Hip-hop is a music genre popular among the youth and teenagers around the world. The genre has experienced significant changes from its inception to what it is currently. Besides, rock music, Hip-hop advocates lifestyles that are louder and daring than the modest or ordinary lifestyles. Additionally,Dalton (77) shows that the genre also has influenced how its fans relate and identify with each other, advocates the use of slang language. the Hip-Hop music is characterized by turntablism also known as Disk Jockeying, rapping, graffiti, dances such as the famous breakdance.
The genre was started in the 1970’s in the United States of America (Dalton, 6). Some of the most popular Hip-hop artists include the Late Tupac Shakur, and the Late Notorious B.I.G. currently, the most revered Hip-hop artists include Eminem, Nas, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, and Lil Wayne. It is evident from the listed artists; the genre is popular among Black Americans. In fact, besides Eminem, all other Hip-hop artists pride themselves as African Americans. Missy Eliot and Lil Kim are among some of the most celebrated female Hip-Hop artists.
However, the style has come a long way from when it famous in the ‘ghetto’ where most of the artists hailed and lived (Murray, 12-36). It has found its way to mainstream media and has thus, been promoted to other locations around the world. For instance, there are Hip-Hop artists in German such as Eko; the Cream Hip-Hop group from Japan, Bennie K, and other Hip-Hop artists from the east. India and China also have their Hip-hop artists that are revered and promoted widely, just as there are Hip-hop artists from Africa, Europe, and Australia. That shows that the genre is among the top loved music genres around the world.
Hip-Hop artists seek to tackle society ills and emerging issues. During its formation years, the type of music was mostly used to address issues related to black emancipation. Black liberation included themes of racism, discrimination, education and economic and political empowerment of the blacks as well as the black living standards. Hip-Hop groups mushroomed across the ‘ghettos’ in the USA where the blacks lived. These include South Bronx in New York, Littleton (Colorado), the Lower East Manhattan, Harlem, and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. These ghettos are home to immigrants. The Chicago south Sides, parts of Detroit are famous for being home to African Americans. The New York ghetto is home to Hip-Hop which is characteristically a type of music where lyrics are spoken or furiously rapped over beats. Once the music was prevalent in economically challenged areas, and its artists were poor and could not afford formal studio sessions, they opted to use amplifiers and street dancers to promote their music. According to Murray, (52-54) the move earned the artists a mass followings in the ghetto, and it was only a matter of time before Hip-Hop gained a mass following across races and economic, social and political divides.
However, Hip-Hop has been evolving as time passes. That is demonstrated by the fact that previously, the music was purely for addressing and making the African American plights and woes known to the world. It addressed poverty, racial discrimination, police and white harassment, unemployment, violence, and drugs (Dalton, 14). However, the current music addresses more than these issues. It has diversified to include issues such as love, religion, conflicts and so on.
The themes and topics of the rap music genre are not the only changes seen in the Hip-hop scene. The artist and fan lifestyles have also changed with the music itself. Previously, Hip-Hop artists advocated for gangster related lifestyles. They were violent, and many of them were confessed ghetto gangsters. Feuds between artists or Hip-Hop groups and factions were always fatal. That is exemplified by the fact artists such as Tupac and Notorious B.I.G, who remain forces to reckon with on the Hip-Hop scene were killed in shootings. It is believed that their competition and enemies in the Hip-Hop scene are responsible for their deaths.
In the recent times, many artists have been sued or involved in suits where they are accused of violence or being found in the position of unregistered guns. However, the violence has been toned down. There are no many reported cases of violent artists acting out on their enemies or competition. Many of the Hip-Hop artists are peaceful and keen to promote peace, advice against violence as a means of solving conflicts in their songs. Kendrick Lamar is an example of a conscious Hip-Hop artist who is keen on promoting peace in his songs. His lyrics, known as ‘Rhymes’ in the Hip-Hop scene are poetic and engaging, and advice against the use of violence. He is also keen on emerging societal issues and themes, making these ‘cool’ and therefore, attractive to the youth. Societal and emerging issues were previously of no importance to the youth, and therefore, they felt no obligation to them. However, with role models such as Lamar and others, youth have started paying attention to the issues, and contributing to solutions to societal ills, because they feel inspired and motivated to do so. That is because they want to do as their role models do.
