Hip-Hop is a vast and popular culture, one part of Hip-Hop culture is the popular genre of music with lyrics spoken by old school artists such as Tupac, Notorious B.I.G, N.W.A, Grandmaster Flash and modern artists including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Logic and more. Lyrics written and produced depict the hardships and reality for the artists. Contrary, lyrics also showed violence and stereotypes, and portrayed a certain image for listeners. Looking deeper into the genre, evidence shows that hypermasculinity is embedded into lyrics, videos and icons of Hip-Hop. The image of Money, Masculine Fragility and Appearance are prime examples that support the connection to hip-hop and the negative male image it imposes. Money in hip-hop songs, and culture …show more content…
Many hip-hop artists in their work write and boast about large phallic size. Old school artist Notorious B.I.G. stating that he’s wears “thirteens” refers to shoes versus phallic size in his hit “Old Thing Back”, and modern rapper A$AP Rocky’s song “F**kin Problems” lyrics state “But this long-d**k n**ga ain't for the long talkin” (Garett et al., 2012.) perpetuate the idea that black men are supposed to have a large penis. This idea may cause males growing up to have the idea that genital size is linked to attractiveness and status. By growing up with this idea and image, damage to masculinity occurs because males may end up believing they are in fact superior to others, or below others simply due to physical characteristics. Presentation, in a non-physical aspect is also a large force in the hip-hop community. Having flashy jewelry and name brand clothing is a huge importance to many in the hip-hop community. In both old school and modern hip-hop, images of socially stylish men are broadcasted to the public. Having the latest, and most stylish outfits and accessories was, and still is a way to show status and dominance. Old-school rapper Jermaine Dupri wrote about a diamond bracelet which he paid $100,000 for “Trying to stay alive, hundred thou' for the bracelet” (Parker et al., 1998) in his song titled “Money Ain’t a Thang.” Modern day Rapper Fetty Wap is not shy about how much money he has, and how he can buy lavish things. Fetty Wap writes “We be countin' up, watch how far them bands go, We just set a goal, talkin' matchin' Lambos” (Maxwell, 2014.) These lyrics explain that he has extra money even after buying a car only the elite would have the means to buy. To conclude, for males, this notion is engrained into their brains, and is transferred into social life which then leads to how they will be ranked in the social hierarchy. This image of material status will
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Show MoreIn the article “ From Fly to Bitches and Hoes” by Joan Morgan, she often speaks about the positive and negative ideas associated with hip-hop music. Black men display their manhood with full on violence, crime, hidden guilt, and secret escapes through drugs and alcohol. Joan Morgan’s article views the root causes of the advantage of misogyny in rap music lyrics. In the beginning of the incitement her desires shift to focus on from rap culture condemnation to a deeper analysis of the root causes. She shows the hidden causes of unpleasant sexism in rap music and argues that we need to look deeper into understanding misogyny. I agree with Joan Morgan with the stance that black men show their emotions in a different way that is seen a different perspective.
...ed the same fate as Tupac. What we can draw from hyper-masculinity and violence in Hip Hop is that its hyper-masculinity is a downfall for black males from across the global the characteristic of hyper-masculinity that “the belief that violence is manly” is immoral to the community to think that this way to carry yourself to be a man in the hears of your listeners we need music the uplift our people.
Hip hop’s rise to popularity has come at a price. It has been put under a magnifying glass as a result of its commercial success. Hip hop’s critics and fans alike have commented on the current state of hip hop through opinion pieces and books. Tricia Rose’s observation that “Hip Hop is in a terrible crisis” in her book The Hip Hop Wars Rose paints a picture of a culture in a dilemma. Rose describes an example that causes hip hop’s current state of crisis: how people discuss hip hop.
