Hip Hop Music

He said, I write what I see

Write to make it right, don't like where I be
I'd like to make it light the sights on TV
Quite the great life, so nice and easy
Lupe Fiasco in Hip Hop Saved My Life
Everyday on our TV screens we see Hip Hop, on our radios and I-Pods we hear
Hip Hop, on the streets of our cities and in our classrooms we see people living Hip Hop.
What is Hip Hop?
Perhaps the most intuitive definition of Hip Hop has been given by Russell
Simmons, Hip-Hop communicates aspiration and frustration, community and
aggression, creativity and street reality, style and substance. It is not rigid, nor is it easy to
sum up in a sentence or even a book.(5) Hip Hop is basically a sort of rebellious sub
culture that first originated in the Afro-American community and then spread like a wild
fire throughout the world. The most important feature of this Hip Hop culture is its music
that has changed fundamentally whole of the music and generally the term Hip Hop is
considered interchangeable with Rap which is purely a musical genre that has develop
through the influences introduced by Hip Hop life-style. Hip Hop Music commonly
known as Rap Music- has been ruling the charts since late 90s when it first dethroned
Rock to become the most popular music genre of the world.
It all formally started in the early seventies when a DJ called Kool Herc from
the Bronx in New York who used to played various records including James Brown in the
clubs had an idea of combining two break beats together. The break beat is the part in the
song when the singing stops and the chorus comes in. When he did this he called it the
merry-go-round because he was the very first person to do this technique. This was
formally the birth of a Global Phenomenon that we call Hip Hop Music today. But the
Rap part of Hip Hop music is older. Some researchers claim that the modern Rap can
be traced back to the ancient traditional Groit tradition of West Africa. Griots are
wordsmiths, just like the rappers, who are historians, poets and political analysts at the
same time. The relationship here is very clear and cogent, many of the rappers today sing
about contemporary issues concerning the society and expressing their desire for a sociopolitical reformation through their music.
After 2004 it was thought that Hip Hops heydays were over. Sales had dropped
4% in 2007 to their 2000 value and market share had been reduced from 13% to 10% of
the of the whole music market.(Coates) But the meteoric rise of rap artists like Kanye
West, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi in the past couple of years and the much anticipated
comeback of Eminem has again turned the wheel in favor of Hip Hop again The
Google zeitgeist of 2009 which is a record of search queries all around the world for the
whole year had only three singers on the Fastest Rising in Entertainment (Global)
category: the recently late Michael Jackson topped the list for obvious reasons- closely
followed by Eminem and Beyonce both of whom are vocalists associated with Hip Hop

music (2009 Year-End Zeitgeist). There is something special that attracts us so much to
the rude and coarse Hip Hop that every year we spend millions of dollars to listen to it.
Year after year tens of hip hop records go platinum. Concert audiences are ever-growing.
Hip Hop though mostly seen by people as an agent of chaos, violence, hatred,
misogyny and male chauvinism- has had a tremendously positive impact on the world
that we live in. It has given a voice of their own to millions of under-represented, most
importantly the poor and down-trodden Afro-Americans living in ghettos. The
commercial success has translated into power for the powerless: they can make their
voice heard, their miseries known, their feelings felt, their lives recorded in history. The
harsh realities that a common person living in those inhuman conditions are indeed
violent and heart wrenching and so is the rap that is written about such a life. But
maybe that violence must be known, and that anguish must be suffered even if through
the ungentlemanly language of a rapper for the rich and prosperous American living in a
villa in the sub-urban areas to realize the need to work for the betterment of the people in
those ghettos. Hip Hop provides the essential link to bridge the artificial gulf created by
money that bars the communication of common human experience. If it claims that
women are not equal to men then it is not because the rappers have some evil designs
against the feminine gender but because of the fact that they have been living a life in
which women have a status secondary to men. This communication of a problem that
exists and it must be interpreted just like that. Rap highlights the problems and issues of
the common man, hungry man and provides a window into those parts of the society that
we rarely get to see on our Entertainment channels. By sharing the pain, it provides the
stimulus to end the end it. It engages, it attracts and it makes us think that should such
arrangements be allowed to exist where human beings are forced to make choice between
bad and worse. It raises the level of perceptivity and consciousness allowing individuals
to make more informed socio-political decisions
Hip Hop is liberating and stimulating. It has unshackled the language from the
psychological phobias: in the process unlocking the debates that public forums could not
afford because of a lack of words. By talking about sex, money, drugs, AIDS, illegitimate
relationships, gangs, violence and poverty so extensively, it has helped to make these the
mainstream topics that most children can now discuss with their parents, teachers and
society. It has removed an unfounded fear that had been bred under the patronage of
religion and civil behavior for centauries. It has been such a pity that parents could
effectively convey the right information and perspective about the very basic of human
activities such as sex that led to a completely unwanted and largely avoidable increase in
sex-related problems such as HIV AIDS, teenage pregnancy and abortions. Hip Hop has
played a big role in exposing the shallowness of morality that conservatives so
vehemently try to protect, a morality that forbids you to talk about matters that can
potentially ruin the life of someone who could have been helped by your advice. It has, in
that sense, saved the lives. It has made the world a saner place to live in. At the same time
it has given a new depth to human relationships.
Hip Hop has created bonds beyond boundaries and has been an agent of intercultural dialogue. The street language has been popularized by rap to act a sort of a lingua
franca across the geo-political barriers: a Chinese or Indian hip hopper uses the same
slang as that of an American hip hopper. This most amusing and ironic feature of this
language is that it has turned the word nigger from an expression used to depict

