Hip Hop: A Cultural Aspect, A Way of Life

From the birth of this music genre, Hip Hop has always been used as a way for people, men especially, to tell a story. Whether it was Old School Hip-Hop, New School Hip-Hop, Golden Age Hip-Hop, or Gangsta Rap Hip-Hop, they all provided a lens for which to view their struggles and perspective of life. After Gangsta Rap was added as a new branch of hip-hop, it stole the media spotlight, and quickly changed how the public/fans viewed it. Gangsta rap hip-hop has been accused of glorifying violence, misogyny and homophobia, portraying men as hypersexual beings, and giving them a false since of power. Despite the negative influences gangsta rap exude, it was and still is the most lucrative of them all. Most rappers of this genre appeal to be hardcore and rich through their lyrics. This alone attracts other men, as well as women to their music. It seems as though being hardcore or being a “thug” validates one’s humanity, and deem them as “being real” in the society. Rappers such as 50 Cent, Tupac (R.I.P.), and Notorious B.I.G (R.I.P.) all rap about their life and actual hardships they had encountered; they all had been shot in the earlier years of their life. So, it was not as hard for them to gain respect from their fans because their lyrics literally reflected their life story. Though they gained the respect of their fans, they also influenced them negatively with the constant violence and degradation of women. In particular, many young men begin to directly relate to this lifestyle because rates of murder and rape skyrocketed. They began to look at women as animals and lower than human beings because they refer to them as b**ches and h**es, and only desire them to be half-naked in their videos. Not to mention, gangsta rappers consistently rap about how they are disgusted by homosexuals as if they are another species. So who’s to blame, the rappers, the media, or the industry as a whole? In my opinion, they all have a fault in how hip-hop has shifted and influenced its fans because one could not function without the other. I think they just sacrifice portraying the image of a positive person to gain more monetary value because that is what sells the most. After all, some just may be greedy, but some rappers just may be trying to attain a better life for himself as well as his family.