Should Hip-Hop Artist Produce Music That Is Socially Uplifting By Marc Hill

For a major part of history hip-hop has been seen as a rugged, materialistic or degrading type of music. The impact that hip-hop possesses over young African American students has been a debate greatly augmented through time. Whether or not an individual’s opinion can really persuade a young audience is something that has been heavily toted. Through the article “Should Hip-Hop Artist Produce Music That Is Socially Uplifting” Marc Lamont Hill Introduces a commonsensical thought about the way we perceive a lot of the material we hear in hip-hop music. Hill thoroughly explains how hip-hop music has realistically impacted young students. Hill’s argument smoothly defends against his counterpart Heru Ofori Atta in an attempt to persuade readers towards

Hill stated this in the article when saying “Although such efforts are highly valuable, it is both unfair and unrealistic to expect all artists to produce socially uplifting music”. Music is a form of expression along with other kinds of art music is used to express personal experiences and opinions. Marc Hill showed that he understood this logic. Socially uplifting music should not be vaguely subjective to only talking about political issues. Some of the propaganda in hip-hop music are just as informative towards young students. A lot of hip-hop listeners are potentially going through or have gone through some of the same trials as their favorite hip-hop artist. Hill is cosigning the fact that real life can serve as an equally inspiring message to young African American

As a poet, a fellow writer himself Heru’s bone of contention makes a crucial point when he says “History judges people based on the cultural artifacts they have left behind”. While it is true that based on an abstract view of hip-hop music today the bulk of people would only see promiscuous women, expensive cars, foul language and other greedy aspects, that is not a problem for today’s culture. Because young students have the ability to research and analytically break down lyrics and artist it is easier than ever to obtain a clear notion of what is meant and what is really being said in major hip-hop songs. As Marc Hill stated “…we must expand our understanding of socially uplift in ways that move us beyond the explicitly political”. It is hard to determine what is uplifting for someone else. Because of this Heru’s argument is fraud in the fact that he is not concerned about the African American youth and what they need. But more so on changing the way African Americans are viewed. This is a different issue that needs to be addressed not by forcing hip-hop artist to entertain political issues but actively and physically do something to inspire a