Hip-Hop like all music has played a major part in our society. Hip-Hop more than any other genre of music has influenced a way of thinking to the current generation of listeners that Drugs, Alcohol, Money, Cars, Clothes, Houses, and Women is success. Many Hip-Hop listeners that I grew up with call this group “Video Gangsters” see it on TV and mimic it in your life. In a previous Blog Post “The State of Hip-Hop Address” that I wrote I explained how Hop-Hop was in trouble. This is a direct effect of the message that is being past along in todays music. It takes a strong mind to filter the facts when it comes to Hip-Hop and from working in the music industry for over 5 years now there are a lot of weak mined people out here.
In the following paragraphs I will be using some personal experiences as well as documented accounts of how Hip-Hop has fell under fire from lyrical content, public incidents, and discussion panels about the topic of the influence of Hip-Hop.
One of the biggest groups in Hip-Hop during there time and also known as the fathers of “Gangster Rap” Niggas Wit Attitude (N.W.A) the group featured artist Ice Cube, MC Ren, Dr. Dre, Yella, Doc, and Ez-E. The group changed Hip-Hop music at the time from messages of hope, anti-government, and Black Unity to Drugs, Murder and Sex. NWA had do something that was unheard of, but the track that gave them all the attention was “Fuck the police” this song fell under great scrutiny for all branches of law enforcement, the group said it was directed to one department in particular the LAPD. But it reached all the way up to the FBI and Secret Service.
Many other artists come under this same scrutiny artist and groups like 2 Live Crew, Tupac, Eminem, Ludacris, Young Jeezy, and Cam’ron with his Stop Snitching movement.
In another area of controversy many ask what is the purpose of Hip-Hop what was once a platform to pass a much-needed message to the masses is now used to dumb down a society of listeners. In todays music its common to see a 3 or 4 year old recite an entire song that they may have heard on the radio 2 or 3 times but those same children can’t remember the alphabet, colors, or numbers. These are our future leaders, doctors, judges, and teachers, so it seems that lessons will be taught in 16 bars and recorded in a studio to be mixed down and mastered before it can be shared with the class. Controversy and Hip-Hop are on in the same even the less popular artist come under the microscope, some of my favorite artist Freeway, Mos Def and Lupe have been attacked for being of Muslim faith (Freeway) Infidelity (Mos Def) and Anti-Government (Lupe). It is our 1st amendment to have a choice and to speak out against what one feels but for some reason this always becomes a problem when it offends someone.
Lastly I leave you with this. I read a transcript from a discussion panel held at Loyola University in New Orleans in 2008 and it was so good that I searched for it online. I found the video and watched several times because it gave me hope that there are still intelligent Hip-Hop listeners out there. Here is the link to view the discussion http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/static+a+hip+hop+dialogue+controversy+and+originality+in+hip+hop.
In closing the facts are clear main stream artist are mere puppets doing what the label tells them to do in order to gain profit the geo-politics of music are very clear yet weak minds aren’t able to see through the smoke and mirrors game that is being played, the future of Hip-Hop is as vague as the US deficit and if the messengers can’t deliver a message of change to our future then we are doomed to fail.
No comments:
Post a Comment