Cultural Impact of Hip Hop free essay sample

Cultural Impact of Hip Hop The Cultural Impact of Hip Hop Music The Main Impact of Hip-hop music is on the Kids of today. The music, slang and clothing are a couple of examples of heavy influences. Why cant they be more like . Actually kids today are pretty much the same are their parents and grandparents were when It comes to creating their own culture. Only now, Instead of flappers, hippies or punks, weve got a generation of youths influenced by hip-hop culture. Its hard to argue that the current domination of hip-hop in popular music has had a strong Influence on the way American teens talk, dress and act.Hip-hop culture has affected a variety of young people, and its effects can be seen In myriad ways. The Talk The concept of American youths creating a second language Is nothing new. Slang has been around forever. Peachy keen turned into groovy, which turned Into cool, which turned into tight, which turned into. . . L dont know, Im older and Im kind of lame. The point is, kids always have and always will found ways to separate themselves from their older UN-hip counterparts, and using slang has been an easy way to do It.A lot of todays slang comes from hip-hop culture and/or lyrics to rap and hip-hop songs. Rapper/actor/entrepreneur Snoop Doggy Dog has been a leader in this trend, inspiring the youth of the nation to add -sizzle (or -seize or -Size) to the end of words. For example: That was off the whizzed, of swizzle, my dazzle! means That was off the hook, for sure, my dog. (As far as what off the hook means and why anyone would refer to someone as a dog. .. Well, well get to that In a minute. The Language of Hip Hop Bill Cowboy at this point In his career Is not Just Internationally famous; he has become an icon In the black community as a successful, Inspiring Individual who did not let is color get in the way making his mark on society. So when this highly recognizable and well-loved entertainer came auto couple of years ago with a tirade against the black community, citing hip hop and the language associated with it as part of the problem with todays black youth, people paid attention. HIS rants, delivered at a NAACP event honoring the 50th anniversary of Brown vs.. Board of Education caused quite a stir. As founder of Deaf Jam Records Russell Simmons aptly put it, pointing the finger may not be helpful we still have more struggle as a society and more work to do to form it. (Debate Continues as Cowboy Again Criticizes Black Youths, by Hamlin L. Harris, Washington Post) Its hard to Imagine a music culture that has evolved economically and culturally and has become so widely accepted to still suffer such censorship and harsh criticisms. 1 OFF conversely this same language has been adopted and assimilated into modern culture.How can you have politicians, parents and critics lambasting the same language that is used to market anything from cell phones to Subway sandwiches? Many in the hip hop world would tell you that language of hip hop is the language of he street the lexicon of the day-to-day struggle in urban life. Its hard to imagine a music culture that has evolved economically and culturally and has become so widely accepted to still suffer such censorship and harsh criticisms. The language of hip hop isnt going to change anytime soon.For every reference to the N word, guns and sex there are Just as many references to empowerment, being strong and standing up for what you believe. Not everyone who plays a videotape shoots up a school. Not everyone who listens to hip hop will abuse women and Join a gang. Understanding, interaction and communication is the key rather than focusing primarily on the negative aspects of hip hop. Its like being a part of that brotherly bond. And thats the thing that feels good about it. Its your people, and you hear other people using it, its kind of flattering, you know what Im saying?Even if they dont give the recognition like they are supposed to! It feels good to hear people out there biting [using] your slang, basically. Its communication, you know what I mean? Its communication. (Amen, Oakland California youth talking about the impact of the language of hip hop to an NAP reporter). Cultural Relations As a sad comment on the state of race relations and racial misunderstandings, it was recently uncovered that throwing parties in which paratroopers act or dress in stereotypes of black people are hip among some white college students.When the news was reported in an article in the New York Times, it seemed hardly believable that parties of this nature could be occurring and even worse that it would be occurring among college-age students. After all, most colleges require some sort of cultural understanding or history of another culture class as part of the gene ral education criteria for obtaining a degree. It was found that some white students at Trenton State University in Texas hold parties where paratroopers dress like gangsters and drink alcohol from paper bags. On the weekend of Martin Luther King Jar. s birthday, a white student from Clemson University attended a similar party. (Found out courtesy of Namespace. ) In addition, university officials at Johns Hopkins are investigating a fraternity that throws parties inviting people to come wearing grills or caps on their teeth. In a very strange twist off the general premise of a costume party, some students have made the image of hip-hop and black people into a cartoon meant for imitating s a Joke or for fun.