In this paper, it will examine how Tricia Rose describes the current condition of hip hop. The paper will also discuss many arguments that are argued by both critics and defenders. The main focus of these arguments relate to issues within the hip hop culture. Not only will this paper discuss the arguments, but it will also debate them. Overall, from this paper one will see that there is a purpose for these arguments, but that does not mean that they are always the best arguments.
To begin, in Tricia’s Rose’s Hip Hop Wars, the author goes into great detail about the current state of hip hop. From reading this book, one will see that Rose feels worried about this new generation of hip hop. This can be seen when Rose states, “Hip hop is in a
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terrible crisis” (Rose, 1). Rose feels concern for this culture because of the messages that are coming from hip hop (Rose). For instance, Rose states “… the most commercially promoted and financially successful hip hop…. has increasingly become a playground for caricatures of black gangstas, pimps, and hoes” (Rose, 1). It becomes increasingly clear that Rose feels that these messages are responsible for the “dumbing’ down of hip hop’s imagery” (Rose, 3). Rose feels this way because of how prevalent these messages are in hip hop music today. Rose also believes that because of these messages, hip hop will never be the same. Rose states, “relying on an ever-narrowing range of images and themes, this commercial juggernaut has played a central role in the near-depletion of what was once a vibrant, diverse, and complex popular genre” (Rose, 1). Overall, Rose is concerned with the messages being sent from hip hop and how it is affecting what hip hop use to be. It is also clear that Rose is concerned with the negative outlook that people have on hip hop. For example, Rose states “…the increased profitability of the gangsta-pimp-ho trinity has inflamed already rile critics” (Rose, 4). Therefore, not only are these new messages changing hip hop, but they are also the cause of many debates. One of these major arguments from the critics is that black people are in some way responsible for the way they are treated.
This can be seen in Rose states, “according to some critics, if we just got rid of hip hop and the bad behavior it supports…. structurally created racism and disadvantage would disappear like vapor” (Rose, 7). One problem with this argument is that it is assuming that hip hop is the cause of bad behavior. Despite what people listen to or watch, they will behave however they want to behave. Therefore, it is unfair to assume that everyone who listens to hip hop is going to misbehave. Also, rather than cause problems, hip hop has created a way for people to express themselves and discuss the issues they face. Another problem with this argument is that it blames the victim for the way people treat them. The critics are basically agreeing to treat black people better if they act differently. In the end, that is not how the world works. People should hold themselves responsible for the way they treat other …show more content…
people. Another argument that critics argue is that hip hop is the root of most issues that plague society. According to Rose, “as hip hop conservative critics would have it, hip hop is primarily responsible for every decline and crisis worldwide except the war in Iraq and global warming” (Rose, 5). First and foremost, to claim that nearly all problems can be traced back to hip hop is a very far stretch. If hip hop was truly that evil, it is safe to assume people would have figured it out by now. Also, it is as if the critics are treating hip hop like it is mind control. It appears that these critics believe that if you listen to hip hop you are going to go out and be apart of the issues in society. Again, this is not true. People are responsible for their own actions and it cannot be blamed on the music they listen to. Moreover, arguments such as these always have counterarguments from defenders. On the other hand, there are also many arguments from the defenders of hip hop.
One of these arguments is somewhat too supportive. That argument, according to Rose, is “For some, all expression in commercialized hip hop, despite its heavy manipulation by the record industry, is the unadulterated truth and literal personal experience of fill-in-the blank rapper…” (Rose, 6). In other words, these supporters believe that everything that these rappers are talking about are true events (Rose, 6). The problem with this argument is the blind trust that these supporters are giving the rappers. This is not to say that these rappers are completely lying, but that does not necessarily mean that they are telling the truth either. Another problem with this argument, is that it seems very superficial. What does it matter if the artist actually did all of the things he is rapping about? They are writing the song to entertain or inform of issues they are aware of. It is artistic expression and they can express themselves in any manner they would like. However, there are also cons to this expression as
well. The final argument made by defenders is simply that they believe the misogynistic words in hip hop are justified. In her book, Rose states their reason for justifying it is because “well, there are bitches and hoes” (Rose, 6) In no way is there argument valid. Rose herself questioned this argument. Rose states, “What do fans, artists, and writers mean when they defend an escalating, highly visible, and extensive form of misogyny against black women by claiming that there are bitches and hoes?” (Rose, 6). Ultimately, how is this helping anyone by doing this? By saying this, these defenders are judging women and assuming things about them that may not even be true. So not only is it not helpful to women, but it could be completely wrong. If these defenders are trying to defend the rapper’s right to musical expression, they can do so without justifying the sexist comments within the music. Instead, these defenders could solely defend their musical expression. That way they are not necessarily flat out supporting this aspect of expression. In conclusion, there are many different arguments circling around hip hop. Some of those arguments come from defenders, and the rest come from the critics. Ultimately, everyone is entilited to their opinions however that does not mean that they are correct. Nonetheless, these arguments are important because they allow us to really look deeper into the meaning and the importance of certain issues.
