have turned this facet of hip-hop into something of the past.
Alyssa