Ian Patton
Rachael Ryerson
Writing and Rhetoric I
20 March 2015
Modern Day Hip-Hop and Rap Music
As I have grown in age I have grown to appreciate the hip-hop and rap culture
more and more. When I was younger my parents used to play all types of music around
the house and the car. Then my appreciation was very minimal, I used to hate when they
played music, as I think of it now, I have no idea why. I guess it was because I didn’t like
the music. I mention this time in my life because one of the main types of music my
parents played was rap and hip-hop music. They played artists such as Mos Def, Talib
Kweli, and Common. All of these artists all fit in a category of rappers who rap about life
and how they overcame there struggles, rap music that today we don’t see much of.
Todays rap music is mainly about doing drugs, making money, having a lot of girls, and
that needs to change. Sadly, my appreciation for the “good” rap music came right around
the time the “bad” rap music that we all know became popular. Ever since I have
appreciated music, which it probably started around the 7th or 8th grade, I have been in
search for those rap artists who rap about relevant and relatable subjects. Now I
absolutely love rap music, in my opinion, if done correctly, it is the most complex form
of music, and the most creative form of music. In rap music one is able to write
specifically word for word how one feels at that time, and intertwine words so that
rhyme, its really a beautiful form of music, and I hate to see it diluted by the ones who
don’t use rap music to its full potential. Taking all of this into account, I’d love to see
how the transition from “good” rap, to “bad” rap came to be.
I began my research by looking at the history of rap and hip-hop and how it all
started. Hip-hop is a youth arts mass movement that evolved in the Bronx, New York,
during the early 1970’s. Compromised of disc jockeys (DJ’s/turntablists), emcees
(MC’s), break-dancers (b-boys and b- girls), and graffiti writers (aerosol artists). During
this time in history hip hop and rap were simply about having fun, there was no negative
implications that came with this art form. Yes it was one in the same with graffiti, which
then was frowned upon, but even then it was less frowned upon than it is now. Author of
Rap Music and Street Consciousness, Cheryl Lynette Keyes described what rap and hiphop used to be as, “a form of stylized, language, and gestures associated with urban street
culture”. I appreciate this way of describing what rap and hip hop used to be because at
the beginning of it all, rap groups such as Run DMC, and Wu-Tang Clan, made music for
the people in the New York streets so that they could relate. Back then there was no need
to flaunt about everything they had gotten because of rap, those groups truly loved to
make and perform music for “their” people, the people they grew up with, the people that
they wished to inspire. Keyes also in her book, mentions how even before the New York
rap scene, or the “beginning of rap”, that “Most critics and scholars concur that rap music
is confluence of African American and Caribbean culture expressions, such as sermons,
blues, game songs, and toasts and toasting, all of which are recited in a chanted rhyme or
poetic fashion”. Before rap was known a rap, there were earlier forms both in America
and the Caribbean, which mainly focused on activities associated with, at the time, the
American and Caribbean cultures, its pretty self explanatory when it comes to the fact
that clearly there was no mal-intent or negativity associated with this music at the time. I
elaborate on the history of Hip-Hop and Rap simply to show that there was a time or
multiple times in history where rap wasn’t frowned upon and actually embraced as a form
of positive entertainment.
The current issue that surrounds both the Rap and Hip-Hop music, and culture is
that too many of the artists today talk about the use of drugs and alcohol, the involvement
in gang-related activity, and the degradation of females in our society. I agree that all of
those points are too prevalent in todays rap music. Often artists refer to their partners as
"bitches" and "whores" and they appear to take pride in describing their abuse of power
in sexual situations also rappers seem to take pride in their illegal drug consumption.
Neither of these topics are topics that should be relayed on the radio so that everyone
including children and immature people in general should hear. Unlike in the first
paragraph where I mentioned how rappers rapped in order to inspire and relate, now it’s
the cool thing to do the opposite. Authors Franklin B. Krohn and Frances L. Suazo argue
that in rap, “Often the words reflect the frustration over poverty, drugs, violence, poor
schools, family breakdown and racial tension”, which to a certain degree I agree with, but
I would also like to stress the point that many rappers take that reasoning too far. I agree
that it is okay to talk about life and the struggles that one has been through, but that is
different than taking pride in doing and saying offensive things, which is what’s
happening more often than not. Also another very bothersome topic is that, “In the rap
world, women represent success, and they are treated almost as accessories: a means for
rappers to prove that they have made it to the top. It is not that rappers feel that women
are inferior, but they feel treating women like a collector’s item is how they should go
about displaying their newfound success”. There is no excuse for this; whether or not
they are rapping the “truth” or how they have “made it” is irrelevant simply because of
how inappropriate this content is. Brandon Albert of Ohio State University has a point
though, that, “Unfortunately, sex sells in our society, and the media has uncovered this
fixation. Hip-hop has convinced a large portion of society that this is how women should
be treated, but new times call for new measures and it is time that the people recognize
and give women the respect that they truly deserve”. I respect and agree with this
statement because he mentions that this is the sad truth of today, but at the same time that
is no excuse for the way women are treated. Like I elaborated on earlier, Albert also
mentioned how, “In the beginning, women were hardly mentioned in lyrics and videos. If
you look back at the RUN DMC days, Reverend Run and the gang always rapped about
different life experiences. Hip-hop was fun, refreshing, and new. There are a lot of
innovative artists that are still keeping hip-hop fresh and exciting such as Kanye West,
Common, Mos Def, and Lupe Fiasco”. These are those artists that I tend to listen to most,
these artists are true storytellers, and not tellers of what have become today’s norm, but
tellers of actual world issues or even complex personal issues. These are the artists that if
I could tell all the others, to listen to I would.