Hip Hop’s according to James McBride article “Hip Hop Planet” is a singular and different form of music that brings with it a message that only those who pay close attention to it understand it. Many who dislike this form of music would state that it is one “without melody, sensibility, instruments, verse, or harmony and doesn’t even seem to be music” (McBride, pg. 1). Though Hip Hop has proven why it deserves to be called music. In going into depth on its values and origins one understands why it is so popular among young people and why it has kept on evolving among the years instead of dying. Many of Hip Hop values that make it unique and different from other forms of music would be that it makes “visible the inner culture of Americas greatest social problem, its legacy of slavery, has taken the dream deferred to a global scale” (McBride, pg. 8). Hip Hop also “is a music that defies definition, yet defines our collective societies in immeasurable ways” (McBride, pg. 2). The
Hip hop is a form of art that African Americans have been using to get away from oppressions in their lives and allowed their voices to be heard in some type of way. As soon as big corporations seen the attention hip hop brought to the scene, they wanted to capitalize on it. These corporations picked specific types of attributes that some hip hop artists had and allowed it to flourish. The attributes that these artists carried were hypermasculinity, homophobia, violence and sexism. In the book, Hip Hop Wars by Tricia Rose discusses some of these specific attributes. One of the most damaging attribute is when hip hop is used to sexualize and demean everything about being a woman. Tricia Rose writes about this issue in chapter 5 of her book
Hip-Hop became characterized by an aggressive tone marked by graphic descriptions of the harshness and diversity of inner-city life. Primarily a medium of popular entertainment, hip-hop also conveys the more serious voices of youth in the black community. Though the approaches of rappers became more varied in the latter half of the 1980s, message hip-hop remained a viable form for addressing the problems faced by the black community and means to solve those problems. The voices of "message" hip...
To say it lightly, Stanley Crouch does not like the hip-hop genre of music. The dreadlocks, the clothing style, and the "vulgar": gold chains are just a few things he does not approve of at all. (Crouch, 1 ) It astounds him to see how far African-American music has fallen since the days of the Motown. Stanley was quoted as saying this about rap, "It is rudeness, vulgarity, and pornography disguised as ‘keeping it real.'" (Crouch, 1) He also went on to say the hip-hop music genre has the worst impact of all music genres on our culture today. (Crouch, 2) Crouch believes one does not need much talent to become a successful rapper unlike the jazz greats he listens to all the time.
Since the early to mid 90’s, hip-hop has undergone changes that purists would consider degenerating to its culture. At the root of these changes is what has been called “commercial hip-hop". Commercial hip-hop has deteriorated what so many emcees in the 80’s tried to build- a culture of music, dance, creativity, and artistry that would give people not only something to bob their head to, but also an avenue to express themselves and deliver a positive message to their surroundings.
In the words of rapper Busta Rhymes, “hip-hop reflects the truth, and the problem is that hip-hop exposes a lot of the negative truth that society tries to conceal. It’s a platform where we could offer information, but it’s also an escape” Hip-hop is a culture that emerged from the Bronx, New York, during the early 1970s. Hip-Hop was a result of African American and Latino youth redirecting their hardships brought by marginalization from society to creativity in the forms of MCing, DJing, aerosol art, and breakdancing. Hip-hop serves as a vehicle for empowerment while transcending borders, skin color, and age. However, the paper will focus on hip-hop from the Chican@-Latin@ population in the United States. In the face of oppression, the Chican@-Latin@ population utilized hip hop music as a means to voice the community’s various issues, desires, and in the process empower its people.