discrimination and racial bigotry to a term of deepest endearment. One can hear a white,
Asian, or Latino hip hopper saying, TJ is my nigga, which means TJ is my good
friend. (Reese). The whole culture is bound linguistically and is global in proportion. It
is all too often that you see a Pakistani teenager, who isnt very good with the standard
Queens English, wearing an Eminem cap and rapping to an A-Kon song with
perfect understanding and pronunciation. Hip Hop has a potential to convey messages of
Love, peace and amity to a far wider audience than ever before and it has been doing so
at many forums. Just like Lupe Fiasco says in one of his songs, He thought it was cool
to carry a gun in his classroom and open fire, Virginia Tech Columbine Stop the
violence. Or Flipsyde expresses his love and remorse for a baby that he and his girlfriend decided to abort saying From the heavens to the womb to the heavens again...
From the endin' to the endin', never got to begin... Maybe one day we could meet face to
face? In a place without time and space... These messages of social and moral
importance when conveyed to a massive global clique, in a language that they can
understand very well are bound to, at the very least, force people to take these issue more
seriously, to think and debate about them trying to find solutions to the problems at hand.
Hip Hop artists are perceived as role models in the society and their lives serve as
examples to all the youth struggling to make their mark in the world. All of these Hip
Hop artists rose right from within the streets, broke and browbeaten, but talented at the
same time. Eminem a dishwasher at Gilberts Lodge, St. Clairs Shore, became one of the
most sought after MC on the face of planet; Jay Z was abandoned by his father at the age
of 12 to grow up in Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in absolute poverty,
only to earn more than $547 million because of his talent and business sense; Snoop
Dogg, son of a mail carrier, is a man followed by millions around the world (Three
Richest in Hip Hop 2007). These are the creative wordsmiths of the Hip Hop world but
Hip Hop has also created success stories awe-inspiring and worth-following for
musicians, fashion designers, publicists, club owners and producers. Hip Hop has been a
success story of the impoverished and under-privileged and therefore it offers tremendous
encouragement for other people to go to work everyday, to harness their talents and
sharpen their skill, so that they may be successful one day just like their favorite Hip
Hoppers Not many things teach a man a lesson as effectively as a living example and
Hip Hop is a living example: It is an art from that was born in absolute anonymity of
ghettos, only to conquer the whole world.
But the critics of Rap music point out that it is far too violent to do any real good.
They say that it makes substance abuse cool, vilifies women, and promotes sadistic
urges within the youth. Even renowned researchers like Dr. Carolyn West of The
University of Washington says that Hip Hops changing image due to large scale
commercialization has deteriorated the quality of the message that it delivers which has
resulted in promotion of sexual wayward behaviors in teenagers, especially Black Female
Teenagers who are mostly negatively portrayed in Hip-Hop lyrics and music videos. She
thinks, Hip-hop is only one part of the problem, but if we don't start addressing it, too
many young people are not going to be able to function in society, and there will be
higher rates of HIV and other STDs.(SaeNgian) Hip-Hops popularity in the youth is
thought to be one of the biggest causes of these ills in the society and it is thought that
with restricted access to explicitly phrased lyrics and misguidedly shot videos teenagers
will be less prone to ruination of their lives at their own hands. Some researchers also say

that although Hip-Hop started as a movement against discrimination and economic and
moral degradation, it has, somehow, become the powerhouse for some of these. They say
that over-use and misuse of the words like nigger and bitch has strengthened the
racial stereotypes against Black men and women.
But while many denounce Hip Hop, the music is actually healing many wounds, not the
physical ones but the wounds of heart. Nakeyshaey M. Tillie Allen uses it to treat her
patients of the various complicated personality disorders. She calls it The Hip Hop
Therapy. ("Hip Hop Therapy Project, LLC"). She uses Lyrics of various Hip Hop songs
and used things associated with the Hip Hop culture such as Graffiti to help her patients
out of their psychological traumas. Lyrics that embody the clients presenting life issues
or struggles can be chosen, she says. They can also write their own rap songs, and
discussion of hip-hop music with those who enjoy it breaks down resistance.(Blank)
Lauren Collins of Hip Hop Heals is using the same Hip Hop music to treat violent
behavior, misogyny and racism. (Blank) These are the same disorders that other
researchers pointed out as spreading because of the commercialization of Hip Hop. Blue
Prints for Life Consulting uses Hip Hop music as a means for the purpose of consultation,
project management and to train others for social work and education. Dr. Fordham a Dr.
Edward Tyson, a professor at Fordham University in New York who is doing research on Hip Hop
music and its usage in medical assistance says, Theres indisputable evidence that video games
and media imagery have an effect on kids behavior. But I wondered whether hearing violent,
racist, or sexist themes has an effect. We found that the lyrics had no effect.

