Hip-Hop
When you hear the phrase "hip-hop" what comes to mind? Baggy jeans, gangster rap, flashy jewelry, or a menacing noise that the new generation of punk kids call music? These are a few stereotypes which people have been led to believe define Hip-hop. In reality Hip-hop is none of these.
First off to set the record straight, this is the truth nothing outside of this is true and if you agree great if you don’t agree that’s your bad. But I am tired of people saying "I listen to hip hop", stupid you cant listen to something that is in all reality an ambiance or a feeling. Now to say I live hip hop is another thing altogether. Hip hop is not something u listen to it is an emotion that is felt.. When you hear the phrase "Hip-Hop", music, dancing, rapping often come to mind. Well, it's all of that and more...Hip-Hop is a culture. According to Webster's dictionary, culture is defined as "The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought." There for it is an action word or verb more so then anything. A way of life that defines more then just a musical expression. True Hip Hop is multicultural and multilingual for it sees no color lines or language barriers and music is something that evolves around all of us. This is a culture in which peoples from all backgrounds, religions, and race could all participate. I feel as if Hip Hop in general has gotten an over all bad rap in our society and has really been misrepresented with an unfair seems like almost personal label of being detrimental to young listeners. Often times when people hear about Hip Hop/Rap music, they paint a picture in their heads of black men cussing, guns, marijuana, lots of gold, and girls looking like prostitutes.
Parents and teachers put an image in their kids head that Rap music is bad. Many people view hip-hop from only a commercial standpoint. This would force them to believe that since mainstream rap is riddled with references to violence, sex, and money, that there is a lack of reverence or acknowledgment for God. Which is far from the truth just because an individual does not thank a higher power in its music or speak of things high and mighty they are wrong? Why is it bad when all that is occurring through these lyrics is ones personal opinion on how an individual chooses to see things from there own perspective on the way life is or has been for and around them? If this is the case then the same should be held to public service announcements as well and election, politics and all social economics in life. "Nearly all hip hop albums get [parental-advisory] stickers" The rating system has proved, without even trying, that they are biased against the hip hop culture. Public service announcements are one persons opinion but they air those as if they are the whole populations general idea of a situation. Quiet unfair if u look at it is it not? Unfortunately, rap/hip hop music is not perceived by many Americans as an art form, but as a fad which they hope will soon fade away. There are many -positive aspects to the hip hop culture as well that many people in our society today fail to see or even want to understand. Those artists that are into and understand the true meaning of hip hop are merely creating works that many young people may relate to. The idea of hip hop is not to separate but too bring people together. Things that are spoken of in lyrics that have been written or spoken of are an expression in art. Music today is powerful and has a lot more meaning than just sounds and words. Music is so powerful that it has the power to manipulate and influence individuals in a positive or negative way. There is so much meaning behind music the lyrics nowadays. Many songs that are out are meant as a way to deter our young peoples minds from going down the wrong path, to explain to them in a way that they may understand that things are not all what they are perceived to be in the game as we call it. A way of shedding some light on the good and the bad in life without out right exposing them to the harsh reality of all there is to it firsthand. At a distance if u may, like looking in the window from the outside. So our methods of teaching may be different? But at least we still take the time out to possibly reach the ones that may never be reached because they feel like they can not relate to anything in life but our words at present. So if we are trying to do the same thing as the rest of the school districts then why is it so bad? Since the late 1980's rap music has been called the Anti Christ in our culture, because of it's so-called influence in people's life. People swear up and down that the music is why people, specially the youth resort to violent crimes. I think by saying this they are just trying to find a place to rest the blame. Music doesn’t kill people. People kill people. The point of blame needs to be placed on society as a whole not just the lyrical expressions. Maybe if we took more time out as a whole to raise our children and teach them instead of ignoring them. Maybe then they would not look elsewhere for guidance like the streets. Like they say it takes a village to raise a child. So where Is our village? To busy pointing the fingers at here there and everywhere to realize that the problem is right there within our society as a whole. Nowadays if you ask most people to give a definition of "rap", they're likely to state that it's the reciting of rhymes to the best of music. It's a form of expression that finds its roots imbedded deep within ancient African culture. Hip-Hop Culture Throughout the history of this country, the music of African-Americans has remained a strong influence upon our society and culture. Beginning with the music carried over from Africa with the slaves, up until now, with the new styles created by urban youth today it has all been a way to teach.
Hip Hop in fact is a history lesson.
