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

for those who deserve one.

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

oral historians, called griots, to travel from village to village, sharing stories and delivering messages in an accessible form (Blanchard). Similarly, rap music uses the same concept in modern times. The use of rap to advocate for socio-political issues draws from what Blanchard describes as African American rhyming games during the slavery period in the United States. She mentioned that these rhyming games “allowed slaves to use their creative intellect to provide inspiration and entertainment” as a way to resist their system of oppression (Blanchard). In doing so, slaves were able to create meaningful dialogue to those who experienced the same kind of subjugation that they did. Likewise, rappers produce music and lyrics in an effort to generate a better understanding about certain agendas. Rap music was created not only to please the ear but the mind as well.

One message that rap music delivers is the construction of self-identity. In his article, “Music and Identity,” Simon Frith argues that “identity is not a thing but a process – an experiential process which is most vividly grasped as music. Music seems to be a key to identity because it offers a sense of both self and others” (Frith, 110). Through the medium of music, rappers are able to create a name for themselves, an identity, using both lyrical and musical conventions. One rapper that stresses individuality in his music is Russell Llantino, better known by his stage name D-Pryde. D-Pryde is a signed underground Filipino artist from Canada. He often writes about the ridicule he receives for being a rapper of Asian descent in some of his works. In a culture that is predominantly portrayed by African Americans, other groups, such as Asian Americans, Latin Americans and/or White Americans, find it difficult to take a step further into the mainstream. D-Pryde challenged this notion by responding with the release of “Did It On My Own” on his Mars album. In this verse:

“All they did was really try to hate this Filipino
Like this kid is weak but really I was freaking lethal
And I ain't really acting racial, but my skin is running rapid
I was chinky but surprised them when I spit just like a black kid (D-Pryde).”

D-Pryde is trying to prove that the color of his skin has nothing to do with how well he performs and that he is as good as any mainstream rapper. He used rap music as an outlet to share his lived experiences, which helped reinforce his self-identity. As Frith stated, identity is a process and we, as the listeners, have the opportunity to witness this process in the works of most artists. Whether it affects us or not depends on the content of the music. This makes rap significant because it enables both the artists and listeners to identify themselves within the culture.

Like folk and rock, rap is also a genre under protest music. Many rappers took advantage of their status to highlight the problems surrounding them as a call-to-action. In the 80s and 90s, they were continuously reporting about life and the racial tension in most suburban areas. During this time, African American civilians and gangs were in a constant struggle with the police. According to the article “Rap Music, Black Men, and the Police,” Venise Berry stated that many people refused to admit that police brutality existed among the African American community (Berry, 272). Because of this, many African Americans continued to live in fear but others fought back. The gangster rap group N.W.A, based out of Compton, CA, was considered to be the pioneer of this protest music with their infamous song, “Fuck Tha Police.” They described the violence and prejudice that many, if not all, African American men encountered with the police:

“Fuck the police coming straight from the underground
A young nigga got it bad cause I'm brown
And not the other color so police think
They have the authority to kill a minority
Fuck that shit, cause I ain't the one
For a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun
To be beating on, and thrown in jail (N.W.A)”

This song caused such a controversy that the group received a threat from the FBI. However, they did not choose the lyrical content of the song to be controversial, but rather as an act of courage.

“…it is the anger in rap music that has forced Americans, black and white, to receive, relate, and react. The images and ideology in rap music concerning black men and the police are all tied together within the issues of community, culture, and experience. These rappers and their music posit a self-conscious effort to find voice and challenge “the system” through that voice” (Berry, 275).

N.W.A became the representation for people who were willing to fight back against the injustice, and rap music became the means for addressing the problematic relationship. It opened up more opportunities for other artists to utilize rap as a form of communication with the public.

Some rappers also reported about other contemporary problems not in the United States. In this case, their goal is to promote more awareness about these problems since they are not highly publicized. Rick Lee (LyRicks), a Christian Korean-American rapper from Fairfax, Virginia, often describes the harsh reality of Africa in many of his works. He experienced it first-hand when he visited Uganda in 2006 for a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) mission trip, and now uses music as an outlet to talk about it. At the time, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Africa was still unknown to the world. In an effort to bring in attention, LyRicks wrote and produced “Deliver Me;” it would later become one of his biggest hits. Not only does the song discuss the genocide caused by the LRA in Africa, but it also exposes the ignorance of mankind as a whole. One line in the song reads, “CNN doesn’t reach this ghetto,/ BBC doesn’t see this ghetto,” which suggests that the problems in Africa are not worthy enough to be publicized. In the second verse, LyRicks mentioned:

“We are living in a war zone today, ladies and gentlemen
Babies and relatives, age is irrelevant
‘Cause guns kills and guts spills
But we don't dismantle nothing
‘Cause we don't see it as cool
So we push the channel button, click (LyRicks).”

The lyrics speak for themselves, but he is saying that people tend to ignore issues that do not concern them. Again, he is revealing the truth of society in regards to these kinds of issues. Many rappers similar to LyRicks work to change this in society by spreading positivity and knowledge. By acknowledging the problems first, they can slowly improve them.

Rap music as whole encompasses culture, ideas, religion, hope, support, awareness and talent. For many years, it has positively touched on many social issues. It was initially created as a way to share stories and express personal feelings. Because of this, rap has given artists of all backgrounds an outlet to construct an identity within its culture. It also serves the purpose of improving social consciousness by increasing the awareness of issues occurring inside and outside the nation, such as cases of police brutality in urban communities or massive terror and genocide in third world countries. Having good musical and lyrical conventions is what gives rap its dimensions. The more appealing it is to listeners, the more positivity and knowledge it brings to society. Some aspect of rap may contain negative images but in most cases, it reveals the reality of life. Although it has evolved throughout the years, the essence of rap remains the same; and that is providing a voice for the underrepresented.