Blog 3: Exploring Your Topic

 

                                                        N.W.A. Photo by By Eric Poppleton

Hip-Hop: More than Music, It’s a Movement

Hip-hop has always been more than beats and rhymes. It’s a lifestyle. Living out here in the West Coast, we’ve always had our own sound, stories, and our own style. Hip-hop has always been a way to speak the truth when people chose to not listen. From gangsta rappers like N.W.A. to more conscious rappers like Kendrick, it’s more than just entertainment. Hip-hop is about survival, resistance, and self-expression.

 

                                                        DJ Kool Herc Photo by Mika Väisänen. 

Where it came from

Hip-hop started in the Bronx back in the 1970’s out of necessity from people who needed to speak out to be heard. It was created by the black and brown youths creating something out of nothing. DJ Kool Herc threw the first block parties and used breakbeats to get people dancing. That turned into the culture we now know as hip-hop: MCing, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti. All of it stemming from the pain, poverty, and pride the early pioneers were feeling at that time. Check the vibe below.

The Culture and the Voices in it

What makes hip-hop so powerful is that it’s no longer just black music. It’s worldwide. It started with us, of course, but has since then opened up it’s doors to all cultures. Still, no matter where you’re listening to hip-hop, you understand what it is. On this side of the coast, we had N.W.A. calling out the LAPD. You had 2Pac saying “They got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor” ("Keep Ya Head Up”). That kind of message, shit, still hits today. Hip-hop is a tool for telling stories that the masses ignored for such a long time, before it became too big. Whether you’re from the El Cajon or China, the beat might change, but the struggle never does.

                                           N.W.A Fuck The Police Unofficial Single CD Cover

Symbols of the Culture

Like I stated earlier, Hip-hop is more than just music. There are some symbols that have always represented what it is to be part of the hip-hop culture.

1.     The Mic. Not just to spit bars, but to project the power in the words you have. It’s truth. It’s the voice of someone who has something to say.

2.     Graffiti. Tagging up walls was one of the first ways people declared they existed. It’s art. It’s a protest. It’s a warning. It’s more than just words on a wall.

3.     Boomboxes. Way before we had iPhones and tablets we had boomboxes. Nothing like a summer day in the park with music blasting through the boombox.

4.     Street Fashion. From Run DMC bringing Adidas to the black community, and LL Cool J rocking the Kangol bucket hat making it look cool, fashion has always been more than just clothes. It’s always been about making a statement.

                                                                   LL Cool J. Photo by Drew Carolan

One Element I respect Most: The Language

If it’s not music, it’s the language. I’ve been speaking Ebonics for as long as I could remember. It’s the way my mother talked, the way people in my neighborhood communicated, and it was the way I expressed myself. I’m not the best at freestyling, but being able to understand slang even if it’s new, is something that I’m proud of. It also makes me feel welcomed when I hear others speak Ebonics. Makes me feel like we’re part of the same tribe. Makes me feel like we have shared pain, joy, and survival.

 

Final Thoughts

I love being part of the hip-hop community. I’m not just listening to beats; I’m learning history and the resilience of my people. Whether it’s new school or old school, hip-hop keeps proving that black stories, like mine, are powerful.