Hip Hop Culture Vs Rap Culture

Hip-hop was born in the South Bronx during a time where people of color were overwhelmed by poverty, poor living conditions, substance abuse, and gang violence. Black leaders of these communities acknowledged the consequences of these destructive conditions and the detrimental effect they would have on the African-American community. These individuals knew that in order for Black youths to survive, they needed to be provided with an alternative future to explore. The solution to this issue was to create a culture that celebrated art and creativity. The result was hip-hop. Art forms such as DJing, MCing, breaking, and tagging became the defining elements of hip-hop. The foundation of Hip-hop culture was built on African-American history, in
particular, the importance of music as a means of survival and resistance. Hip-hop inherited all aspects of African-American musical culture, including some aspects of African culture. Hip-hop was created as an alternative lifestyle for urban youth to promote self-expression, creativity, and to advocate for social justice for the African-American community in a productive and peaceful manner. Hip-Hop was also a means to honor and celebrate African-American culture and to emphasize the importance of community. However, the emergence of the commercial rap industry and commercial rappers negatively influence societies perceptions of hip-hop culture. White appropriation of African-American musical culture is a phenomenon that has been present in American society for decades. Members of the White establishment, in particular, wealthy White men in charge of major record companies were able to exploit African-American culture and music in order to gain profit for themselves and to further enforce negative perceptions of people of color to society. Through this music, African-Americans were characterized as heartless thugs who promoted messages of violence, greed, and misogyny. The commercial rap industry was able to promote these negative images and stereotypes with the help of Black commercial rappers. Rather than promoting positive messages of peace, justice, and community as traditional hip-hop had done, these artists promoted violence and romanticized the concepts of gang and street life, the exact opposite of the purpose of the development of hip-hop. Commercial rap is detrimental to the fight for social justice African-American leaders have been fighting for because it associates negative ideology with hip-hop culture.
One example of this is how women are treated and addressed in commercial rap. Commercial rappers label women as “bitches” and “hoes” and often only portray them as sex objects whose purpose is to adhere to the sexual desires of men. These comments and depictions of women allow for society to become desensitized to the concepts of sexism and rape culture. If Black men don’t even respect Black women, why should White men? As seen in the documentary “Beyond Beats and Rhymes” commercial rap artists are forced to display a tough persona. The promotion of this persona does not allow for these artists to display any type of sensitivity or emotion that may depict sensitivity or femininity. This mindset leads to increased discrimination of women of
color. Although the commercial rap industry has hijacked hip-hop music and caused society to fear and mistrust people of color, recent Black artists such as Kendrick Lamar have dedicated their careers to the revival of true hip-hop culture.
In his music and performances, Kendrick Lamar addresses social issues that affect the African-American community while paying homage to African-American history by incorporating various elements of Black music culture into his art. Kendrick shies away from traditional subjects that commercial rap focuses on and instead writes about the the realities of living in an underserved community plagued by gang violence and drug use. Kendrick Lamar advocates for change and for members of the African-American community to unite together in order to promote peace and unity; similar messages that were the foundation of hip-hop culture. Various artists have acknowledged Kendrick Lamar’s influence and have begun to step away from their commercial image and instead become leaders in their
communities. Artists that refuse to submit to the commercial rap industry do so by offering solutions through their art. Although I am not an artist, I have a better understanding of how I can advocate for social justice. I believe that the best way to combat negative stereotypes and perceptions of people of color are to educate the public on the true history of African-Americans, and to educate them on the power of real hip-hop. Learning about the plight of African-Americans and learning about the true history of hip-hop and the values it represents has allowed me to truly appreciate the art of hip-hop music and hip-hop culture. Hip-hop has influenced me to acknowledge the fact that racism, discrimination, and social injustice still affects people of color. Hip-hop has also influenced me to promote self-expression in creative ways and to use my new knowledge to advocate for those who are underserved and still experiencing oppression within our society.