Hip Hop Culture

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Hip Hop culture has come from a inner city expression of life to a multi-billion dollar business. At the beginning of the new millennium it was the top selling genre in the pop charts. It had influences not only on music, but on fashion, film, television, and print. In 2004 Hip Hop celebrated its 30th year anniversary. It wasn’t big for the fact that it was still kicking. It was big because the once Black/Brown inner city culture had grown into a multi-billion dollar global phenomenon (Reeves). Hip Hop culture has provided a platform for all walks of life to speak their mind. Over the past 36 years it has provided us with both entertainment and controversy alike and had a huge impact on our nation’s history. ` The History of Hip Hop During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when the Civil Rights Movement was at a high, many minorities went to the streets and used what was called “strategic offense” to call out the discrimination happening throughout the country. Many gathered to collectively attack the political system in America. When Robert Moses finished the Cross-Bronx Expressway in 1963, 60,000 homes were diminished. Shortly after the Title 1 Sum Clearance Program was put into place and once houses became large apartment building complexes which were available at a very low price. In1968 the Co-Op City offered 15,000 new apartments for a low price which was a large attraction for many middle to lower class Latino/as, African Americans, and Carribeans. The Bronx quickly started to become known as a city of despair. During the early 1970’s, the value of real estate was quickly descending and falling into the hands of slumlords. From 1973-1977 there was an average of 12,00 fires reported each year in the Bronx. After a black o... ... middle of paper ... ...far as to the President’s doorstep at the White House (Price 44). A group of teenagers parent’s rebelled against the lyrics in many albums and are the reason for the “Parental Advisory Explicit Content” that appears on many CD’s. If one was to argue that Hip Hop has not had an effect on American Society, I would ask them what did have an effect? Because it has forced the president to make decisions, forced parents to rebel, artists to be sued, and people to be killed. Though many negative and controversial aspects have risen about Hip Hop, it has been one of if not the most popular music genre over the past 30 years. It has turned into a muli-billion dollarg business and given many struggling people a way out of their hardships. Over the past 30+ years, Hip Hop and its culture has effected American Society in more ways than one and helped write our nation’s history.

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