Although there many negative points within this topic of conversation, there are
positive points as well. Many, including me believe rap music is a true art form and takes
both intelligence and natural skill in order to preform. Rap music along with its negative
impact on the community, also has a many positive impacts on communities all over the
world as well. This is best explained in the Current Controversies: Rap and Hip-Hop
article, “The foundation of rap music is rhythm and rhyme, and rap/poetry is a significant
mode of African American linguistic expression. Most raps are written first as poems,
and to understand the true significance of rap, one must acknowledge the poetry inherent
in the form. Rap is the most vibrant element in African American literature today”. If
rappers in today’s society could understand this the maybe rap music wouldn’t be under
so much scrutiny from not only the people who don appreciate it, but the people who love
it as well. “With its origins firmly in the African American community, hip-hop has
evolved to become a global cultural community whose members are united by a common
language and knowledge base. Hip-hoppers come from diverse backgrounds but share a
set of understandings about aesthetic, social, intellectual, and political identities, and
about beliefs, behaviors, and values. Hip-hop ideology influences young people
throughout the world”. I also agree with this point as well, due to the many different rap
artists, and the many different stories many of them have, if they could channel their
skills in being a poet rather than someone who is driven by the material things in life,
many of our current generations rap artists could in fact help change and influence the
worlds youth. I believe my opinion on this subject is so strong because I am one of the
few kids who actually find inspiration from real poets and lyricists like J. Cole, Kendrick
Lamar, and Logic. Even artists like Drake in my opinion has an ability to inspire through
his music, and if only other artists could take notes our world could be different, in a
positive way.
“The origins of American rap lie in efforts to raise political and social awareness,
so it is especially disappointing that today’s rap is so heavily commercialized and focused
on glitz, guns, and girls rather than on the serious social and economic justice issues that
affect communities of color. The hip-hop generation must set aside its apathy and put the
political voice back in American rap”. While writing this paper, my thoughts on rap and
Hip-Hop music have gone from disappointment in what I am currently hearing the rap
culture, to understanding why it is what it is. This does not mean in any way do I agree
with what the current content of rap is, but I do now know why it is now. And based on
the history of rap music that I have learned, I also have grown feelings for what I wish
rap music will once again be, which is a life changing and inspiring art form.
Works Cited
Albert, Brandon. "Hip-Hop: The False Advertisement of Women | Commonplace." HipHop: The False Advertisement of Women | Commonplace. The Ohio State University,
2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
Conrad, Kate, Travis L. Dixon, and Yuanyuan Zhang. "Controversial Rap Themes,
Gender Portrayals and Skin Tone Distortion: A Content Analysis of Rap Music Videos."
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 53.1 (2009): 134-56. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Keyes, Cheryl Lynette. Rap Music and Street Consciousness. Urbana: U of Illinois, 2002.
Print.
Krohn, Franklin B., Suazo, Frances L. Contemporary Urban Music: Controversial
Messages In Hip-Hop and Rap Lyrics. United States: RILM Abstracts of Music
Literature, Summer, 1995. Article in Periodical.
Morgan, Marcyliena, Dionne Bennet, Dalton Higgins, Sujatha Fernandez, Mark Gunn,
and Alexs Pate. Current Controversies: Rap and Hip-Hop (n.d.): n. pag.
Gale.cengage.com. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Shahid, Omar. "Does Hip-Hop Enhance Society or Degrade It? Hip-Hop on Trial Review." Omar Shahid. N.p., 27 June 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
Weiner, Melissa F.The Message or The Money: Listeners’ Perceptions of Hip Hop
Music. Hamden, Connecticut: N/A, 2009. Article.
Zella, Carmen. "Soundcrash: The Art Movement of Hip Hop." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Aug. 2010. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.