Hip Hop Music and its Impact on American Culture - 2432 Words

It was a Tuesday morning in the Information Technology class at State College. An older student was doing his best to ignore the loud, obscene disruption occurring next to him, the result of two younger students ignoring the lesson at hand. Finally, he gave in and spoke up against their sanctimonious display, and was quickly bullied and threatened with violence in front of the entire class. Both aggressors exemplified and embodied every aspect of the hip-hop culture: Ebonics spewing out of their mouths, expensive and baggy clothing draped and sagging from their bodies complete with headphones around their neck blaring expletive laden song lyrics. The dynamic duo mentioned here certainly aren’t the only members of this ilk, nor are they†¦show more content†¦Now ask yourself, what dominated black airwaves in the 60’s and 70’s? During this time of social upheaval, were Dr. King and Huey Newton and Angie Davis listening to songs of women holding a â€Å"mot or booty contest† (Too $hort)? Did they turn on the radio and embrace the struggle of life that blacks, 40 years after the civil rights movement, portray as â€Å"the way it is†? The answer simply, is no. Throughout history, when times were excruciatingly hard, people have listened to positive, up building music to keep their minds off of their current situation, not to embrace it as an excuse to ease their conscience of their misdeeds. Still, some people argue that rappers like 50 Cent and Twista and Too $hort are just simply bringing to light the state of mind and life that exists within the ghetto. But were conditions this bad during the civil rights movement? Dr. King and his followers only got sprayed with fire hoses, attacked by dogs and lynch mobs right? That’s not â€Å"real† though. That won’t give you â€Å"street cred.† The Man wasn’t trying to hold them down and keep them in their place right? And yet somehow, they were abl e to rise higher than any other before them without a ghetto anthem singing about the death of police as true liberation. This ‘hood mentality arguably becameShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Violent Music On The Youth Culture1316 Words   |  6 Pageseffect of violent music, both positive and negative towards African American men, women, and children. The articles also provides information that will support the reason how Hip-hop has such an impact on the youth culture, how Hip-hop is valued, and how the music and its lyrics are interpreted. Changing Images of Violence Rap music lyrics: 1979-1997 Hip- hop has both a negative and positive impact on African American lives. Over the past three decades, Hip-hop has arisen asRead MoreThe Hip Hop Generation And Its Impact On Society1371 Words   |  6 PagesArgumentative Essay 6 December 2015 The Hip Hop Generation and its Impact on Society. 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To challenge these stereotypes, As ante speaks to the personification of the African-American ghetto and the need to stop glorifying black suffering. For Asante, the post-hip-hop generation no longer expects hip-hop to mobilize disenfranchised youth