Running Head: THE INFLUENCE OF HIP-HOP MUSIC 1

The Influence of Hip-Hop: A Review of Literature

Maribel Terrones
University of Texas at El Paso
Running Head: THE INFLUENCE OF HIP-HOP MUSIC 2

Abstract
The use of music is a powerful method to communicate to others. Through the use of hip

hop music, a pathway for communication amongst communities can be established. Looking at

the influence that hip hop music has on low income come communities, it allows for a better

understanding of why certain conclusions and perspectives begin to take form. Understanding

the idea that hip hop artists like The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) and Tupac and many

others have a great deal of influence over the choices and decisions of a way of life. By depicting

these artists influences and the affects over their intended audience and looking at the outcome

of how much of an impact these artists have over their audiences to generate a big enough effect

positive or negative allows an image of how largely artistes are seen in through the eyes of

people in a low-income setting.

The Influence of Hip-Hop Music: A Review of Literature

Looking at the way that the youth takes large amounts of life cues from the culture

around them, it comes as no surprise that a large part of these cues come from music. Hip Hop

artists like The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac took a leading role in advocating that coming from a

low-income setting should not deter ones success. Thus, projecting an image of success in

choosing a positive influence. As rapped within Biggie Smalls song Juicy, You know very

well who you are/Don't let em hold you down, reach for the stars (Smalls 1994) the image

projected is the hope that young adults should not allow the negative possibilities to take control

the outcome of becoming successful. By doing so the idea is that by reaching through hip-hop

lyrics to project a positive lifestyle, their intended audience will strive for just that. Recognizing

that the use of hip-hop music within communities allows for a better understanding of just how
Running Head: THE INFLUENCE OF HIP-HOP MUSIC 3

powerful influential hip-hop artists have over their audience. Especially if the said artist is from a

community that resembles the audiences community of their own. Thus, raises the questions:

1. What affects would been seen if the there was a lack of hip-hop music advocating the

voice of a community?

2. How can hip-hop music be used as a way for influencing behavior?

3. What types of genres within hip-hop create for a better understanding of advocating the

voice of a community?

4. Does hip-hop music create a platform for difficulties of life on the streets?

5. Does the use of hip-hop music help create an awareness of difficulties of life on the

streets?

Through the use of these five questions they will allow for a more focused perspective in

how hip-hop music has a powerful influence in low income communities. These questions will

also create passageway for allowing the voice of certain communities to heard amongst others.

What affect would be seen if there was a lack of hip-hop music advocating the voice of a

community?

First understanding that hip-hop music is not just a genre of its own is imperative. Hip-hop

music is composed of a collaboration of many forms of artistic expressions to formulate the

genre of hip-hop. Hip-hop culture has grown from its humble beginnings in the South Bronx

section of New York City into a significant and influential cultural movement (Baker 2012,

pg.8). Looking at the understanding of what hip-hop music is composed of, next is understanding

that music is a way that artist use to re-create the sounds of the natural world in which they

lived (Baker 2012, pg.7). Grasping that if there was a lack of artists recreating their past
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experiences through hip-hop lyrics, then their intended audience would not have a reference to

use when coming across similar situations within their communities. Hip-hop is considered by

its practitioners and followers as the voice of the voiceless, the voice of the youth, and a major

cultural force (Baker 2012, pg.11). Figure 1. Shows how the turntables (a turning plate that

plays a record) is used as a way to express the artistic expression and voice of hip-hop.

Source: Hip hop old school - Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2017, from

https://www.google.com/search?

By taking note of the largely embraced culture of hip-hop music, it is used mainly by the

youth to express their needs, demands and perceptions of how they interpret the workings of the

society around them. Hip-hop has given a generation of people hope that they could become

successful and respected in any number of ways, whether by winning a DJ tournament, designing

acclaimed artwork, choregraphing dance moves for a music video, starting their own business,

our becoming a platinum rapper (Baker 2012, pg.11). The emergence of hip-hop in the mid-

1970s, lyrics mainly pertained to the experiences of having a good time and enjoying the present.

However, the lack of advocating hip-hop music in communities not only takes away the voice of
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a community, it takes away the many genres that hip-hop is made of. Such as art, dance, and

poetry. The lack of these factors takes away the essence of a communitys diversity of artistic

value and expression of the culture around them. Taking away hip-hop music from low income

communities would turn a blind eye to the awareness of what a community is trying to advocate.

