Saturday, November 10, 2012

Pre-Reading Questions Week Twelve

Hip hop can be used for a good cause.  Since hip hop is aimed at people rich and poor alike, it allows for a diverse spread of information.  It can provide insight to the rich and well off how hard the poor have it.  On the other hand it can also demonstrate that although the poor may have the same life, it isn;t to be glorified, and that leaving, is probably the best move one can make.  Take the rapper Game's The Kill for example.  The rapper is infamous for raps of hood figures and violence, and yet, todays, he raps of leaving the hood, using your mind, forget smoking, strive.  In fact, he goes on to say that if you dislike him for saying that, then so be it, but it's the truth. It's almost a double a double edged sword, aimed at the listeners and the executives of the industry alike.  Forget the hype, strive to do good for yourself and others. that's cool.

Social justice is the main goal of hip hop.  In the beginning, it showed deep insight into the hood, allowing many to open their eyes or relate.  Sure it's had it's ups and downs since, but now, it's beginning to migrate to something just as true once more.  Real raps are on the rise, of feelings, fears, goals, being real.

Hip hop has the ability to capture the voice of a generation. Take the rise of violence in hip hop for example,  it was synonymous with the terrorist attacks and the conflicts in the middle east.  Now, with the recession, music is beginning to take a more meaningful, introspective turn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKdnDS9KtM
The song is called Radio-Inactive by a rapper named Blue Print.

He talks about how rappers are all the same nowadays, and they're leading a generation astray.  In reality, it's not about the money, girls, or the other hype.  It's about the hard work, the struggle, the drive.  It's through those challenges that we really come to recognize and respect hard work.  Not selling out or falling in line with other's wants, but to do you.  Personally, this is one of my favorite pick me up songs.  It's easy to fall in line, assume the role, please others.  It's hard to lead, take the path less traveled, do you, stay strong.  In the end though, it's the latter life choice that makes life worth living.

Executives can effectively block artist from finding an audience or even creating them, they just want to please existing once.  With the rise of the internet however, many rappers are finding ways around this blockade by offering free tracks online.  Personally, I couldn't be happier with this direction hip hop is taking.


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1 comment:

  1. I agree with your idea that hip-hop can provide insight into how some artists had to work their way out of the hood and that it has the power to give voice to a generation. Though I wonder if social justice is the main goal of hip-hop, why do you think that social justice is the main goal?

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