“You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge.” A few of the many outspoken rap music artists that emerged during the late 1980s were part of the “world’s most dangerous group,” N.W.A. This quote was the driving force that sparked a fundamental change in the world of music: the evolution of the rap game. Also referred to as Niggaz With Attitude, the group was known for producing lyrics about societal struggles. They accurately summarize this ideology in one of their more famous quotes: “they try to hide what's going on and we tell it like it is.” Many artists in the late 20th century used this perspective to create personal narratives about their experiences and factors that affected their culture. This mindset, the epitome …show more content…
Some of the top trending rap musicians in this category responsible for this upbringing are Drake, Cardi B, and Migos. Proceeding the release of Kanye’s album College Dropout, more rappers strayed away from the standard influence of gangster rap and moved towards rapping about anything and everything that could define their individuality as artists. At the same time, the rise of streaming platforms available today made it easier for fans to discover emerging voices and new tracks, thus reinforcing this new wave of rap music. According to statistics, “listening in the genre increased 74% on Spotify in 2017, and Drake, the Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar were three of the platform’s top five most popular” artists. As we move more mainstream, the preference for music that is more centralized around a partying type of lifestyle increases. Although the theme of party life is consistent throughout rap history, it was never the focal point of a generation’s music until recently. Drake’s support of this trend is clearly displayed with his song “One Dance” off of his Views album from 2016. Ringing in at nearly 1.5 billion plays on Spotify, his most popular song by far, “One Dance,” is the epitome of modern hip-hop as it showcases themes such as party life, women, and fame. In the song “One Dance,” Drake …show more content…
In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, Notorious B.I.G, 2Pac, and N.W.A focused on forming their individuality in every way except for their physical appearance. Their image was focused on “how one displays himself or herself through style choices,” or if they have “a certain level of social capital in the black community” (Berlinger). Therefore, their physical image and what they wore did not matter to them as much as their overall social, emotional, and mental image did. This changed dramatically with emergence of newer branches and subgenres of rap. Back in the day, clothing style was more simplistic in comparison to the style of modern day rappers. Old school era artists wore baggy streetwear clothing, whereas now there is no such thing as simple. Artists still rock streetwear, but now everything is name brand and designer alongside lots of expensive bling. This is in exception to underground rappers as their aesthetics tend to be rather eccentric consisting of “face tattoos, hair dyed in wild colors, and a prescription-drug ooze.” Common fashion seen in the rap genre is “high-end or preppy clothes mixed with oversized sportswear items.” In the past, it was rather difficult to match high fashion with superior motive; however, now it is more common to mix different
As Complex stated on LL’s trademark style “LL represented a distinctly younger, rowdier style (he was only 18 at the time, after all), with track suits, his signature Kangol bucket hat and four-finger rings, which would go on to become the rap fashion standard for much of the ‘80s (Complex).” This look was very cool and when LL Cool J first came out this look was for B-boys but he definitely showed his fans anybody could wear this combination of clothing. Many people in the 80’s took on this trend, especially the bucket hat. This fashion trended spread across the world from tv shows, to other artist, to regular civilians, this style was very popular. Later on in the rap game LL’s fashion influenced Rappers like Eminem and Rick Ross, who began wearing the Kangol bucket hats (Tha Plug). Another trend that LL started from his fashion was the sprayed painted sweatshirt from the Shirt Kings (Fresh Dressed). This trend was set before LL’s sweatshirt blew up because a lot of artists were going to the shop and getting air sprayed for any type of clothing. When LL gotten himself airbrushed on a shirt it hit the magazines and the popularity begin to increase. Giving the artist company who had done his shirt popularity and everyone started getting airbrushed shirts. About every rapper and everyone had an airbrushed shirt, jacket, pants, or anything that you could wear. In Kanye West Yeezy
Hip-Hop became characterized by an aggressive tone marked by graphic descriptions of the harshness and diversity of inner-city life. Primarily a medium of popular entertainment, hip-hop also conveys the more serious voices of youth in the black community. Though the approaches of rappers became more varied in the latter half of the 1980s, message hip-hop remained a viable form for addressing the problems faced by the black community and means to solve those problems. The voices of "message" hip...
During the 80s a controversial group of rappers came together and changed the game of Hip Hop for generations to come. Niggas with Attitude, otherwise known as N.W.A, was comprised of the rappers; Ice Cube, MC Ren, Easy E, Yella, and Dr. Dre. Theses rappers spoke the truth about life in the streets; the hustling, the trapping, the sexual encounters, the gang life, and the most important, the racism. They shined a light on these issues in a violent, sexually explicit, yet intelligent and revolutionary way. The Facebook page, *N.W.A* creates an environment that connects people of all races, backgrounds, and ages; with the goal of immortalizing, and spreading the original message of the group.
Since the early to mid 90’s, hip-hop has undergone changes that purists would consider degenerating to its culture. At the root of these changes is what has been called “commercial hip-hop". Commercial hip-hop has deteriorated what so many emcees in the 80’s tried to build- a culture of music, dance, creativity, and artistry that would give people not only something to bob their head to, but also an avenue to express themselves and deliver a positive message to their surroundings.
George covers much familiar ground: how B-beats became hip hop; how technology changed popular music, which helped to create new technologies; how professional basketball was influenced by hip hop styles; how gangsta rap emerged out of the crack epidemic of the 1980s; how many elements of hip hop culture managed to celebrate, and/or condemn black-on-black violence; how that black-on-black violence was somewhat encouraged by white people scheming on black males to show their foolishness, which often created a huge mess; and finally, how hip hop used and continues to use its art to express black frustration and ambition to blacks while, at the same time, refering that frustration and ambition to millions of whites.