For such a phenomenal success as a form of expression, and a culture, Hip-Hop

has certainly had to face much opposition as well as laurel. Hip Hop has profoundly
affected the generations that it has touched. To some it saved their lives and for others
it deteriorated theirs. But ultimately, it is not the tool that is to be blamed for the use. Hip
Hop is just a tool, although a tremendously powerful and popular one, and ultimately the
result is going to depend on how you use it. If you use it to promote value of equality,
amity, peace and love, the same Hip Hop will become the messenger of peace just like
rock and roll was in 1960s. On the other hand if you use it to spread hatred and animosity
between different people and different clans the only tangible outcome is that of ruination
and pandemonium. Nakeyshaey M. Tillie Allen uses it to treat her patients of the various
complicated personality disorders, Lupe Fiasco uses it to spread socio-political
awareness, Kanye West uses it to tell the stories of his love affairs and arrogance, A-Kon
uses it to preach love and Eminem uses it as a satire through which he shares his life. It
all depends upon on who uses Hip Hop to convey what.
Hip Hop Music has been tremendously helpful to various people in various parts
of their lives. It provides living to the thousands of households that directly or indirectly
depend upon Hip Hop Music Industry. It provides us motivation when we feel low
personally, I listen to Eminems song Loose Yourself which is about never giving up
whenever I feel low. It provides us a creative way to give up our anger when we disagree
with the system. It provides us with a voice and a platform to share all that we want to
share our joy, our sorrow, and our lives- with people all around the world bonding us in
invisible chains of brotherhood made of common human experience. Hip Hop has
contributed much to lessen discrimination and economic disparity between Black and
whites in America. One of the most heard singers of the world the late rapper Tupac
Shakur, has rapped about such compassionate issues without losing the rugged flavor of
the streets. In his song, I Wonder If Heaven's Got A Ghetto, Shakur sings,

"I see no changes, all I see is racist faces misplaced hate makes disgrace the
racist...I wonder what it takes to make this one better place...take the evil out the
people (then) they'll be acting right cause both black and white are smokin crack
tonight and the only time we deal is when we kill each other, it takes skill to be
real, time to heal each other...."
Millions of people have listened to it and have contemplated upon the real reason
behind such a reckless and fruitless behavior such as racial discrimination. Hip Hop
provides us with a bridge across the generation gap too because our parent and maybe
some of the grand parents have listened to the similar kind of music as we listen today.
Hip Hop music has provided hope to a large section of the society through some of the
worst times in their live And for many, like Lupe Fiasco, Hip Hop has just saved their
lives:
One you never heard of I
Push it hard to further the
Grind I feel like murder but
Hip-Hop you saved me
Word Count: 2934

Works Cited
Blank, Barbara Trainin. "Hip-Hop Social Work." Magazine for Social Work Students and
Recent Graduates n. pag. Web. 22 Dec 2009.
<http://www.socialworker.com/home/index2.php?
option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=258>.
Coates, Ta-Nehisi . "Hip-hop's Down Beat." Time Magazine Aug. 17, 2007 : n. pag. Web.
22 Dec 2009. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1653639,00.html>.
"Richest in Hip Hop- Panache Report." THREE RICHEST MEN IN HIP-HOP FOR 2007.
Panache Report, Web. 22 Dec 2009.
<http://panachereport.com/channels/coverstories/jennifer.htm>.
SaeNgian, Kathy . "Researcher cites negative influences of hip-hop." Pittsburg Post
Gazzette 13 June. 2008: n. pag. Web. 22 Dec 2009. <http://www.postgazette.com/pg/08165/889550-51.stm>.
Simmons, Russell , and Nelson George. Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money, and God. 1st.
USA: Nelson George Crown Publishing, 2001. 05. Print.
"What is The Hip Hop Therapy?." The Hip Hop Therapy Project, LLC. Web. 22 Dec
2009. <http://www.hiphoptherapyproject.com/WhatisHipHopTherapy.html>.
"2009 Year-End Google Zeitgeist." Google: Zeitgeist 2009. Google, Web. 16 Dec 2009.
<http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2009/>.
For More Information on Therapeutic use of Hip Hop Music:
Hip Hop Heals
http://www.hiphopheals.com/
Hip Hop Therapy Project

http://www.hiphoptherapyproject.com/
BluePrintForLife
http://www.blueprintforlife.ca/