Hip Hop Vs Hip Hop

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

From the rhythmic flow of speech, to the lyrics and slurs they voice, the resemblance is almost uncanny. Just from the comparison Profes-sor O'Malley makes of the songs "I Don't Allow No Coon to Hurt My Feelings", and "Real Nig-gas" by Puff Daddy, both are immediately expletive and aggressive songs. In addition, both songs can be interpreted to express a theme of masculinity—immediately in the title of the min-strel example, it literally threatens a "coon" (a 19th Century racial slur for African Americans,) to establish dominance. Although interpreted less literally than minstrel lyricism, Gangsta Rap as a whole, shares a similar aspect of masculine dominance in the form of quasi-homophobia, vio-lence, and lack of disregard. Moreover, both Minstrel music and Hip Hop share such stylistic similarities because both derive from African American traditions, as well as relate to the post-industrial conditions of urbanization (O'Malley and Reese). As I searched through collections of African American sheet music, I additionally noticed in songs such as, "Miss Julia is a Handsome Gal," and "Fifty Cents:; Song" that all had thematic stereotypes found in mainstream rap today, such as an affinity for white women, and financial struggles. ( ) Compared to the multifaceted varieties of substance in Hip Hop lyricism, however, it appears as though there is a lack of self-awareness in Minstrel music lyricism— granted that those who composed the songs were predominantly white. Especially when not all of Hip Hop is entirely Gangsta Rap, the intelligent aspect of Hip Hop is a difference which outdoes Minstrelsy. Take the first lines in song , "The Rape Over" by rapper Mos Def for instance: "Listen/ Old white men is runnin' this rap shit/ Cor-porate force is runnin this rap shit/ A tall Israeli is runnin this rap shit/ We poke out our asses for a