How Did Hip Hop Cause The Loss Of African American Culture

“…You’s a motherf*****/Instead of tryin’ to help a n****, you destroy a brother/Worse than the others…”, a famous, yet controversial line from Tupac in his song “How Do U Want It” which featured K-Ci and Jojo. This line encompasses Hip Hop and what it is known for: its vulgar but powerful lyrics which comprise the rawness of the Black Community. Hip Hop was officially created in the 1970s. During this time, Black Power and Puerto Rico activists’ efforts began dying; a deindustrialization period occurred causing a decline in jobs which pushed many people of color to go into poverty. (Chang 2005) Also occurring was a Cross-Bronx Expressway which not only divided neighborhoods, but also destabilized them. (Becker 2018) The South Bronx became the

Due to the triangular trade with African slaves there was a diaspora of people; after freedom of African Americans there was a giant melting pot where assimilation occurred. This led to a loss of African American culture as it was hard to hold onto tradition as it passed through many generations. Not only does hip hop have roots in African oral traditions, but it also created a culture of its own for Black Americans. Hip Hop was created with influences from reggae in Jamaica and parts of West Africa. (Clark 2007) Hip-Hop also took inspiration from soul, jazz, gospel, and R & B music. Hip-Hop at its earliest time reflects popular culture, racial implications, and quality of life of African-Americans born in the years that followed 1964. This can be seen through artists like Kanye West and Tupac. The new way of life that Hip-Hop created was meant to give the minority youth access to activities that weren’t once accessible to them. A golden era arose and a new generation of advanced talent transformed the genre and created an industry that changed the lives of young Black men and women. Hip-hop represented an evolution, bringing ultimate relevance to the discussion of Black excellence. (Ekpo

It has become beatboxing, DJing, graffiti and street art, and dancing. Hip Hop led to “b boys” which were breakdancers; hair was also influenced with braids/cornrows, high top fades, waves, dreadlocks, afros, and buzz cuts with designs were all popular cuts. Fashion of the time was also influenced by rappers, because not only did they care how they dressed, but they also rapped about how they dressed. An example from 2017 is from the song Gucci Gang by Lil Pump where he talks about how he, “Spend three racks on a new chain”, which shows how the trend of rappers talking about their clothes and jewelry and how expensive they are still continues on into today. Hip Hop culture is broad and has expanded far beyond purely