Summary: The Social Significance Of Hip Hop Culture

Music has been highly influential in bringing about social issues for many years. Aside from its intention to entertain, it is also used as a channel for people and/or groups to express their emotions, concerns and ideas to others in a more creative way. This enables listeners to interpret and understand the knowledge and experiences of those performing the music at a personal level. Of all the musical genres, I choose to focus on hip-hop, or rap music in specific. Most rap music, from the 1970s up until now, attends to multiple issues, including the expression of identity, the exposure of racial matters and bringing other contemporary problems to light. While most people think it has bestowed a negative influence in society, I personally believe that rap is a significant and powerful form of art in that it still serves as a voice

Before dwelling on the social issues that rap music brings forth, it is important to understand its history and roots. According to Becky Blanchard, who wrote “The Social Significance of Rap & Hip-Hop Culture,” rap first originated in New York’s hip-hop scene around the mid-1970s. At the time, rappers were considered as MCs because they would only introduce and comment on DJs and their songs at hip-hop performances (Blanchard). MCs became more notable after transitioning from basic commentary skills to the sharing of their personal stories. They would eventually start the trend for having spoken rhythmical lyrics with the accompaniment of a beat, which simply defines today’s rap music. Rap may have begun in the 1970s, but like most traditional African American music, it is rooted in the early African tradition of oral storytelling. This tradition required African