Introduction
While they claim that a picture is worth a thousand words, it may portray different meanings depending on culture. Music is extraordinary; it is a universal language that is discrimination free. Music is a language that conveys emotion across all cultures. Regardless of the previous exposure or culture, individuals can watch or listen to a song and detect whether a song contains happiness, fear and sadness. Music is thus a language that considers each person’s interest, taste and preference with no bias. On understanding that music is a language, the second point to consider is that music as a language reveals our identity. Music is a language that causes listeners and viewers to think, question, cry and laugh. This are only examples of the identities that music as a language portrays.
Comparing language to music, it is without doubt that music acts as a catalyst that connects individuals. With music, individuals come together; let their past regardless of what it is to pass and they let the tunes and harmony flow in them. Music thus lets people to interact with minimal or no discrimination as compared to other forms of language in real life. Music is appreciated and termed as an international treasure. It attracts, connects and harmonizes different cultures together. It boasts of a magical power which is then transmitted to the audience. For this case, we shall refer to hip-hop music and how it has had the impacts stated above in this world.
Just like language, music reveal’s a person’s identity of which the identity dictates the respect or the degradation that one is bound to receive from the community. The power of language boasts of possessing two characters; its either you adopt the power of respect from the community from those who admire and understand that language or it develops to become a soft spot that results to people disdaining you personality. While still on this, connecting hip-hop to this matter would be understood better. When one develops to be a good rapper amongst hip-hop lovers, he/she is not only admired, he/she is a celebrity. However, there exists environments that still do not appreciate hip-hop and it is regarded as music for the ruthless and gangsters in the streets. In such, that is a disdaining situation.
Discussion
In essence, language reveals one’s identity. Music is entirely a language thus reveals, restructures and shapes one’s identity. Now, music is related to personal taste while it reveals an identity depending on the genre one goes for. The times when individuals selected music depending on the race that sang it is past; the whites now engage in hip-hop while the blacks have loved the rock music which was a genre that was believed to be for the blacks (Blacking up). Unlike sound, music carries with it a cultural and a background or history. The melody and lyrics are in most cases cultural.
Since hip hop is broad, it is essential to bear in mind that different identities will come out depending on the kind of hip hop listened to. In rock music, it has been identified that there is secular and gospel music amongst other genres. The same applies to hip hop music. It is a personal decision as to the kind of hip hop music one ought to listen to. In essence, there are those rappers who have developed from harsh conditions either economically or socially. In real life there are the kinds that some young kids living in harsh conditions look up to (Hip hop planet, 4). For instance, a child living in harsh conditions and being brought up in a family that lives from hand to mouth listens and views a rapper performing motivational music, they are encouraged. They may not be rappers but they will always listen to that music when they feel discouraged and abandoned. This music will eventually reshape their identity in that, they will listen be encouraged and eventually decide to work hard to achieve their goals. From this point, this person will receive respect from the members of the society (Hip Hop Culture 2006). An example can be listening to a rap song like ‘Started from the bottom’ by Drake. Such music will end up motivating and establishing positive characters and behaviors in the society.
Looking at the past, hip hop music has been sincere and carries with it true expressions and feelings. Mainly this was due to the environment that was harsh and ruthless. Currently, hip hop music tends to pay more attention to ‘swag’, it brings about the aspect of which rapper has more money than the other (Hip hop Planet, 6). Further still, this music has been popularized differently such that due to targets of making it through the financial market, the lyrics and the videos they portray is rebellious and at times adopts offensive words, actions and images. In such, there is no truth. When an individual commits to loving such music and always practicing what he/she hears and sees, the society will end up viewing the individual as one with a corrupted mind. The identity will be tarnished by this music. The music will in the end transmit wrong information to an innocent mind. The innocent mind may end up becoming a rude individual, a drug user and one who uses offensive words when interacting with peers. The identity that develops in this case is morally and ethically unacceptable. To some extent, this identity will always be on the wrong side of the nation’s law.
As indicated in the immediate two paragraphs above, the kind of hip hop music one is exposed can either influence an individual’s character positively or negatively. Therefore, the identity adopted due to music is a matter of choice, it is not only a matter of taste or reference but it’s a matter of moral and spiritual upbringing. This is because, if one accepts and behaves ethically and morally in his/her life, this will be portrayed in the music he/she goes for. If an individual is cruel and rude in real life, when it comes to music therefore, he/she will most probably opt to listen and view to the hip hop music that is not only secular but also offensive. This is the niche that the kind of person belongs to. In the end, if the community previously viewed this kind of person as being naughty, rude and all that, the character will deteriorate further due to listening to such music. Upon observing the way the individual behaves from talking to the clothing, an illiterate person would without a doubt have a negative perception towards hip hop music. As a result, hip hop music will be tarnished (Hip Hop Culture 2006). On the other side, there is that one person in the society who is morally upright and carries him/herself with utmost respect. This individual is also a fan to hip hop music. However, he/she is selective, he/she decides on the rappers and the hip hop music that he/she would listen to. In most cases he/she will listen to motivational, educative and at times gospel hip hop music. The outcome will be that he/she tends to amplify the positive identity, he/she will still enjoy the hip hop music but the community will always respect him/her due to the identity presented.
Hip hop has presented what is termed as Black English which many have termed as an existing and real language and with a wide user base (Baldwin 1979). In the current generation, the language has established itself further. Actually, it occupies most of the media may it be print, social, audio or visual media. It rates highly as an effective media persuasive tool. To understand this, some attention may be given to most of the movies that adopt this hip hop influence. The influence hip hop has is massive. It is in every continent. The only thing that makes it different from most languages is that it is not formal; yet. Despite this, just like other languages it has its users, a culture and origin. It has however evolved in such a way that the origin is being left out and it is being incorporated and integrated with other genres to deliver a more entertaining outcome. Hip hop to be specific has made a big impact in not only defining the identity of individuals but also massive groups. In this point, we can make reference to the dress codes and the fashion industry. Further still most sports seem to make reference to hip hop. A good example is basketball. In addition to this, many organizations have made massive profits by identifying the groups and individuals that admire and are hip hop fans. They have used this to their advantage. Good examples in this case are Nike and Adidas. Their products are bought by individuals who have adopted a unique identity from the hip hop world.
Conclusion
It is evident that hip hop just like most genres has established individuals and groups that have a unique identity. The identity goes to their mode of dressing, the words that come out of their mouth and the attitudes they adopt (Hip Hop Culture 2006). Many share what to some extent is a wrong perception that hip hop artists and the fans possess a rather ruthless and offensive identity. However this is due to considering the origin of this kind of music. With the current generation however, this has gradually changed. There are many products in the hip hop music and an identity can be developed by being selective on the kind of music that one decides to listen to. From this, members of the community are in a position to judge and analyze one’s identity and thus compare and contrast it to the music listened to. With the examples in this discussion, it is clear that music can influence one’s life positively or negatively. It can make or destroy a person. Therefore, it is essential to be selective in the kind of music one decides to listen to with the idea of protecting and upholding one’s identity.
Works cited
Baldwin, James. "If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, WhatIs?." The New York Times 29 July 1979: 1,2. Print.
McBride, James. Hip Hop Planet. N.d. New York. Hip Hop Planet. Web. 28July 2013.
Price, Emmett George. Hip hop culture. Santa Barbara, Calif.:ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print.
Richardson, Elaine B. Hiphop Literacies. London: Routledge, 2006. Print.
