Hip-hop over the past three decades has greatly developed and spread throughout many countries of the world. It Is widely listened to today, especially by the youth. Its unique musical style has captivated people of all ages and more importantly, races. Hip-hop is a style all its own, original in its music, clothing, and language. Regardless of culture, background, and native countries, hip-hop has made a name for itself among all people. Perhaps one of the biggest Ideas concerning the hip-hop phenomenon is how it translates through the many different types of ethnic races and cultures.
Of course, over time, race and hip-hop have changed and evolved, but race still remains an important factor nonetheless. Racial influence plays a major role on the emergence of hip-hop, hip-hop artists, and hip-hop In other nations. Race plays a key role In the historical development of hip-hop. Help;hop emerged In the South Bronx of New York in the early to mid-sass along with many race riots. Journalist Jeff Change writes that the poor youth of the Bronx found ways to pass the time: rapping in a style adapted from Jamaican reggae with Bronx slang over funky Afro-Latin grooves.
According to college professors Derrick P. Already and James B. Stewart, hip-hop should be studied alongside African American topics and movements such as Blues, Jazz, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Arts Movements. Hip-hop was originally created as a form of resistance against authority by blacks. Hip-hop can be linked to black history and a long line of black working-class culture (Already). Rap music has remained, by and large, a defiantly “black” musical form (Change).
Houston Baker’s Blacks Studies, Rap, and the Academy, as well as Baker Swastika’s The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks ND the Crisis in African American Culture, further explain the historical background concerning African American Influence over the creation of the hip-hop genre. The broad characterization of hip-hop may seem imprecise to some, but it reflects the hip-hop community refusal to be singularly defined or categorized, and demonstrates the dynamic nature of hip-hop as a phenomenon that many hip hoppers believe must be felt, experienced, and communicated (Already).
All of the earliest, original mainstream hip-hop artists played over the radio such as, Queen Latish, Chuck D, Daddy O, and MS Search are all African Americans artists. When hip-hop first became popular, radio stations looked for ways to attract a white audience of listeners. Author Dave D. Seems to think that popular white artists Like Mine and even an ‘urbanize’ Justine Timberline create a better marketing tool for hip-hop industries looking to expand racial interest. So for Black radio, it was a constant struggle to stay afloat (D, Dave).
The introduction of Vanilla Ice also sparked a lot of discussion around the Issue and concerns of race In the early ass (D, Dave). Today, while the majority of hip-hop artists are black, the white population of sterner dominates record sales. Of all the rappers out there, mogul and renaissance man Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z, is the most successful example of the growing power of hip-hop (Change). Jay-Z, being an African American, represents an essential Icon for hip-hop.
As far as female hip-hop artists go, The Journal of African American History, authors reject the idea that female rappers merely reinforce 1 OFF “street-level” interpretation of black women’s realities (Already). It is clear that hip-hop culture has become one of the most far-reaching arts movements of the past three decades (Change). This style of music goes way beyond just black and white. Hip-hop influence affects many races of people all over the world. It was great to see all sorts of people engaged in the hip-hop conversation: black, white, Asian, Latino, and Native American (D, Dave).
Jay-Z even plans on opening up nightclubs in Tokyo and Macaw to further expand the hip-hop influence. For Americans, it is difficult to imagine any other form or variation of hip-hop other than what is custom in the United States, but in China, the Chinese are familiar with a rap battle. This annual rap battle, called the Iron Mimic, isn’t taking place in New York r Los Angels, but in Shanghai, where its founder, 32-year-old Dana Burton, has unexpectedly, found fame and fortune (Change). The Iron Mimic is Just one example of hip-hop influence in another country.
Even the Swedish race is intrigued with the unique lifestyle. In Guttenberg, Sweden, nongovernmental organizations incorporate, graffiti and dance to engage disaffected immigrant and working-class youths (Change). In 1998, popular show MET Raps became one of the networks first globally televised shows- airing in dozens of countries, first on MET Europe, and then on MET Asia and MET Latino a few years later (Change). Racial influence over the years has helped give hip-hop its defining identity.
While hip-hop is always traced back to African Americans and their culture, it is now related to and enjoyed by many other races as well. As a result of both its longevity and its cogent message for many people worldwide, hip-hop cannot be dismissed as merely a passing fad or as a movement that will soon run its course. From its emergence, to modern day, hip-hop will always have racial ties. Hip-hop artists as well as listeners have come to be greatly diverse, which makes the hip-hop lifestyle one to be around for many ages to come.