When looking at the landscape of Hip-Hop among African Americans, from the spawn of gangsta rap in the mid 1980s to current day, masculinity and an idea of hardness is central to their image and performance. Stereotypical to Black masculinity, the idea of a strong Black male - one who keeps it real, and is defiant to the point of violence - is prevalent in the genre. This resistant, or even compensatory masculinity, encompasses: the hyper masculinity rife in the Western world, misogyny, and homophobia, all noticeable in their lyrics, which is in part a result of their containment within the Black community. The link of masculinity and rap music was established due to this containment, early innovators remaking public spaces in their segregated neighbourhoods. A notion of authentic masculinity arose from the resistant nature of the genre, but the move to the mainstream in the 90s created a contradiction to their very image - resistance. Ultimately, this in part led to the construction of the masculinity defined earlier, one that prides itself on its authenticity. I’ll be exploring how gender is constructed and performed in Hip Hop, beginning with a historical framework, with the caveat of showing that differing masculine identities in the genre, including artists
“The Hip Hop Wars What We Talk About - And Why It Matters” by Tricia Rose explores what hip hop has done to society in recent years and what people think it has caused. Though it has become one of the most commercially successful genres in mainstream music Tricia Rose explains that the topics in hip hop music have narrowed. Commercial hip hop mainly consist of black gangstas, thugs, pimps, and hoes. In the book she looks into the different points of views of people who think whether hip hop invokes violence or if it reflects life in a black ghetto and if it slows down advancement for African Americans in US. The author goes back and forth with the opinion of the mass on hip hop, she says people view hip hop as a music like heavy metal which people associate with violence but she refutes most of these points by showing the positives of hip hop.
Hip-hop began in the undergrounds in Bronx New York in the early 1970s and has gradually grown to become mainstream music. According to Lori Selke a professional writer for Global post, “hip-hop is the term that refers to more than just a musical genre; it includes culture, dance, art, and even fashion” (Selke). Since it originated in the 1970’s, hip-hop has had profound influence on society, and has grown into the lives of listeners worldwide; hip-hop’s influential power is astonishing. Within the last decade, hip-hop artist like Jay-Z, Nas, and Young Jeezy helped to increase voting in the 2008 presidential campaign by informing a hip hop audience consisting of a majority of African Americans on soon to be 44th President of the United States, by using their voice and lyrics as their tool to encouraging people to stand up for a change by voting. According to Emmett Price in his book Hip Hop Culture (2006), “in the early years prior to the rise of recorded rap music via Sugar Hill Gang’s controversial “Rapper’s Delight” (1979) hip-hop was a growing culture driven by self-determination, a love for life, and a desire to have fun [through entertaining fans and expressing themself].” (Price) Although artists today accomplish the same things, the focus of the lyrics has changed consisting of “extolling violence, drug and alcohol use, and detailing sexual exploits” (Selke). If one were to observe the most popular music from artist in the 80’s until now, they would notice a definitive change in its overall message. If hip-hop continues on its current route it will become a musical genre known solely for its references to sex, drugs, and violence.
Hip hop is both a culture and a lifestyle. As a musical genre it is characterized by its hard hitting beats and rhythms and expressive spoken word lyrics that address topics ranging from economic disparity and inequality, to gun violence and gang affiliated activity. Though the genre emerged with greater popularity in the 1970’s, the musical elements involved and utilized have been around for many years. In this paper, we will cover the history and
In the words of rapper Busta Rhymes, “hip-hop reflects the truth, and the problem is that hip-hop exposes a lot of the negative truth that society tries to conceal. It’s a platform where we could offer information, but it’s also an escape” Hip-hop is a culture that emerged from the Bronx, New York, during the early 1970s. Hip-Hop was a result of African American and Latino youth redirecting their hardships brought by marginalization from society to creativity in the forms of MCing, DJing, aerosol art, and breakdancing. Hip-hop serves as a vehicle for empowerment while transcending borders, skin color, and age. However, the paper will focus on hip-hop from the Chican@-Latin@ population in the United States. In the face of oppression, the Chican@-Latin@ population utilized hip hop music as a means to voice the community’s various issues, desires, and in the process empower its people.
