Hip Hop Culture

Hip Hop Culture

Hip Hop originated in New York around 1970 as the brainchild of DJ Kool Hero. Artists utilized
their hip-hop talents to express their inner feelings regarding police brutality concerns.
Gangster rap emerged on the scene in the 1990s. Gangster rap artists depicted misogyny,
violence, drug dealing, and degradation of women among other things as a way to get their
musical message across. These negatively focused lyrics took rap music in a totally different
direction. This I feel is the beginning of the demise of the lyrical art form highlighting police
brutality. Civil, poetic hip hop was swallowed up by the more vehemence-themed, violence-leaning lyrical ideology of gangster rap. The victor was gangster rap in all of its abrogating glory.
In our present society violence is reported daily in the media. I feel that careful consideration
should be given to the influence that hip-hop has on millions of fans. Consequently, it is my
contention that hip-hop-related violence depicted in songs and videos may contribute to some
of the ongoing violent occurrences experienced in our present society. This ongoing
desensitization to violence may result in more aggressive behavior. There have been numerous
studies referencing the correlation between music, movies, and video games, and their
connectedness to aberrant behavior. Being from a particular generation there are two movies
that come to mind that influenced me. One of the movies that influenced me was “Superfly”
which prompted me to buy a big hat and a long leather coat. The second of the two movies
that influenced me was “The Greatest” based on the life of Muhammed Ali. After viewing this
movie, I was convinced that just like Muhammed Ali I could do great things.
My point in writing this narrative is to shed light on the negative components of hip-hop culture
and how the culture can squash our better angels and promote less-than-desirable behavior in
some individuals. This attraction to the depiction of the acquisition of jewelry, fine cars, and the
monetary trappings is an aphrodisiac to many. All of the aforementioned can be quite
destructive to an individual, family, and our communities if we allow ourselves to be sucked into
the negative connotations associated with some rap culture mentalities. It is currently being
reported this weekend March 3rd through 5th, 2023 that NBA player Ja Morant may be in
jeopardy of losing his multi-million dollar contract as a result of a post on Instagram with him
brandishing a weapon while at a gun club. There were three other alleged incidents involving
Mr. Morant and guns. Not all Hip Hop is bad. However, there is no justification for hip-hop and
violence being viewed as something useful in today’s society. Some of the beats are awesome
but the beating that some of the lyrics inflict on our communities is devastating. I adamantly
voice my opinion related to the negative effects some hip-hop lyrics have on the younger
generation. Messages related to the glorification of drugs, alcohol, and the like serve no useful
purpose. Parents, please monitor what your children watch and listen to. Let’s fill their minds
with images of success, bringing dreams to fruition, and living in a positive, peaceful, and
productive environment. Thumbs up, like, and share.
Marvin Dixon,