From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop.
These articles depict the controversies of the hip hop industry and how that makes it difficult for one to succeed. Many of these complications and disputes may be invisible to the population, but these articles take the time to reveal them.
Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that emerged from the dilapidated South Bronx, New York in the early 1970’s. The area’s mostly African American and Puerto Rican residents originated this uniquely American musical genre and culture that over the past four decades has developed into a global sensation impacting the formation of youth culture around the world. The South Bronx was a whirlpool of political, social, and economic upheaval in the years leading up to the inception of Hip-Hop. The early part of the 1970’s found many African American and Hispanic communities desperately seeking relief from the poverty, drug, and crime epidemics engulfing the gang dominated neighborhoods. Hip-Hop proved to be successful as both a creative outlet for expressing the struggles of life amidst the prevailing crime and violence as well as an enjoyable and cheap form of recreation.
Since the beginning of hip hop culture, its music, its style of art, and style of dance has had a major effect on the world and it has increased. ...
Hip hop has multiple branches of style and is a culture of these. This essay will examine Hip Hop from the point of view of the following three popular music scholars, Johnson, Jeffries and Smitherman. It will delve deeper into their understanding of what hip hop is and its relation to the different people that identify with its message and contents. It will also identify the history of Hip hop and its transition into popular music. In particular this essay will focus on what hip hop represents in the black community and how it can be used as a social movement against inequalities faced by them. This will then open up the discussion for the how this has influenced society, and the impact it has had in terms of race issues which hip hop itself often represents through music.
Hip hop has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion. Because of its crossover appeal, it is a great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the streets, hip hop's influence has become well received by a number of different races in this country. A large number of the rap and hip hop audience is non-black. It has gone from the fringes, to the suburbs, and into the corporate boardrooms. Because it has become the fastest growing music genre in the U.S., companies and corporate giants have used its appeal to capitalize on it. Although critics of rap music and hip hop seem to be fixated on the messages of sex, violence, and harsh language, this genre offers a new paradigm of what can be (Lewis, 1998.) The potential of this art form to mend ethnic relations is substantial. Hip hop has challenged the system in ways that have unified individuals across a rich ethnic spectrum. This art form was once considered a fad has kept going strong for more than three decades. Generations consisting of Blacks, Whites, Latinos, and Asians have grown up immersed in hip-hop. Hip hop represents a realignment of America?s cultural aesthetics. Rap songs deliver a message, again and again, to keep it real. It has influenced young people of all races to search for excitement, artistic fulfillment, and a sense of identity by exploring the black underclass (Foreman, 2002). Though it is music, many people do not realize that it is much more than that. Hip hop is a form of art and culture, style, and language, and extension of commerce, and for many, a natural means of living. The purpose of this paper is to examine hip hop and its effect on American culture. Different aspects of hip hop will also be examined to shed some light that helps readers to what hip hop actually is. In order to see hip hop as a cultural influence we need to take a look at its history.
In conclusion, since the early 1970s the boom and craze that is Hip-Hop will continue to be on the rise. Notwithstanding such criticisms, regardless of either most people just associate the two together and undermine the progress Hip-Hop has made its popularity remains largely undiminished. But I guess it’s those haters that always bring about the greatest ingenuity, and in this case it was the evolution of Hip-Hop as a whole. So in order to understand the present, one must look to the past to fully grasp the concept of new school and old school
Since its emergence in the South Bronx in the 1970’s, hip hop has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the world. Once an underground genre of music, it is seen in commercials, movies, television shows, etc. It has transformed from music and expanded into a full culture. It has even made its way into fashion and art. Men have always been on the front line of Hip Hop. However, the lyrics and images have changed tremendously. Lyrics and images that once spoke upon the injustices and empowerment for the African American people is now filled with money, cars, jewelry, and of course women.
Not only is hip-hop a way of expressing ones feelings or views, but it is a part of the urban culture and can be used as a communication tool. Slang originally came from hip-hop music and has become a very popular use in today’s society, especially the urban parts. Hip-hop is a standout amongst the most compelling musical sorts on the globe. There are rappers everywhere that know what amount of an impact their music can have. Some entertainers attempt to utilize that force of impact to do great (Ruiz INT).