Additionally, the music’s way of dressing has evolved over time. During its formative years, Hip-Hop artists wore oversized clothes, which were mostly from established sportswear companies. Adidas tracksuits, sneakers from Puma and All Stars were popular. They also wore ‘durags’ on their head. This fashion was passed from the artists to their fans. It was unisex as both male and female Hip-Hop fans partook. As the music evolved, the dressing style did too. Artists’ began wearing designer clothes from Gucci and Louis Vuitton, Fendi and other high-class fashion houses. Currently, Hip-Hop artist and business mogul, Jay-Z and other rich moneyed artists prefer to put on designer clothes, and their fans are too, the following suit.
Accessories included large eye glasses, heavy chains which are still popular among the male artists. Females, on the other hand, put on gold necklaces and large gold earrings known as the door-knocker earrings (Orejuela, 127). The earrings and the large eyeglasses have been phased out in favor of stylish sunglasses are earrings. There are new trends in sunglasses which are promoted in Hip-Hop music videos and albums. Fashion Designer houses such as Channel, Prada are beneficiaries as artists now promote their products. Ray Ban in particular, reaps from its sale of premium Sunglasses that are popular among both artists and their fans. The use of customized sunglasses as unheard off but is currently at fever peak among Hip-Hop. Artists such as Rihanna and Beyonce all have customized sunglasses which their fans adore. Replicates of the same are sold to fans at low prices.
Tattoos are also advocated by hardcore Hip-Hop artists (Orejuela, 98). Artists such as Lil Wayne, %0 Cent, Snoop Dog, Eminem among others have tattoos on their bodies. Tattoos are a uniting factor among Hip-Hop fans, and many of them have gotten permanent tattoos on their bodies, just like their favorite artists. In some cases, fans have gotten tattoos similar to those of their favorite artists. For example, Lil Wayne’s Tear Drop Tattoo is a favorite among his fans.
finally, Hip-Hop also seeks to challenge and change people’s way of thinking. From inception to date, Hip-Hop artists use rap and rhyme to pass their message. They challenge people’s thinking patterns and advocate for out of the box thinking. Artists such as Lamar in particular challenge people’s consciousness on societal issues and consequently, their followers and fans pay more attention to social issues and changes. That is a change from the past when the only topic the artists concerned themselves with was racial discrimination.
The music also promotes a type of dance known as breakdance (Dalton, 54-55). Males in particular love the dance, which has been incorporated in the music videos. Artists such as Chris Brown have mastered the dance which showcases him as extremely flexible with ability to bend many of his joints as he raps. Previously, the dance was predominantly made by males but females have begun challenging the males. Additionally, video vixens have become popular, and many people especially females have taken it up as a career. Hip-Hop videos objectify and sexualize the vixens, passing them off as sexual objects in an effort to make more video sales. This type making sales is on the rise, but was not popular in the genre’s early years.
In addition to the above, the music genre also promotes the use of graffiti. Graffiti is a form of rebellious art, where artists pass messages to the public by writing on pavements, walls or any other places using calligraphy, illustrations, loud colors and exaggerated forms of writing. The art of graffiti started in the black ghettos of the USA but is now popular across the world. It has become a career for youths and people who are artsy, and feel the need to pursue ‘unconventional ‘careers.
The above arguments show that Hip-Hop is a changing music genre. It challenges people's culture and lifestyles and encourages change. The Hip-hop language otherwise known as Slang,, lifestyle, and dressing, as well as the themes and topics, all change from time to time and influence people’s lives and conduct.
Works Cited
Murray, Forman. The hood comes fist: Race, Space, and place in rap and hiop-hop. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan Univrsity Press, 2002.
Orejuela, Fernando. Rultureap and Hip-Hop c. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2015.
world, Hip hop. Dalton Higgins. Berkeley, CA: Groundwood Books, 2009.
