As I researched on what Hip Hop is, I found out that it isn’t just a music genre, but a massive culture that originated within the Bronx during the 1970s. Hip Hop was established to stop gang violence on the foundations of expression, peace, love, unity, and having fun with the addition of having four elements: Graffiti art, DJ-ing, breakdancing, and rapping. These four elements, together, acted as positive pastimes to keep kids from becoming involved with gangs by organizing artistic “battles” on who’s the better person. These Hip Hop battles take place in organized events, promoting a positive and peaceful way to resolve conflict, while also providing a safe, friendly community for urban youth. This surprises me because I never would’ve thought that Hip Hop is a culture, especially the fact that it started out as a peaceful youth community.
While I was researching, I’ve decided to look up the various rap artists during the 80s. Now the question is, is Hip Hop music always about egoistic rappers and gang violence? Of course not. These artists wrote about various meaningful topics - unity, social issues, politics, and the search for identity. These are the kinds of songs I would listen to because these are topics that people could easily relate to, while also providing an insight. Rap artists today always rap about how much money they can wave in their hands, wearing Versace, and clubbing. This made me realize how prejudice I was towards Hip Hop, while also realizing how different Hip Hop music was compared to nowadays. Well, I guess that’s what happens when you’re solely exposed to mainstream rap. Despite the many positive aspects of Hip Hop, the media chooses to focus on the bad side, without revealing the good side to the world.
At its core, the elements of Hip Hop are forms of art that express a much deeper meaning, not just because of entertainment. It is a form of expression that is constantly changing the consciousness and spirit of urban youth that keeps repeating itself through generations. It is the same spirit found in different forms of music, such as Jazz, Reggae, and Blues. It is the same spirit that brings life into a simple idea and transforms it into a living cultural movement.
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