Hip Hop Negatives

Rap music allows artists to express the feelings of urban youth who battle unemployment, poverty and racial discrimination. Unfortunately, the images that have been created by hip hop are often associated with crime, drugs and violence. As Ogbar states, there is “an essential premise that presupposes that there are particular traits or characteristics innate to black people. African American young males are typically viewed as naturally criminal and violent.” (Ogbar, page 68). In order to maintain their authenticity, the rappers music is tied to dysfunction and gangster behavior which allows the world to believe black people are criminals. Negative stereotypes of black people have been formed as a result of the hip hop generation.
The hip hop community was born as a way for young black people to deal with racism and the chaos they saw in their neighborhoods during the 1970s. Progress has been made for black people as a result of the civil rights movement. However, the same issues facing black people historically are still prevalent today. The same patterns of inequality are repeated over the generations. Black people face higher unemployment, poverty and racial discrimination when compared to the white population. Rap allows young people to express themselves in the same way “the struggle for

Over the last three decades, rap has grown from a black inner-city culture into a global sensation. “From cinema, clothing lines, magazines, and American vernacular, hip-hop’s influence has made an indelible mark in popular culture.” (ogbar page 38). As a result of rap’s popularity, the artists struggle to remain authentic and not be commercialized. By “keepin it real”, the rappers show themselves as thugs rather than young black people dealing with poverty and underemployment. They feel pressure to legitimize themselves and tend to associate with the negative illusion rap has