BY STUDENT
Hip-hop, in my opinion, has always been an outlet for people who essentially have no voice in the United States. Hip-hop is used to tell a story, but more importantly it is used to represent a group of people who have nothing and are trying to make something out of their lives, they are trying to provoke change. Hip-hop originated from a time in the South Bronx when no one in the United States cared what happened to this borough. The people who lived there had to fight for themselves because no one else would fight for them. Buildings were being burnt to the ground for insurance money, unemployment rates were at an all-time high, the streets were ridden with filth and more. During the 1970s the South Bronx was filled with people who had nothing else to do but sit around, and what do people do when they have nothing but time on their hands?
During the 1970s the South Bronx was mainly inhabited by African-Americans and Latinos who were jobless, lived in uninhabitable buildings, and were essentially broke. All these things led up to the birth of hip-hop and a new era. Dj Kool Herc, in Jeff Chang’s ‘Can’t Stop Won’t stop, stated, “To me, hip-hop says, “Come as you are.” We are a family. It ain’t about security. It ain’t about bling-bling. It ain’t about how much your gun can shoot. It ain’t about $200 sneakers. It is not about me being better than you or you being better than me. It’s about you and me, connecting one to one. That’s why it has universal appeal. It has given young people a way to understand their world, whether they are from the suburbs or the city or wherever”. [LJ1] I feel that this quote represents exactly what I am trying to explain in this blog post. Hip-hop was born because the United States did not care about what happened to the South Bronx or the people who lived there, hip-hop was born to connect people with one another. Not only did it connect people from all over the world but it created jobs for the people in this borough at the time when they needed a job the most. Hip-hop inspired change locally and nationally.
As a South Bronx native I have been surrounded by hip-hop and the effects it has had in my community. At home an old hip-hop song will play and my parents become immediately nostalgic and tell me about a time when hip-hop was just starting out. My father has told me about playing in the ruins of an old building as a kid and hearing the sounds of what would be known as hip-hop today. Hip-hop came from a place of despair and ruin and became one of the biggest genres of music known to man. Even though hip-hop was created during a bad time in the South Bronx it became something good and helped millions escape the realities of everyday life.
Great post! You mention that Hip-Hop connected people to one another. But do you feel like it also separated people as well because not everyone could relate to the same struggle? For example, we see a constant debate between West Coast Hip Hop and East Coast Hip Hop. However, I loved when you mentioned Hip Hop allowed individuals to understand their world. I feel like this music was a way for people to call out what they were facing and was a way to make the rest of the world aware of their injustices as well.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I like how you mentioned that quote because it made me think about why hip-hop originated in the first place. I agree with it as well and I feel it made people understand what others went through with out having to be where they are from . While people were struggling for space in the Bronx , hip hop created another space for them . I also agree with you when you said that hip-hop inspired changed because Hip-Hop has such an influence in society from activism , fashion and pop-culture.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post on the origin of hip hop and how it has become so mainstream in today's culture. I like how you include personal stories of how hip hop has affected you and your family. I also like the fact the you said hip hop is suppose to be something that brings everyone together and not suppose to separate each other. A question I have is how has hip hop lost some of the aspects of bringing everyone together and how it has become now more braggadocios?
ReplyDeleteThis post really opened my eyes to the origins of Hip Hop. This genre of music was created by people who were inspired to write about the struggles and hardships they faced living in their borough to inform the world they existed because they felt invisible. This genre has resonated with people all across the world, whether they live in a “ghetto” or not. Do you think Hip Hop nowadays still operates under the same values it did back in the 70’s and 80’s? Personally I think Hip Hop has been co-opted by society to the point where white teens living in suburbia are listening to music that they cannot personally relate to and those same white people are getting offended when they face backlash for using the “n” word when it plays in a song. How can we bring Hip Hop back to its roots?
ReplyDelete^This is Alana
DeleteYour introduction paragraph discussed the concept of hip-hop being a way of inspiring change and awareness to people who don't necessarily have a say in the US, which is surely true. The genre of music has enlightened America on the struggles minorities face every day. People will never truly understand what it was like living during the 1960s and 1970s, but by listening to the lyrics of the songs produced during those decades can at least give you a sense of those struggles. Your family and South Bronx connections is just one example on how hip-hop has made a huge mark on history in the 19th century. This was very well written and all of the information explored carried great significance within this post.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I really enjoyed the true emotion and personal influences you included. I agree with you that hip hop was used as a outlet for people and to spread the word that we are all on the same struggling boat. In my eyes I see it as a more aggressive form of poetry, in the best way possible. It was in a sense more raw and didn't follow any rules which is good because the message the songs carry were true, upsetting in its context but most importantly passionate to the core.
ReplyDeleteI like how connected and passionate you are about this topic. I can tell how much Hip-Hop means to you by the tone of your blog post and its really inspiring. I too am a Bronx native and my parents also grew up around the time Hip-Hop was staring out and listening to the topics people rapped about at the time is completely different from the music today. Rap was used to create a voice for the people who were under represented and I think this post does a good job in explaining that.
ReplyDeleteYour family has a direct connection to hip hop and how it started in the South Bronx. Do you think that modern day hip hop has moved away from its roots? I ask this because we now see hip hop artists outside the Bronx and outside of the black and brown culture. Are those artists telling a story to have their voice be heard? I feel as though now all different types of people from all walks of live listen to hip hop and might not have the cultural background to appreciate it, be become nostalgic like your parents.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that hip hop came about because of free time, unemployment, and a failing economy in the Bronx because it was a way to create enjoyment, community, and jobs. Before the country did not care about the Bronx, but it is interesting to see that as soon as black and brown people create a voice for themselves and a place of power, those in power then turn their head. Now hip hop and lyrics are criminalized and used against black and brown people trying to have a voice.
I like this blog post because it was different than the others and actually made me want to read until the end but actually look up more information after. your blog post had a very direct and strong connection as if you feel what they feel and the actions of rap influenced modern day struggles and relations. Great blog post and your emotion is very much justified.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoyed your blog post and how you applied music being an escape for the minority communities. It is a quite interesting and accurate take because even today I will listen to music and it will be an escape for me and I can get a glimpse into the artist's life. With hip hop it is one and the same. These communities have found an outlet to voice their concerns and feelings about the way they live and the way they are treated in the country. This gives them a chance to connect with other folks like themselves and have wider audiences hear their struggle and understand where they come from.
ReplyDelete-Deandra B.
2. I really enjoyed this post about hip hop. Hip hop is not particularly my favorite genre but from time to time I listen to it. I feel that it has always been an outlet for people to talk about problems that are going on in the u.s or anywhere. As of lately there’s been a lot of raps about police brutality and racism. Even if its not the music video will have a lot of imagery and signs towards todays problems. For example the music video this is America by Childish Gambino was heavily talked about for all its imagery
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