Introduction
Hip-hop is the most popular genre of music, the influence of which can be traced in movies, fashion, and the music industry overall. However, hip-hop can be called not only the music or fashion genre but also a lifestyle (Cohen 9). Despite the fact that the hip-hop genre originated in America, its spread has reached various cultures in various regions, being consumed by millions and millions of individuals.
Analysis
Charlie Ahearn’s 1983 movie Wild Style is viewed as the first movie that depicted the hip-hop culture in its essence. The primary setting of the movie involves the empty streets and subway stations of New York. The life of the main character called Zoro, an artist, revolves around the art of graffiti, which he called his world. In his search for finding himself and mastering the art, he creates connections with the most influential individuals in the entire history of the hip-hop genre (White par. 4).
A similar theme of emergence and later the evolution of the hip-hop culture was discussed by Jeff Chang in his book Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. The author outlines the life and the creative process of Clive Campbell or otherwise known as DJ Kook Herc, one of the most influential figures in the early history of the hip-hop genre. Furthermore, the process of assimilation with the American culture had massively affected the artist’s works as well as changed his identity (Chang 73).
As discussed in Kelley’s work Race Rebels, hip-hop is a phenomenon that reflects the composition of the American spirit that does not agree with the standards and the demands of the modern society, rejecting the notion of “Americanism” itself (183). The connections between American politics and the hip-hop community are ambiguous. For instance, the reaction of the hip-hop community on the events connected with the beating of Rodney King was surprising, as mentioned by the rapper Ice Cube “It’s been happening to us for years” (qtd. in Kelley 184). On the other hand, the community did not react as patiently to the killing of Eula Mae Love, who was shot a dozen times by the police in 1979.
In the chapter “Necropolis: the Bronx and the Politics of the Abandonment” Chang describes the “urban renewal” which was characterized by the poor Puerto Ricans, Jews, and African-Americans moving to South Bronx and Brooklyn in New York, places where the housing sector was widely available while the ability to find a job was very limited (11). Robert Moses, the most influential builder of the 1930s, was the primary initiator of the plan of turning the Manhattan area into the center for the wealthy, moving poorer layers of the community to other areas.
The correlations between hip-hop culture and politics are still relevant today. According to Republican Senator Mark Rubio, rappers used to be and still are the reporters of the events that surround the country. When the 1990’s the United States was captured by racial tension and gang wars, hip-hop artists like Tupac wrote songs reflecting those events (Hughes par. 8).
On the other hand, the latest tendencies of hip-hop culture rarely revolve around politics. The modern hip-hop artists have become entertainers rather than reporters; thus, those who think that hip-hop has the potential to revolutionize the life of the African-American community are disappointed to a large extent (The Economist par. 4).
Works Cited
Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: a History of the Hip-Hop Generation, New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. 2005. Print.
Cohen, Dror. The Role of Rap/Hip-Hop Music in the Meaning and Maintenance of Identity in South African Youth. Jun. 2008. PDF file.
Hughes, Dana. Hip-Hop in Politics: What a Difference a Generation Makes. 2013.
Kelley, Robin. Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class, New York, NY: The Free Press, 1994. Print.
The Economist. The Politics of Hip-Hop. 2008.
White, Alicia. Film Review: Charlie Ahearn’s “Wild Style”. 2013.