Hip Hop as a Cultural Movement Essay - 2625 Words

Anson Wong WRI 1200 Prof. Patrice Wilson May 14, 2010 Hip-hop as a Cultural Movement What first comes to mind nowadays when you hear the word ‘hip-hop’? Most people think of a gangster embellished in large diamonds, sporting baggy clothes, huge cars, all with a general disregard for the welfare of humanity. It wasn’t always like this: hip-hop was originally born as a recreational activity, used as an outlet to cope with poverty. The notion of hip-hop has clearly changed in a big way since the advent of hip-hop culture back in the 1970s. Contrary to popular belief, hip-hop is truly a deep-rooted culture that has used rap music as its medium to appeal to its audiences. But time and time again, people have generally disregarded†¦show more content†¦Perkins explains how rap’s focal point is self-expression through vocal means, through the poetic style that was used by famous rap artists such as Run DMC (10). Little did the hip-hop community know, this emphasis on self-expression would lead to a full-blown controversy. While hip-hop embodies self-expression as a whole, rap took the ideal and took it to a whole new level: a new form of rap music, ‘gangsta rap’, emerged as a byproduct of the individuality that hip-hop followers pride themselves on. Author Tricia Rose sums up this controversy by saying â€Å"a key aspect of much of the criticism that has been leveled at hip-hop is the claim that it glorifies, encourages, and causes violence† (34). Riddled with misogyny and violence, rap has come under fire from numerous critics saying that the music itself is socially inappropriate. Author Rachel Sullivan explains how these opinions and attitudes towards rap music created a public view of hip-hoppers as African American low-lifes, and how rap was blamed for supposedly generating a violent fan base (607). It doesn’t help the situation when rappers tend to revel in their ‘gangsta’ lifestyles. As a response to general criticism, rap artists have used a term called ‘keeping it real’ to defend their music, saying that rap music refers to the hardships of street life in the Bronx community (Rose 134). But while the battle continued to rage on within the rap scene, others were forming their own opinions asShow MoreRelatedHip Hop : A Cultural Movement1851 Words   |  8 Pages Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that emerged from the ramshackle South Bronx, New York in the early 1970’s. 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Although the conventional definition of hip-hop is generally correct, it does not adequately portray the gravity of the movement. Coined by the urban youth, Hip-hop has forced its way to the pinnacle of mainstream America. Hip-hop’s massive influence on the English