A race issue that occurs within the rap and hip-hop musical genre is the racial stereotypes associated with the musical form. According to Brandt, and Viki rap music and hip- hop music are known for fomenting crime violence, and the continuing formation of negative perceptions revolving around the African-American race (p.362). Many individuals believe that rap and hip-hop music and the culture that forms it is the particular reason for the degradation of the African-American community and the stereotypes that surround that specific ethnic group. An example is a two thousand and seven song produced by artist Nas entitled the N-word. The particular title of the song sparked major debates within not only the African-American community thus the Caucasian communities as well. Debates included topics such as the significance and worth of freedom of speech compared with the need to take a stand against messages that denigrate African-Americans. This specific label turned into an outrage and came to the point where conservative white individuals stood in front of the record label expressing their feelings. These individuals made a point that it is because artists like Nas that there is an increase in gang and street violence within communities. Rap and hip-hop music only depicts a simple-minded image of black men as sex crazed, criminals, or “gangsters”. As said above, community concerns have arisen over time over the use of the N-word, or the fact that many rappers vocalize about white superiority and privilege. Of course rap music did not develop these specific stereotypes, however these stereotypes are being used; and quite successfully in rap and hip-hop which spreads them and keeps the idea that people of color are lazy, all crimin...
Swedenburg, Ted. "Homies in The ‘Hood: Rap’s Commodification of Insubordination." Rpt. in That’s the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Ed. Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal. New York, NY: Routledge, 2004. 579-591. Print.
When West first showed up (late 90s and early 2000s), the world was a different place. Fans of the genre were most likely listening to gangster-rap, artists like: Jay Z, Notorious B.I.G, 50 Cent, Tupac, Ice Cube, Eazy E, N.W.A, Wu-Tang, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg (Best Gangsta Rappers), the kind of music that dominated mainstream rap at the time. Rappers and fans of rap were mostly in a gangster-influenced mind state. West was foreign to the idea of being a “thug” or a “gangster”. West grew up in an average house while his mom made good money working as a professor in the English department at Chicago State University. He was well educated and attracted to more preppy fashions- sport coats, polo shirts, and sunglasses, quite the contrary to what other rappers were wearing in those times. Like many rappers, West wrote about his daily experiences, experiences majorly ...
Hip hop has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion. Because of its crossover appeal, it is a great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the streets, hip hop's influence has become well received by a number of different races in this country. A large number of the rap and hip hop audience is non-black. It has gone from the fringes, to the suburbs, and into the corporate boardrooms. Because it has become the fastest growing music genre in the U.S., companies and corporate giants have used its appeal to capitalize on it. Although critics of rap music and hip hop seem to be fixated on the messages of sex, violence, and harsh language, this genre offers a new paradigm of what can be (Lewis, 1998.) The potential of this art form to mend ethnic relations is substantial. Hip hop has challenged the system in ways that have unified individuals across a rich ethnic spectrum. This art form was once considered a fad has kept going strong for more than three decades. Generations consisting of Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and Asians have grown up immersed in hip-hop. Hip hop represents a realignment of America?s cultural aesthetics. Rap songs deliver a message, again and again, to keep it real. It has influenced young people of all races to search for excitement, artistic fulfillment, and a sense of identity by exploring the black underclass (Foreman, 2002). Though it is music, many people do not realize that it is much more than that. Hip hop is a form of art and culture, style, and language, and extension of commerce, and for many, a natural means of living. The purpose of this paper is to examine hip hop and its effect on American culture. Different aspects of hip hop will also be examined to shed some light that helps readers to what hip hop actually is. In order to see hip hop as a cultural influence we need to take a look at its history.
From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop.
Music producers have an influence on the music that today’s youth listen to that many are affected by even though the producers are unaware of it. Today there’s a lot of drug abuse, violence, and sex all on the rise even though hip hop itself is not to blame.
Music is one of the most powerful and influential language which to many people in
People are surrounded by music every day of their lives. They hear it in their homes, on the radio on their way to work; some people have even caught themselves humming the tune of their favorite song to themselves. But how many people actually listen and not just hear the music they are listening to? Teens in particular don’t realize the message behind the music they are quoting the lyrics to, or the effect it has on them. In today’s culture where rap music has become increasingly popular, many teens aren’t realizing what they are listening to. A lot of teens would argue that the music they listen to has no effect on them, but they are wrong. Rap music, especially, has had a major impact on teenagers in today’s society.
In the eyes of the general public, all of Hip-Hop is usually categorized in the same way. Labeled as the poison of the Black community because nowadays, most Hip-Hop lyrics all sound the same generic way always talking about money, women, cars, drugs, or some type of beef that all these rappers sooner or later continuously have with one another. But what this new generation doesn’t know about are the positive and creative flows that were spit not so long ago in the 80’s and 90’s. Rappers back in the day like Tupac and Ice Cube both had times when they had to show off their thug sides but they both had reasons or a call-to-arms for that, and indeed were in tune with that era’s problems as well as the society where they were raised. Moreover, even though some new school songs actually look promising, old school songs are still always great classics that anybody in this day and age will most certainly vibe to.
Not only is hip-hop a way of expressing ones feelings or views, but it is a part of the urban culture and can be used as a communication tool. Slang originally came from hip-hop music and has become a very popular use in today’s society, especially the urban parts. Hip-hop is a standout amongst the most compelling musical sorts on the globe. There are rappers everywhere that know what amount of an impact their music can have. Some entertainers attempt to utilize that force of impact to do great (Ruiz INT).