Hip Hop...What's That?

The main problem with understanding hip-hop is that people tend to misunderstand it. Most people use the term hip-hop and rap music interchangeably. This common mistake limits people from experiencing the beautiful culture of what hip-hop actually is.

From the undergrounds of the south, the ghettos of the Bronx, the white suburbs, to way across the globe to the different dialectic communities of Asia, hip-hop is a culture that embodies everything from music, dance, fashion, word choice, etc. What began as an idea for a way to have a good time erupted into a movement that took the world by storm.

In Common’s song “I Used to Love Her”, he metaphorically compares the world of hip-hop to a woman. This woman used to have “so much soul” but now she “on some dumb shit”. This is because she had been led astray by entertainers looking to make a quick buck by flashy gimmicks. This analysis of hip-hop is slightly sad for two reasons. The first reason is hip-hop emerged on the scene in the early 80s. Although the song appears to be describing a prolonged degradation that has only recently reached its breaking point, this song was released in August 1994. This analysis is sad because it depicts such a rapid degradation of what African Americans did to their own community regardless if it was the blame of the West coast or the East coast. The second reason why Common’s analysis is sad is because it depicts the lives of so many black women. Furthermore, hip-hop showcases this degradation on their stage of rap videos. These videos objectify women and broadcast the message that it’s okay because there is money to be made.

So if that was the state of hip-hop then, the only logical explanation 16 years later is for hip-hop to be dead lying in a gutter somewhere right? No. Hip-hop, while not as soulful as it once was, has transgressed races, cultures, gender, etc. It will continue to live as a reflection of the people it represents. However, I truly believe that hip-hop is only as strong as its mother, the black community, which needs serious nursing back to health.