Growing up I listened to rock, alternative and lots of classics (50,60s,70s). Hip hop was not something that I heard a lot in my household nor did I know many kids my age that listened to it. As I’ve gotten older I’ve found some material that I thoroughly enjoy (but not enough.) My lack of knowledge for hip hop is one of the main reasons I decided to take this class. As someone who loves music and an array of different genres I think learning more about hip hop will not only give me a more accurate depiction of hip hop in its entirety but hopefully expand my library. One of the biggest concepts I’ve taken away from this class just in the past few weeks is the fact that hip hop is more than just a genre but an entire culture composed of its own style and image. I’d say that many people have this very one-dimensional perception of hip hop which only really focuses on the sound. Now Hip hop is the most sought after genre, predominately by white youth which I find to be completely ironic considering the movement started as a subculture outlet for those who had been denied the from mainstream culture. Fast forward to now and hip hop has ultimately swallowed mainstream culture whole. Relating back to what I said before about many people having this very specific image in their heads of what hip hop is, stems from perpetuating misconceptions which inevitably lead to falsified ideas of the culture. Stereotypically speaking, many believe there’s a direct connection linking hip-hop to drugs, gangs, violence. Basically just an abundance of misapprehensions. (We can thank the media for that). Hip hop is meant to be inclusive where people can safely express themselves, be creative and share their experiences with one another. So far in class, I’ve really enjoyed discussions based on women’s role in hip hop and their struggle to establish a name for themselves in a world where men are predominately at the center of it. The overwhelming presence of sexism within the hip hop culture remains prevalent to this day. The over-sexualization of women is seen as the ‘cool’ thing but now the tables are turning (slowly but surely) and this idea is being exposed and deconstructed. I’m excited to continue these discussions as the semester carries on. As far as my own preconceived ideas of hip hop, I was really just unaware of all that it encompassed including breakdancing and graffiti and there close relation to the emergence of hip hop. The biggest point I took away from Murray Forman’s piece “Space Matters: Hip Hop and the Spatial Perspective” was the idea of space and place. I couldn’t quite differentiate the two at first but later realized there are distinct differences between the two. Space is socially constructed, it deals with the infrastructure, a specific location that is always changing. We make it our own place through the experiences that we have within that space. It’s essentially what you make it. Regardless of living in the same space, everyone has different experiences which results in a multitude of differences perceptions.
Below I attached a link to a really interesting TedTalk which discusses the connection between hip hop culture and world culture. If you have time I highly recommend watching!
