The Influence of Hip-Hop

Commonplace #9: Hip-Hop music encourages style, violence, drug use and misogyny in urban communities.

“Hip-hop -- brash, vulgar, in-your-face hip-hop -- is indisputably the dominant youth culture today. Its most controversial front men floss mad ice (wear lots of diamonds and other expensive jewelry), book bad bitches (usually scantily clad, less than the take home kind of girl) and in general, party it up. Its most visible females brag about their sexual dexterity, physical attributes and cunning tactics when it comes to getting their rent paid (Evelyn). “

The problem with these stereotypes toward hip-hop is music is the generalization that all artists are “preaching” the same message. Not all, but many artists who use these images in their lyrics or videos are actually showing how drugs and violence has impacted their lives as well as their family and friends lives in a negative way. Although earlier hip-hop music contained more “lyrically conscious” artists like Public Enemy, today’s artists are still making the same points just in a different way. For example, songs  like “Closer to My Dreams” by Drake, “My Life” by the Game and “Dreamin” by Yung Jeezy emulate the struggles of the artists life and how they have or plan to beat their odds.

                                            “Dreamin” by Young Jeezy ft. Keyshia Cole music video (link below)

                                                            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srSuX08b5nw

Sources:

Jamilah Evelyn. “The Miseducation of Hip-Hop”. Black Issues in Higher Education. Dec. 2000 Vol. 17 Issue 21, p24, 5p, 3 Color Photographs