This disassembles the pathway of communication between communities. Hip-hop music plays a

major role in relaying the circumstances in which others experience. The loss of hip-hop music

would take away the relationship that connects a community to relate to similar conditions.

How can hip-hop music be used to as a way for influencing behavior?

Becoming aware of the power that hip-hop music has over a community entitles the audience

of an understanding of how influential the artist is over their intended market. Hip-hop artists

often rap about social issues that were known within low income communities but are taboo to

be spoken out loud. Such as rapping about social issues like racial profiling and the difficulties of

the upbringings in tough neighborhoods. As politicians increasingly refuse to address genuine

social inequalities, rappers speak about the beauty and ugliness of the world with equal candor,

putting up a sharp mirror to reality (Thompson 2013, pg.36). The use of these rappers

advocating some of these social issues becomes a domino effect. Such as following the steps the

artist who supports for equalities in low income settings. By advocating of speaking the truth

allows the artist to gain a larger audience due to their fearlessness in speaking about the problems

that are neglected to be talked about. In cities across the world, youths use hip-hop to organize

the struggles against racism, police brutality, and the prison-industrial complex. For them, the

culture and politics are inseparable--they are all part of a cohesive worldview (Chang 2000,

par.30). Taking this information, the influence of hip-hop music can be used for both positive

and negative outlooks. Looking at what the artist is supporting and how much of an audience
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base there is, the influence can be either positive or negative. A 2006 study conducted by the

Prevention Research Center at the Pacific Institute for Research Evaluation found that listening

to rap and rock music positively predicted aggressive behavior (Berlatsky 2016, pg.28).

Reflecting upon this study that was conducted, it projects the dynamic influence that music has

on its listeners. This study also indicates that music has both negative and positive outcomes

when it comes to influencing its listeners, that there is no reservation when relaying a message to

their audience.

What types of genres within hip-hop create for a better understanding of advocating the

voice of a community?

As previously stated, hip-hop music is composed of other genres to formulate the genre

of hip-hop music. Hip-hop music combines rapped lyrics with instrumental music. Sometimes

this music is taken from other songs. Sometimes it is played live or created in a recording

studio. (Sacks 2013, pg.7). The combination the many different forms of genres to make hip-

hop music is what makes it extraordinary. Whereas, other forms of music tend to stick to using

similar forms of the same genre. Rap/poetry is and, from all appearances, will continue to be a

significant contribution to African American literature (Thompson 2013, pg.46). Understanding

that what makes hip-hop music what it is today is the rapping that takes place within the song.

The poetry that used to create the hip-hop music is how the messages of communication, views

on morals and political standpoints become seen to the audience that it is intended for. This is

how the passageway of communication becomes established amongst communities. Through the

lyrical poetry that is placed within a hip-hop song, it may resemble times of the past or reference

a time that has yet to come. This way of reading may or may not correspond to any standing

literary critical theory, but it does identify a way of reading rap/poetry that encourages the reader
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to step beyond the dominance of the beat and to see rap/poetrys many dimensions (Thompson

2013, pg.47). Upon looking past the literal meaning of the rap/poetry of the music, the

metaphorical meaning may have deeper insight than what is assumed to be a simple rhyme. Such

example can be seen with in the song Changes by Tupac (1998), My mama didn't raise no

fool/And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped. At first glance this rhyme simply means

that a young black man always carries a weapon. However, upon closer inspection this may

mean that because the color of this mans skin he is always vulnerable and must take drastic

means for protection. Also, that during his upbringing his mother taught him to think smart when

doing mundane tasks due to the color of his skin. Looking deeper into what the lyrics may mean

allows for an in-depth connection to what the artist is trying to let their audience understand form

their perspective. Given that artist may be using rap/poetry to allow their audience to relate due

to similar backgrounds generates for a deeper relationship rather than just another rap/poetry.

Does hip-hop music create a platform for difficulties of life on the streets?

