Justin Rosa In Prophets of the Hood, Imani Perry develops an influential argument that hiphop is primarily black American

music. Concurrently, she asserts that many studies have given less credit to the artistic value of rap by attributing its structure and material mainly to socioeconomic influences. During the period of the civil rights movement, there have been a division in the African-American community. A divide between what is respectable and acceptable, while the other half was considered funky and rough. As the hip-hop culture gradually grew, it played as the mechanism that reunited the sacred and profane of African-American culture. The hip-hop nation took a grasp on the essence of music and culture becoming a whole unlike the previous divisions. What is real hip-hop? For quite some time, many have attempted to give a true meaning to hip-hop, but have failed to realize that it is indefinable. The existence of hiphops essence and aesthetic content is inevitable. Some individuals might argue that todays hip-hop is not real due to the excessive amount of flaunting that every artist displays. From the jewelry, to the cars, to poppin bottles, or just having an ego that extends past the heavens, these are not true aspects of hip-hop. Why cant these characteristics be some form of additional substance to hip-hop? Is it so wrong to act in such a manner when a racist society does everything in its power to not allow AfricanAmerican people succeed? On the other hand, many believe that hip-hop is all about fun and the passion one has for expressing how they feel. Hip-hop tells stories. Whether an artist raps about the struggles faced with living in the ghetto or how his or her boss is an ignorant, old man, the artist is communicating and venting to his or her listeners.

Hip-hop is an art! Hip-hop is poetry! Hip-hop is the cool! Granted every artist will have their own style, but that does not mean they should compete to see who is the better MC. Many rappers always want to downgrade other artists by declaring their style or form of the art is greater or superior because they are lyrical. How can one be more lyrical than another individual? Lyrical is defined as, Having an artistically beautiful or expressive quality. Never does it state any indication of the need to have a deeper vocabulary. Tupac is an impeccable model of raw poetry. He had his own structure of putting his messages out to his listeners. Hip-hop is a form of spreading knowledge about the world with its politics, race issues, and social issues. Hip-hop is just staying cool when the heat that life creates is overwhelming for an individual. For centuries, women have always been oppressed by the fact that they are inferior to men in every aspect. Traditionally, they face difficult paths when trying to step out of their role in a male-dominated society. Hip-hop is an art form comprised of masculinist aesthetics and there are female artists that adopt the badman role. They utilize the language of violence, power, and subversive tricksterism to articulate their artistic prowess. Perry describes this as appropriating male space. One female artist that does this is named Trina. Trina demonstrates the appropriation of male space in her song Da Baddest Bitch. Trina rhymes: I'm representin' for the bitches/All eyes on your riches/No time for the little dicks/You see the bigger the dick The bigger the bank, the bigger the Benz/The better the chance to get close to his rich friends/I'm going after the big man/G-string make his dick stand/Make it quick then slow head by the night stand/Like lightning I wanna nigga with a wedding ring/Bank accounts in the Philippines/Blank note to take everything/See I fuck him in the living room while his

children home/I make him eat it while my period on. In the video to this song, Trina has a rich, football-playing boyfriend that is cheating on her. The lyrics that Trina expresses validate how she appropriates male space. She uses sexual objectification as a way to get revenge on her boyfriend, obtain riches, and at the same time is speaking on behalf of all women, hence Im representin for the bitches. A well renowned hip-hop group, Public Enemy, have produced a wide range of popular titles. One song that sends a deep meaning and material I can relate to is 911 is a Joke. Public Enemy, had once called rap "the CNN of the ghetto." In "911 is a Joke" Public Enemy exhibits how 911 emergency responders weren't coming to inner city neighborhoods or ghetto areas. As said previously, hip-hop is used to relay messages or report news, as CNN to its listeners and that is exactly what Public Enemy does. Pubic Enemy emits black humor in both senses of the song title, and the video, which shows individuals having a seizure and EMTs eating while examining a dead body. Emergency services are more willing to help in suburban or white communities. Black neighborhoods are considered a joke. Although John H. McWhorter, author of How Hip-Hop Holds Blacks Back, offers a convincing argument, I would have to agree with Perry. I would agree that hip-hop can potentially have negative affects on black Americans, but hip-hop is every black Americans escape from the adversity life produces. For many, it is a sign of hope for success as they fellow black Americans strive in Americas racist society. Hip-hop, once again, is how black Americans keep cool. Cool is the essence of hip-hop and without, black Americans would have nothing in America to call their own.