Rap And Hip Hop Essay

Imagine we had no music. Without the music industry, we would lose some of our culture. Rap is one of the most listened to genres, especially within the younger generation of the United States. I am Jackson Hebb, a young rap and hip-hop fanatic, living in the U.S. Though many people may believe rap and hip-hop are violent, it is quite the opposite. Rap and hip-hop are positive towards our society because it protests change, molds identity, and shows the realistic problems of our country.

When listening to Rap and Hip-Hop, I typically think of the heavy drums, complex melodies, and loud bass. These ‘hardcore’ ideologies, along with a handful of inappropriate words, may make people believe that this genre causes violence. In spite of the fact

These children find their way out in many ways, including creating an identity through music. Rap and hip-hop have always drawn in young adolescents that have lost their innocence to city culture. This is because rap gives us something to feel and relate to in society, even though the good of rap may “get lost in the flurry of profanity, party rhymes, and braggadocio.” (Pate 2). These children who face daily struggles of american city culture, find peace in knowing the song of rap, which encapsulates the true problems within the deep streets of cities like Chicago or Detroit. Peak Johnson provides a great thought towards this, saying, “In a city with real crime problems where the schools are under-funded and job prospects for young people are very grim, does portraying reality ultimately do more harm than good?” (Johnson 60). The best way to answer this question is that the illustration of rap does not give harm, but it gives a voice for change, to give young kids and teens a better chance of living their dream outside or the struggles of urban cities. When young ears find a voice that they can relate to, like in hip-hop, the urban reality becomes something easier to process rather than to face alone. Therefore, rap giving reality can create identity to face the adversity of

Within the United States, a whopping 50 percent of people consider rap and/or hip-hop representative of U.S. culture and society (Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection). This illustrates that what is said within these genres reflects our culture, but also can change it. Rap artists have made, “direct references to racial profiling and police brutality. Marvin Gaye tackled this…on his 1971 album, ‘What’s going on.’” (Steptoe 16). So, if 50 percent of Americans believe that rap is representative of our culture, this allows artists like Gaye to use this to their advantage, and make lyrics for change. Dominique Jones once said, “It’s bigger than black and white, it’s a problem with the whole way of life. It can’t change overnight, but we gotta start somewhere.” (Genius 3). If you didn't know who Dominique Jones is, you may think he is a political figure or activist, but he actually raps under the alias name ‘Lil Baby’. Jones not only reflects modern racism relations, but also touches on the history of racial profiling in hopes to make his mark of change. Not only Jones, but other artists of these genres may seem aggressive, but they show reality and want change for the better. Artists may use harsh words, or borderline lyrics, but they provide reality and protest change for our