...
When you hear the phrase "hip-hop" what comes to mind? Baggy jeans, gangster rap, flashy jewelry, or a menacing noise that the new generation of punk kids call music? These are a few stereotypes which people have been led to believe define Hip-hop. In reality Hip-hop is none of these.
First off to set the record straight, this is the truth nothing outside of this is true and if you agree great if you don’t agree that’s your bad. But I am tired of people saying "I listen to hip hop", stupid you cant listen to something that is in all reality an ambiance or a feeling. Now to say I live hip hop is another thing altogether. Hip hop is not something u listen to it is an emotion that is felt.. When you hear the phrase "Hip-Hop", music, dancing, rapping often come to mind. Well, it's all of that and more...Hip-Hop is a culture. According to Webster's dictionary, culture is defined as "The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought." There for it is an action word or verb more so then anything. A way of life that defines more then just a musical expression. True Hip Hop is multicultural and multilingual for it sees no color lines or language barriers and music is something that evolves around all of us. This is a culture in which peoples from all backgrounds, religions, and race could all participate. I feel as if Hip Hop in general has gotten an over all bad rap in our society and has really been misrepresented with an unfair seems like almost personal label of being detrimental to young listeners. Often times when people hear about Hip Hop/Rap music, they paint a picture in their heads of black men cussing, guns, marijuana, lots of gold, and girls looking like prostitutes.
Parents and teachers put an image in their kids head that Rap music is bad. Many people view hip-hop from only a commercial standpoint. This would force them to believe that since mainstream rap is riddled with references to violence, sex, and money, that there is a lack of reverence or acknowledgment for God. Which is far from the truth just because an individual does not thank a higher power in its music or speak of things high and mighty they are wrong? Why is it bad when all that is occurring through these lyrics is ones personal opinion on how an individual chooses to see things from there own perspective on the way life is or has been for and around them? If this is the case then the same should be held to public service announcements as well and election, politics and all social economics in life. "Nearly all hip hop albums get [parental-advisory] stickers" The rating system has proved, without even trying, that they are biased against the hip hop culture. Public service announcements are one persons opinion but they air those as if they are the whole populations general idea of a situation. Quiet unfair if u look at it is it not? Unfortunately, rap/hip hop music is not perceived by many Americans as an art form, but as a fad which they hope will soon fade away. There are many -positive aspects to the hip hop culture as well that many people in our society today fail to see or even want to understand. Those artists that are into and understand the true meaning of hip hop are merely creating works that many young people may relate to. The idea of hip hop is not to separate but too bring people together. Things that are spoken of in lyrics that have been written or spoken of are an expression in art. Music today is powerful and has a lot more meaning than just sounds and words. Music is so powerful that it has the power to manipulate and influence individuals in a positive or negative way. There is so much meaning behind music the lyrics nowadays. Many songs that are out are meant as a way to deter our young peoples minds from going down the wrong path, to explain to them in a way that they may understand that things are not all what they are perceived to be in the game as we call it. A way of shedding some light on the good and the bad in life without out right exposing them to the harsh reality of all there is to it firsthand. At a distance if u may, like looking in the window from the outside. So our methods of teaching may be different? But at least we still take the time out to possibly reach the ones that may never be reached because they feel like they can not relate to anything in life but our words at present. So if we are trying to do the same thing as the rest of the school districts then why is it so bad? Since the late 1980's rap music has been called the Anti Christ in our culture, because of it's so-called influence in people's life. People swear up and down that the music is why people, specially the youth resort to violent crimes. I think by saying this they are just trying to find a place to rest the blame. Music doesn’t kill people. People kill people. The point of blame needs to be placed on society as a whole not just the lyrical expressions. Maybe if we took more time out as a whole to raise our children and teach them instead of ignoring them. Maybe then they would not look elsewhere for guidance like the streets. Like they say it takes a village to raise a child. So where Is our village? To busy pointing the fingers at here there and everywhere to realize that the problem is right there within our society as a whole. Nowadays if you ask most people to give a definition of "rap", they're likely to state that it's the reciting of rhymes to the best of music. It's a form of expression that finds its roots imbedded deep within ancient African culture. Hip-Hop Culture Throughout the history of this country, the music of African-Americans has remained a strong influence upon our society and culture. Beginning with the music carried over from Africa with the slaves, up until now, with the new styles created by urban youth today it has all been a way to teach.
Hip Hop in fact is a history lesson.
...
