Our Youth

Hip-hop music has been an integral part of the American culture since the 1970s. Hip-hop music, which encompasses rapping (emceeing), disc jockeying (deejaying), break dancing, and graffiti writing, has become so popular that American culture has adopted the music in mainstream fashion and modern language.   The conflict on whether hip-hop music is art or poison has been continuous.   Some Americans support hip-hop as an essential art form, while others dispute that hip-hop has harmful effects on the American culture. The culture associated with the music has drastically changed. The marketing executives frequently seek out the hip-hop artists for promotional purposes because of their widespread audience. In today’s culture, hip-hop music affects the youth population above all. Hip-hop music has negatively affected the American culture, primarily the youth, by promoting illegal activities, violent behavior, and sexual promiscuity. When asked how the present Hip-Hop music differs from the past, DJ B-Hop stated, “Today’s Hip-Hop is, for the most part, outrageous with all of the profanity and violence. I listen to people like Notorious BIG, Run DMC, Doug-E Fresh, Slick Rick, and all of the other old greats. I am not saying what rappers are doing these days are wrong because they are giving the people what they want and they are making album sales, I am just saying they could have went about it different way.”  I agree with DJ B-Hop one hundred percent, I couldn’t have said it any better myself. I also have developed a passion for old school rappers, such as those stated by B-Hop. I would like if present rappers could use more of their style of rapping. Life is not all about money, drugs and, “hoes”.

Statistically, most young people purchase the music, and adopt the lifestyle portrayed in the lyrics. Through television, music videos, and other visual media forms, hip-hop artists are portraying negative stereotypes and acting in a manner that promotes corruption. These negative messages condone the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Hip-hop artists such as Lil Wayne and most recently Future promotes usage and the sale of illegal substances. Subsequently, the American youth imitates these artists because the wealth, status, and lifestyle lure them in like a hypnotism spell. Acquiring the flashy lifestyle sometimes pays a price not only to the individuals seeking it, but the American society as well.

The adaptation of Hip Hop internationally is not really different in each country. Although there problems may be different, they have the common denominator of being powered by the youth. Each Culture's youth has grabbed hold of the Western Hip Hop ideals to create their own individuality in their own country. Also, Hip Hop seems to flourish is poor societies. These artists have more heart felt words to speak and genuine creativity because when you are brought up in such poor societal conditions that is sometimes all you have to hold on to.

Hip Hop is proven to be the voice of the people that may not be able to speak for themselves in conventional ways. Globalization has allowed many people who would not have the means to speak up and express themselves, to be able to take center stage. Many believe that globalization will be the end of individuality and creativity. This has been a theory that seems to fail when put up against Hip Hop globalization. Hip Hop globalization has proven to hybridize communities and music that in the end forms something that has never been seen before. Globalization may prove that instead of making the world “flat”, it will create new mountains and craters of creativity that were never imagined.