Is hip-hop music getting a bad rap?
By Tommy Gorman, Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, February 16, 2005During the 1990s, rap music became the voice of young, black culture. Yet, as the years progressed from 1999 to 2000, rap was demoted from quality music to ridiculous noise.
Rap music has grown in popularity, and expanded from being a “black thing” to a form of art enjoyed by people of all races.
Originally, the motivation for many rap songs came from the impoverished communities in which artists lived. Overwhelming crime rates, failing educational systems and a sense of urgency became expressed in the form of rhyming words and syllables. Rap became the vehicle for black expression. However, black America has used music as its soundtrack since the time of slavery.
The Souls of Black Folk, written by W. E. B. Du Bois, explains the importance of music to black America. In a chapter of his book titled “The Sorrow Songs,” Du Bois describes how music flourished from the spirit of black people, despite the brutality of the slavery they endured.
Du Bois writes, “And so by fateful chance the Negro folk song stands … as the most beautiful expression of human experience born this side of the seas.” He further explains, “They are the music of an unhappy people, of the children of disappointment; they tell of death and suffering and unvoiced longing toward a truer world … “
As late as 1992, hip-hop served as the modern form of the Negro spiritual. Take for instance the rap group Arrested Development, which won a Grammy Award for its song titled “Tennessee” – a song that captures the same frustration as some Negro spirituals.
The chorus sings, “Take me to another place / Take me to another land / Make me forget all that hurts me / Let me understand your plan.”
Through these words, Arrested Development captured the meaning of Du Bois’ quote: ” … a longing toward a truer world.”
Several rap groups have contributed to the positive impact of hip-hop, such as Black Star, A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots. Unfortunately, the quality of rap music has taken a serious nosedive over the past five years. As a result, the image of hip-hop is plummeting as well.
I became aware of the negative impact of rap music through a class discussion. The professor’s assistant asked why it had become so common that women were referred to in the same manner as female dogs. Immediately, someone answered, “Hip-hop music.”
Initially, I was shocked. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. I wasn’t mad at the person for blaming rap music for the downgrading of women. I was mad because he was right.
There are very few rap albums today that do not refer to women as “bitches.” In addition, the “N” word has been repeated on virtually every rap album since the middle ’90s.
Music videos are also damaging the image of hip-hop. Instead of focusing on making good music, rappers are prostituting themselves. Rap videos are flooded with jewelry, luxury cars and sex. This is not what hip-hop is about.
The transitions of rap music was described by Chuck D in an Air America Radio broadcast. This former member of the rap group Public Enemy compared rap music to the average poor person who strikes it rich.
Chuck D said rap music and hip-hop culture were not associated with wealth 20 years ago. Yet, as time progressed, the humble beginning of rap music grew into a million-dollar industry. Rappers began to ignore the hardships of everyday life because they weren’t poor any longer. As a result of rap’s commercial success, rap became the musical twin of any poor person who won the lottery. Rap music transformed from the sound of “hunger and despair” to the bragging style of “look at what I got.”
It can be said that hip-hop – and its culture – is similar to the solar system. The sun rests in the center of the solar system while nine planets rotate around it. Similarly, rap and hip-hop music is the foundation that hip-hop culture revolves around.
Currently, the rotation of hip-hop does not resemble the solar system at all. Instead, it sounds more like water spiraling down a toilet of material items and profanity. In order for hip-hop to make a positive impact such as it did in the past, the industry needs to clean its pipes.
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