HIP HOP AS A PRODUCTION OF URBAN SPACE
BY ASHER
Creativity begins with an idea. Inventors and
visionaries brainstorm and ingeniously fix ideas to create new things. Like
these creators, the people who lived through the 70s in the Bronx created what
is known as the culture of hip-hop. The culture of hip-hop arose from rapping,
DJing, graffiti, break dancing and beat boxing “Hip-hop culture emerged as a
source for youth of alternative identity formation and social status in a
community whose older local support institutions had been all but demolished
along with large sectors of its built environment (Rose, 1994).” This culture
gave the people of the Bronx an identity and a voice. Through rap/MCing, anyone
was able to voice his or her opinions and struggles of what life was like. “Rap
music reflects its origin in the hip-hop culture of the young and urban, its
function as the voice of an otherwise underrepresented group, and, as its
popularity has grown, its commercialization and appropriation by the music
industry (Blanchard, 1999).” With that, I pose a question about hip-hop that
has some significance to many. Would your life have been the same without hip-hop
culture?
Arriving to the
Bronx as immigrants from the Dominican Republic in ‘89, my parents had no idea
what hip-hop was. All they saw were kids hanging out in corners, graffiti on
the trains, and a city filled with diversity. Hip-hop culture was associated
with crime and violence. Hip-hop wasn’t something my parents wanted me to be a part
of. Growing up, hip-hop surrounded me everywhere I went. The culturally
infused public schools I attended showed me what
diversity really was. Every year, my classes were filled with students from all
different backgrounds and beliefs. Ironically, the average Caucasian student in
suburban schools was rare in the Bronx. Despite the different ethnic and racial groups, hip-hop culture seemed to be a very
influential part of how us kids growing up acted, thought and dressed. Hip-hop
culture was literally what my life revolved around. Hip-hop gave me a voice,
not so much in a sense speech, but a lifestyle. It allowed me to open my eyes to perceive
and express myself in ways that were different to those of non-urban
upbringings. Simple things like not getting what I wanted or eating the same
basic Dominican meal everyday didn’t bother me because I knew of my family’s
struggle. Hip-hop culture put life into perspective.
It is impossible
to really tell how my life would have been different without hip-hop, but I
know for sure that I would not be the same person I am today. Despite being
accustomed to diversity and different racial cultures as a youth, my mentality
of how to strive while living in the hood would’ve been different. I wouldn’t have learned the “street
smarts” skills, which are basic essentials to survival in the urban environments.
Hip-hop exposed me to the mentality needed to question authority, helped me understand
why minorities like myself are struggling, and partially show me who I actually
am.
Blanchard,
Becky. "The Social Significance of Rap & Hip-Hop Culture." EDGE,
Ethics of Development in a Global Environment (blog), 07 26, 1999.
http://www.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/socialsignificance.htm
(accessed February 12, 2014).
Rose, Tricia.
Black Noise. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, Hanover, 1994.
As I read this post I can't help but agree and reflect on my own experience. Hip-Hop becomes a form of guidance and outlet for many minorities in New York City. Although my parents did not agree with his style of music, my brother who is 14 years older than me and a teenager around the time we moved to the United States. He used Hip-Hop as a form of guide from the way he dressed, spoke, and acted. He learned the “street smarts” from this music and the way to survive, things you are not thought in the classrooms. He was not in the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, as immigrant not knowing to speak English he used hip-hop as his survivor guide in the United States. Going back to a question that was brought up in class; could Hip-Hop be derived from some where other than NYC? I believe that Hip-Hops was so power and gave such a strong message because it was from New York City, it was relatable to the everyday struggles people of color went through. The message would not be the same if hip-hop was started somewhere like Chicago for example. For my brother, Hip-Hop was his history book; he learned more from these rhymes than he did from the public school system.
ReplyDeleteAsher, I just have to say that I think you did an amazing job on your blog post and it was very inspirational reading it. I think of hip-hop and I think about the music and the artists who gave this music meaning. I used to listen to artists like NWA and the Beastie Boys. I loved how the rhythm made your body want to move and how intense the lyrics were. Of course some of the things they were rapping about I couldn’t relate to but I loved knowing that there existed a world beyond my scope of surroundings and that was one thing that made me feel connected to the music the most. I am a music lover and I do believe this music influenced my life and how I view music today. It also gave me a better understanding about life through the eyes of these rappers.
ReplyDeleteAsher, I agree with your post. In addition to Hip-hop, we should look at music and how it impacts every culture not just Latinos. Music is meant to express a message or someone's struggle. I believe that people discriminate against music. For example Latinos are normally associated with genres such as Bachata, Merengue etc. whereas white people are often associated with country music, EDM and house. Regardless of what genre you prefer, music has an impact on everyone even if they cannot directly relate to the message being portrayed. Instead, it’s more about appreciating the talent that artist or group has. This goes for graffiti as well. It is normally associated with criminals but it is really a form of art and artistic expression. Good job on addressing this topic.
ReplyDeleteRap tends to be associated with African Americans; it is the voice of the young black male. Unfortunately, this leads people to assume that black males and crime are highly associated. A lot of rap songs involve violence or drugs and because rap is the voice of the black male, people assume that they are also associated with violence and drugs. This is the negative stigma that comes from rap, but it is obviously untrue. I know some people who never listen to rap because they think that it is all just some guy who is bragging about all the people he has killed or all the money that he has. But there are some genius rappers out there that make meaningful songs and address the issues of today's society. Childish Gambino is one of my favorite rappers because he raps about things that actually matter and he doesn't need to demean or exploit any group of people to be successful.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great question and hip hop to me has played a role. For me growing up in the Bronx this is the music I have grown up listening too and for me it speaks about everyday struggles. Most of these struggles are ones that people face everyday and are constantly surrounded by. These music artist to some give inspiration for some to not give up and if they made it out so can you. It puts exposure on problems in the “ghetto” and some times offer solutions as to what can be done to help our community. I feel as if over the years hip hop has transitioned and has lost some value and forgotten as to what it once was about. -KEVIN
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