How Did Rap And Hip Hop Influence African American Culture

“I couldn't find a trace of equality Work me like a slave while they laid back Homie don't play that” —Tupac “Trapped” (1991) Modern rap/hip hop are an extension of the oral tradition of African American culture because they have been using this genre of music to express the experiences and struggles. Rap/ hip hop was a way for slaves to express their feelings whether it was hope, anger, joy, or inspiration. Songs were passed down from generation to generation throughout slavery, these songs were influenced by African and religious traditions. Although Rap/Hip Hop don’t share secret messages anymore, they share the experiences that their ancestors have faced. Hip Hop and Rap both share emotions and power through their instruments, movement,

Throughout slavery songs were getting passed down from one generation to the next. These songs were influenced by Africans and religious traditions and would subsequently form the basis of “Negro Spirituals.” African American communities would use music to discuss life, death, spiritual ideas, and emotions. These discussions helped people cope with the traumas associated with being slaves. Most slave owners, according to Sullivan, were unaware of the true significance of these songs and believed them to be hymns of devotion (Sullivan, 2001, pg 3). Slaves were constricted in many ways, but two of them were the restrictions of literacy and property ownership. Music was then passed down orally, and early records of African American music indicated that songs changed frequently, not just from singer to singer, but also from day to day when sung by the same musician. Music was the comfort, community builder, and a voice of hope during enslavement and afterwards, during the days of Reconstruction and Jim

Slaves would sometimes trade lines from their songs or narratives to contradict the true meaning of the lyrics. When singing about oppression or the unfair conditions of their slavery, slaves would use tunes that implied that they were singing songs of joy (Sundquist, 2006). This ensured that slaves could truly relate to their emotions since they all came from a deep cultural background and had a clear awareness of the circumstances they were in. The same technique is used in hip hop to convey its message. Like the majority of music genres from the 20th and 21st centuries, hip hop was best known for its loud beats and controversial words. Hip hop/ rap lyrics are often met with controversy since most of their words are deemed inappropriate by the society, people often fail to decipher the real emotions in their