When I think of hip hop, I think of all the annoying songs that play on the radio now-a-days. All the lyrics seem to be about sex, drugs, and partying. It has come down to where only once in a while I will hear a hip hop song that is about something that I really care about and makes me feel something. I think the purpose of hip hop is to entertain, but also to connect to the audience that it pertains. The stereotype of hip hop is that a lot of guys who wear baggy pants and bling listen to the music, but in reality almost any type of person whether they dress in all black or whether they are young or old can and do listen to it as well. In the old days hip hop use to tell stories whether it was about the artist childhood or about a current event going on in the world today. One of my personal favorite songs is Juicy by Notorious B.I.G. This song is about his struggles growing up and how he didn't let anyone tell him that he couldn't go after his dream. I think this song is beautiful because it has an overall message that a lot of people can relate to. A lot (not all) of the hip hop songs on the radio today seem to be more about men dominating women and getting tons of money or the usual smoking and getting drunk. Music is all about self expression and if that's what the artist feels they need to express then so be it. I just feel that music should always have some kind of feeling to it. I think my ideas of hip hop definitely can relate to the Chris Rock video. I think what he means by it being harder to defend hip hop today is because of the fact that most of it is degrading to women and don't really have an important meaning to it. This connects to what I was explaining above about how hip hop use to tell stories with a meaning behind them. Even though hip hop music has changed, I don't think it's trash. Work has been put into the music regardless whether or not the lyrics are deep or if they are simple and that should be acknowledged. Hip hop can have very well put together beats which makes it enjoyable to dance to. I think some of the problems that persist in hip hop such as it being degrading to women are ignored because people don't think that it can pertain to them when really it does. It pertains to all women, maybe not intentionally, but it does. Since most women do tend to shrug the lyrics off their shoulders, it allows men to believe that these kinds of lyrics are acceptable. Some may even apply these lyrics to real life and will feel it's okay to treat women exactly how they are portrayed in hip hop music. It is a big dilemma, but I wouldn't know a solution to ending these degrading lyrics when after all, music is art and art is a way of self expression.
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Hi Justina,
ReplyDeleteI think you are onto something when you talk about a shift in the content of hip-hop. The film we watched in class definitely speaks to this shift and some of the reasons behind that shift. The point bring up about the connection between derogatory lyrics and the treatment of women is also interesting! I wonder what you thought about that moment in the video when he showed the men and the women at the BET festival in Daytona Beach. What was your reaction to that? How do we balance art with campaigning for respectful behavior?
--eas
Hi Justina,
ReplyDeleteI think that your blog is interesting. I like how you were honest that the context of hip-hop seems violent in words, and it's all about sex, drugs, being a man. Like we talked about in class and the video that we watched in class today, it really differentiates how women are described and I also learned about rappers not accepting homophobias in their society. Overall, I like your honest blog.
-Kriselle N.
I agree. Music is a way of self-expressing. I also believe that artists make music just to entertain. They make music that they feel will make them the most money, that’s way most of the music nowadays talk about sex, drugs, and partying.
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