Hip-Hop Music: Entertainment or More?
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Added on 2020-09-08
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This essay examines the relationship of hip-hop music, society, and politics. It discusses how hip hop music has become a landmark in African American history and how it acts as a podium for artists to convey issues and insight into society.
Hip-Hop Music: Entertainment or More?
Added on 2020-09-08
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Hip-hop/rap music is entertaining but is it ‘just entertaining’? Discuss.This essay will examine the close relationship of hip-hop music, society and politics. With a focus on illustrating how hip hop music has become a landmark in African American history and how through its mass entertainment appeal it acts as a podium for artists to convey issues, as well as a insight into society. To determine whether hip hop is just entertainment we must first define the perimeters of entertainment. Referring to the oxford dictionary, “entertainment” has two applicable definitions in this setting; “the action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment”, “an event, performance or activity designed to entertain others”1. For the purpose of this essay we will assume the former as the perimeters of entertainment.There’s no hiding that the last decade of mainstream hip hop has been intentionally marketed with a global population in mind. Like most mainstream genres of music Hip Hop is a form of entertainment for its audience but arguably not necessarily exclusively entertainment. Hip Hop arguably has strong social influences giving it the power to potentially dictate fashion, behaviour, language, censorship through a means of entertainment. A better understanding of the strong connection hip hop has to society will come if we examine the origins from which it was first developed. Born in the early 1970’s from a youth cultural movement originating from the South Bronx inNew York, Hip-hop music was one of four components that formed the basis of what is known as Hip-hop culture2. Along with Turntabling,Graffiti art and breakdancing, Hip-hop music served as an alternative option to the illegal activities of street gang culture that occupied the region. Popular amongst young African-american and puerto ricans Hip-hop music gave the individual an opportunity to freely verbalize his or her thoughts and observations leading to a insight into society at the time. As put by Adams and Fuller ‘it has been used as a medium for expressing a variety of idea, feelings, and emotions.’2 The individual's association to 1970’s hip hop music was more than just an enjoyment of the music. It was an association to the unique identity of the underground urban African-American hip hop culture. This identity incorporated distinct fashion, languages and behaviours. Whilst creating a method of entertainment detracting from street gang culture, italso created a voice for the previously disregard and unheard. Hip hop music became a platform from which youth could voice their frustration and protest. ‘Rap music emerged as an aesthetic cultural expression of urban African-American youth.’ 2Musically, Hip-hop was in a class of its own. With a strong emphasis on rhythm and a lack of focus on harmony, unlike popular American music of the time, this aspect can be compared to similarities within African musical tradition. ‘While European musics are based primarily upon linear progression and harmony, African ones are built around repetition and rhythm.’31Stevenson, Angus (ed.) Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2010, 585.2Adams, Terri M. and Douglas B. Fuller. 2006. ‘The Words Have Changed but the Ideology Remains theSame: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music’, Journal of Black Studies 36(6): 9393Rose, Tricia. 1994. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Cultures in Contemporary America. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press, 166.
The concept of rapping, that is rhyming over music, is also thought to have been derived from an african tradition called ‘toasting’. There’s also the heavy inclusion of call and response which is immediately associated to african american traditions. These African musical tradition combined with a post industrial technology including turntables are what pathed the way for the creation of Hip-hop music. This distinctive hybrid of African and American tradition can be closely associated to the development of Ragtime of the late 1800’s adding to another significant musical landmark in African American society.Skip ahead roughly 30 years and Hip-hop has diversified dramatically and is now one the leading genres in mainstream music. Though with diversity comes evolution. A good majority of hip hop lyrics and videos will have similar recurring themes such as violence, misogyny, wealth and displays of masculinity which are all pioneered in gangsta rap. As mentioned by Haugan ‘Gangsta rap is generally considered a subgenre of the larger category of rap music, which itself is a subcategory of Hip hop. Gangsta rap is differentiablefrom other rap music in that gangsta rap makes use of images of urban life that are often associated with crime.’4During the commercialization of gangsta rap in the early 1990’s, Hip hop music and associated culture underwent big changes in an attempt to appeal to a larger, predominantly white audience5. These changes were orchestrated record labels, not artists, in with the goal increased financial gain.‘Hip Hop’s recent focus on entrepreneurship and marketing has created a culture where hip-hop is experienced primarily through consumption rather than production.’5 As opposed to selling solely music, marketing giants like MTV and forbes began to utilize cultural aspects such as fashion to sell products associated with the artist as entertainment for further profitable gain. As Hunter illustrates ‘Now that mainstream hip-hop has evolved into a largely commercial enterprise targeting a young and white buying audience, most people are consumers rather than practitioners. Fans can consume hip-hop by purchasing ringtones, magazines, fragrances, shoes, car's, entire lines of clothing, video games, pornography, specialty liquors, and more.’5 It should be noted that this form of exploitation is not only seen within mainstream hip hop music, it can also be observed frequently in other genres of popular music. Similar product placement can also be spotted in films, ad placement at sporting events and celebrity endorsements. Which brings me back to an aforementioned characteristic of hip hop music which is; hip hop is still an insight into our contemporary society. In contrast there is the argument that potentially all music to a degree is just entertainment, however that would be disregarding the influences that music has on our society.Progressing onto lyrical content it's obvious from viewing contemporary hip hop songs that there is a clear definition between what could be classed as party songs with references similar to that of gangsta rap referring to either alcohol, drugs, wealth or partying. The alternative and serious side to this is politically motivated song which refer to social and political issues which stays true to the original origins of hip hop back in the 1970’s. In the case of the politically driven songs the commercial success has done justice to the hip hop 4Haugen, Jason D. 2003. ‘“Unladylike Divas”: Language, Gender and Female Gangsta Rappers’, Popular Music and Society 26(4): 430-433.5Hunter, Margaret. 2011. ‘Shake It, Baby, Shake It: Consumption and the New Gender Relation in Hip-Hop’, Sociologist Perspectives 54(1): 16-20.
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