Hip Hop Culture

Hip-hop did emerge from the South Bronx in the 1970s. From this period, the hip-hop culture became an international commercial phenomenon. The culture has undergone massive or enormous development to encompass more than mere rap music. The music style has been essential in the creation of a critical culture incorporating ethnicity, politics, fashion, technology, and urban life.

In the recent years, hip-hop culture has had critical social significance in the contemporary society. Nevertheless, the controversy surrounding this mode or style of music has been at the forefront of the agenda of the American media. Following the hype of East Coast-West Coast rivalry, murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G, and demonization of the modern music following incidences of school shootings, the political, as well as media practitioners have been quick to integrate blame on the cultural trend in youth violence (Price 73).

In spite of the tendency by the critics to point out the influence of violent lyrics regarding composition by some rappers, these practitioners miss the point of hip-hop’s message. In the last decade, the hip-hop music has focused on following the commercialization approach, which did destroy African-American radio stations in the context of 1970s. The approach has been essential in limiting the freedom of the hip-hop musicians and practitioners to exercise the desired freedom in the execution of their skills and talents in the music industry in the contemporary society.

On the other hand, it is valuable to note that, like the rap musical genre, hip-hop culture tends to associate with the thug-like attributes among the target audiences. Categorically, target audiences have the tendency to respond to whatever they listen too from the musicians. From this perspective, target audiences tend to replay or react whatever they hear or listen to from the hip-hop musicians (Bennett 28). The eventual outcome is the development of a cultural attribute, which tends to associate with violence in the society.

Conclusively, hip-hop did emerge from the South Bronx in the 1970s. The culture has undergone massive or enormous development to encompass more than mere rap music. The musical culture also associates with the violent lyrics regarding composition by some rappers; these practitioners miss the point of hip-hop’s message. Eventually, the cultural aspect leads to the development of a cultural attribute, which tends to associate with violence in the society.

Works Cited

Bennett, Andy. Popular music and youth culture: music, identity and place. Macmillan Press       Ltd., 2000.

Price, Emmett George. Hip hop culture. ABC-CLIO, 2006.