Through the use of hip-hop in low in-come communities it created a voice for a new

generation. This new paradigm of Hip-Hops use includes goals of empowerment for

individuals and communities, moving form an emphasis on me to a simultaneous emphasis on

the collective we (Travis 2013, par.5). The concept of moving past ideals of an I regime

have become focused on an us ideal. The realization to use hip-hop music to become

outspoken as a group generates benefit for a community. Often times the hip-hop music that is

created has an underlining theme that gives attention to the issues that go ignored. The rapper

Chuck D once called hip-hop the black CNN. He meant that hip-hop covers the urban black

experience in ways that mainstream news sources often ignore (Sacks 2013, pg.9). Looking at

the running themes that hip-hop music has carried they frequent rapping of the negatives or not
Running Head: THE INFLUENCE OF HIP-HOP MUSIC 8

talked about topics of conversations. Quoting from LL Cool J from the book The History of Rap

and Hip-Hop, one the most respected members of the hip-hop community, stated:

I listen to the politicians and activists blame rap for everything under the

sun, form world violence to world hunger. But if you removed every rapper form

the face of the earth, youd still have violence and wars. In fact, if not for certain

rappers, mainstream society would have no idea of what is going on in our

communities, where real war is being waged every day. For many Americans, life

is rough, and gansta rap was born out of that misery, pain, and hunger. It didnt

create it (Baker 2012, pg. 60-62).

Understanding the makeup of a community and what lies beneath the surface, projects the

message of what social aspects take place within a community by using hip-hop music to

carry its voice.

Does the use of hip-hop music help create an awareness of difficulties of life on the

streets?

Looking at hip-hop music, it has become a part of a community. It has allowed

members of the community a connection to the artist. While creating hip-hop music that

takes on the different situations from different communities, hip-hop music publicizes

issues that take place within communities. Hip-hop music relays information about

difficulties within communities especially if the artist comes from a background similar

to their audience. Its accessible to all and is a powerful acknowledgment of an issue-

when sometimes acknowledgement is the most vital thing a kid needs (Berlatsky 2016

pg.49). Displaying the different conditions that take place in a low-income community,
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hip-hop music gives that community a chance to speak about the different encounters that

happen within the said community. By using hip-hop music to highlight the difficulties of

street life, it brings an awareness to the hardships encountered. Thus, establishing a

bridge of communication to advocate conditions seen by the community. Below, this

graph shows the percentage of people who believed that old school hip-hop is perceived

as a positive influence amongst the community. Figure 2. Shows a graph depicting the

viewpoints of old school hip-hop.

Reflecting on the graph presented, the largest percentage believes that the

message of old school hip-hop music is viewed as a positive influence. Upon examining

the graph, it generates the idea that the messages of old school hip-hop such as, the music

of Biggie Smalls, Tupac, and LL Cool J, all project positive messages. In doing so the

graph also suggests that the individuals surveyed believe that hip-hop music does indeed

discuss and support the difficulties of life within their music. By doing so hip-hop music

addresses topics of conversion that are neglected to be talked about thus, bringing

attention to these topics and making these situations heard.

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Conclusion/Synthesis

During the deration of this literature review of how old school hip-hop has

advocated and affected its audience, it has gathered ample amounts of information of

both positive and negative views of hip-hop music. In doing so the projection of old hip-

hop music is seen and constructed as a form of expression. Hip-hop music has become a

structure for communities to use as a podium to speak of issues that are neglected to be

talked about. Hip-hop music is also a form motivation. Artists like Tupac and Biggie

Smalls encourage members from low income communities to strive to be successful and

not allow negative influences to take over.

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References
Baker, S. (2012). The History of Rap and Hip-Hop. Detroit: Lucent Books

Berlatsky, N. (2016). Are graphic music lyrics harmful? Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven

Press, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning.

Chang, J. (2000). Born in fire: a hip-hop odyssey. (cover story). UNESCO Courier, 53(7/8), 23.

Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2017, from https://www.google.com/search?

Sacks, N. (2013). American hip-hop: rappers, DJs, and hard beats. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-

First Century Books.

The Notorious B.I.G. (1994). Juicy [CD]. Bad Boy Entertainment. (1994)

Thompson, T. (2013). Rap and Hip-hop. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Travis, R. (2013). Rap Music and the Empowerment of Today's Youth: Evidence in Everyday

Music Listening, Music Therapy, and Commercial Rap Music. Child & Adolescent

Social Work Journal, 30(2), 139-167. doi:10.1007/s10560-012-0285-x

Tupac Shakur. (1998). Changes [CD]. Death Row Records/Interscope Records. (1998)