When you hear the expression "Hip-Hop ", music, moving, rapping frequently ring a bell. All things considered, it's the greater part of that and more...Hip-Hop is a culture. As per Webster's word reference, culture is characterized as "the ideas, propensities, aptitudes, expressions, instruments, organizations, and so forth of a given people in a given period; development." One craftsman characterized Hip-Hop as "an arrangement of articulations in vocalization, instrumentation, moving and the visual expressions." All the more particularly, hip jump is a mix of graffiti, break dancing, djing and mcing (otherwise called rapping), that makes a way of life with its own particular dialect, style of dress, music and outlook that is consistently advancing.
Typically when we immediately think about modern hip hop and rap, we immediately de-fine it as a creative mode of expression laden with influences from its African-American roots. Of course, generally speaking, that much of it is true; although the true origin of Hip Hop isn't precisely known, according to Dr. Renford Reese and Becky Blanchard, Hip Hop scholars col-lectively hail the South Bronx in 1970's New York as the birthplace of Hip Hop. Over time, Hip Hop became a cultural phenomenon. As abrasive, succinct, and diverse as each form of expres-sion (emceeing, breakdance, graffiti, and more synonymously, rap music) gets, however, Hip Hop emanates such a contemporary appeal amongst the masses. Ultimately, Hip Hop culture embodies the inextinguishable
As hip hop culture became prevalent in pop culture, so did black culture. Hip hop stems from black struggle. Their vernacular, songs, and spiritual ways were different from what whites were used to. Their different lifestyle of “living on the edge” was intriguing yet inaccessible for the whites living among them. Thus, this initiated America’s fascination with the culture. It became about what people assume and perceive about black people rather than what they actually are. In essence, an essential to cool is being on the outside, looking in. In the media and celebrities today,
For centuries, music has been a powerful form of art that has influenced many people, social policies, and cultures. Music often mirrors the milieu from which it is created. The genre of hip-hop music, also known as rap music, developed among African-American and Latinx youth in the Bronx in the 1970s. Ever since then, it has evolved and spread to all parts of the world. However, hip hop is not just a music category – it is also a form of culture that conveys the marginalization and oppression suffered by individuals of minority populations. Because a culture often involves sharing of customs and values, sampling has been a method of building a tradition and heritage between modern hip-hop and older pieces of the same or different genres. Sampling alludes to the borrowing of musical elements from the recordings of other performers and the incorporation of these sonic* elements into contemporary hip-hop pieces. Sampling can involve borrowing just the rhythm and beat of a piece, but it often integrates parts of the lyrics as well. While it is true
Since its emergence in the South Bronx in the 1970’s, hip hop has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the world. Once an underground genre of music, it is seen in commercials, movies, television shows, etc. It has transformed from music and expanded into a full culture. It has even made its way into fashion and art. Men have always been on the front line of Hip Hop. However, the lyrics and images have changed tremendously. Lyrics and images that once spoke upon the injustices and empowerment for the African American people is now filled with money, cars, jewelry, and of course women.
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.
Have you ever thought about how important hip-hop is? Many people thought it was a simple fad in its beginning, but it has transformed into an enormous international, money-generating business. Some might argue that the culture has become distorted from the original form, due to the “tainted” nature of the genre in the global market. Others agree that the 1990’s were the most prolific time for the art form and this period is commonly referred to as the “golden age” of the Genre. This was the first point in time where a large number of youth grew up listening to hip hop music more than any other genre; they were experiencing the genre throughout their entire lives. During this time period there were many innovative artists who constantly pushed the envelope to create new projects and styles. Creativity seemed to be everlasting, although many clichés were created because of unoriginality. Many people who are now considered legends made their debuts throughout the decade and they are now testaments to the power of the culture. The 1990’s showed people that the art forms of hip hop would be a permanent fixture in music and culture because at this point it existed for roughly twenty years. Minorities had always embraced hip hop since the beginning because they were the creators, but the 1990’s was important because this is when the music being made became more relatable. Artist such as Nas and the Wu-Tang clan embodied a lifestyle in their music that many minorities agreed with because it depicted the lives that those minorities were living. This is not to say that there was not music that was viewed as gimmicky and fabricated.