Hip Hop Children in the 21st Century Positive Impact

Positive Impact of Hip-Hop Children in the 21st century

Hip-Hop has been a unique culture that has grown to mass consumption across the globe in this century compared to the late 20th century when it was created. However, the genre is still evolving and has begun taking precedence globally, which has been associated with the multifaceted nature of the art. Hip-Hop refers to a form of music characterized by rhyming and jazzy or 808 sonic influences. It alludes to cultural elements associated with the art, such as community, dance, graffiti, and fashion (Day 9). Hip-Hop pioneered in the Bronx in the late 1970 and grew to attract mainstream attention in the 1990s. Hip-Hop was perceived as a negative culture that incited violence due to the graphic lyrics that relish violence, sex, and drugs inappropriate in the conventional ideas (Anyiwo et al. 1). Due to this tradition in hip-hop, music is perceived to have a net negative effect on Society. Still, conversely, hip-hop culture undermined a lot of the stereotypes and discrimination along ethnic lines that were the social norm at the time and continues to do so with the new generation now.

The multidimensional rap system draws attention to different areas of youths, creating a diverse community of mutual interests. The notion held in the Society that portrays a negative perception of the genre is due to the aggressive and forthright reaction of the consumer after social issues affecting, originally, the black community. The 1992 Los Angeles riots had been caused by the acquittal of the three policemen who brutally beat Rodney King, an African American man. The policemen beating Rodney King had been caught on camera and broadcast on national television (Sastry and Bates). The acquittal of the police who committed the blatant offense was a testament to the failure of the judicial system to adjudicate justice across races and ethnic communities.

This event marked a transition where the economic, social, and political inequalities were purveyed by biased government systems limiting or purveying social and political differences among different races. Earlier in the 1980s, Public Enemy, a Hip-hop duo, created an album titled “Yo! Bum Rush the Show”, in which sociopolitical themes created awareness of the challenging living condition in American inner-city communities (Edmonds). The riots In Los Angeles were greatly perceived as a result of Hip-hop music, which now was a tool of social activism. Still, the riots were a tipping point of the black community’s tolerance to discrimination.

The explicit lyrics that were often characterized by the adoration of sex, drugs, and violence were often referenced as to why Hip-hop was a negative influence among young people. However, the perception of hip-hop as an art form would explain these lyrics reflected the reality of the lives of the marginalized communities that resided in inner cities. The trend that had begun in the 1970s of using the genre as a tool of education evolved to continually address challenges in the Society that were not being addressed accordingly by the government (Hains et al.119). Further, it now fosters, organizes, supports, and educates the youth on core societal issues due to its ability to force political systems and contemporary culture towards change.

Hip-hop today plays a critical role in the formation of cultural identity across all races. Exposure to the music is associated with acknowledging the past atrocities and biased views of the country as a homogenous white population. Young listeners engage in a discursive and negotiating practice that eventually develops a sense of cultural identity that is mindful of the marginalization and racialization aspects of Society. Consequently, the interaction with transculturation with elements of different cultures results in an informed identity-construction process (Angelucci 184). The simplistic interpretation of the lyrics signified a communication gap with the older generations who were not conversant with the art communication strategies applied in creating the music. Notably, the language nuances shared among the hip-hop artists, listeners, and the hip-hop community creates a familiarity with the issues experienced universally.

Transculturation permeates into the language that has resulted in the artform being accessible to different communities. The multilayered approach to writing the lyrics effectively communicates desired messages to different ethnic communities and advocates for change across the young generation. Notably, the young generation in the 21st century is more active in sociopolitical affairs across the globe than previous generations at similar stages of development. This social and political awareness has been associated with Hip-hop influencing ideologies towards more equitable societies (Day 12). This has also been realized due to the critique of the hypocrisy of the image of America as a democratic country while internally, there is pervasive disenfranchisement of minority communities. Articulation of these issues in hip-hop and music as a medium while advocating for change has been recognized as a positive impact of the art on youth.

The multifaceted nature of the art has made the genre an internationally commercial endeavor. Each facet of hip-hop, DJing, break dancing, graffiti, and rapping have evolved to generate income across different mediums. The subject matter discussed in the music has also evolved to address prevalent issues concerning races, genders, and sexual identities. The community-building quality of hip-hop has appealed to other industries such as film, fashion, advertising, literature, aesthetics, and television (Day 10). This growth has evolved to adopting the art form in different countries and communities to reach audiences whose native language is not English. However, the social activist characteristic of hip-hop is still apparent in the music.

A core message communicated in music across the board is improving one’s social status through an individual agency. The process of identity construction involves the development of individual thinking and decision-making. As a result, the youth have a unique voice in a society where the government and administrative bodies solve challenges that affect different communities (Angelucci 17). For example, the blatant murder of Gorge Floyd resulted in demonstrations across North America and then in cities in Europe. The attention brought forth to the abuse of black males and the use of excessive force by the police, especially in encounters with members of the black community, resulted in core attention to the measures assumed by the government to hold police offers who act in an unprofessional manner accountable.

The advocacy of hip-hop in 2021 has emerged strongly as the hip-hop community, and key figures have taken the lead in urging Huston University’s administration to address the deplorable living conditions of students in campus halls. Students in Huston University boycott classes to raise concerns about the risky living conditions of their hostels. The administration responded to these grievances by communicating that there were limited financial resources to solve the challenges encountered by the students. However, key figures in hip-hop and alumni in the university, such as DJ Envy, took the initiative to visit the school to communicate with the students to find a solution. The students raised concerns about the administration’s misappropriation of funds, resulting in poor management of their residential facilities. These figures raised these concerns with the administration as they sort for financing from different endeavors to raise funds to ameliorate the living conditions of the students (White 1). Notably, the methods chosen by the students to raise their grievances were responsible and tuned to be beneficial. As such, hip-hop’s advocacy communal responsibility towards better living conditions was exemplified and resulted in finding a resolution to the challenges experienced by the students.