Similarities Between Hip Hop And Country Music

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Insert Title Here Music has been an integral part our lives of people since the beginning of human history. From mothers singing to their infants, to singing the ABCs in school, people have always grown up with music present in their lives. Like all things, people have formed preferences in the type of music they enjoy listening to. Over the years, the division in music preferences has grown along racial boundaries. Country has been historically labeled a white music genre, and hip-hop has stereotypically been considered a music black genre. These stereotypes are not rooted in truth but rather misconceptions that date back to before the formation of both genres. While hip-hop and country music seem to be complete opposites, these two genres …show more content…

It is easy to see the parallels between hip-hop and traditional African oral culture. Hip-hop artists use their music to tell stories and convey their opinions on different social and political issues. This is easily compared to tribal griots teaching history and telling stories in Africa. Since its creation, rap has been looked down upon due to the content. Traditionally, hip-hop music has lyrics filled with violence, drugs, and misogyny because most rappers portray the life of a “gangster”. With the influence hip-hop artist have over a younger generation that lacks male role models, this example has become problematic. The glorification of gangs and violence is a problem that is loudly proclaimed by the hip-hop genre. It is easy to be quick to judge these rappers and the lives they live, but maybe learning who these people are and where they come from would help in understanding why they have tendencies to use drugs and engage in violent …show more content…

Brooks was the youngest of 6 kids and grew up in a home full of music. Brooks’ parents enjoyed listening to a variation of country known as honky-tonk music. At a young age, Brooks began learning to sing and play the guitar. Once Brooks made it to high school, he chose to focus on athletics, and he put his musical talents to the side and occasionally played in a band. After high school, Brooks attended Oklahoma State where he participated in track through his senior year. During this time, he began singing in bars with his roommate. While working an odd job as a bouncer, Brooks met his future wife, Sandy, after breaking up a fight between her and another woman. Soon after graduating, he moved to Nashville to try and become a country music star. After several failed attempts and a couple years of being broke, Brooks finally got the breakthrough he needed. He released his first studio album in 1989, and he quickly rose to the top of the country music world. When asked who his greatest influences in music were, Brooks will quickly tell you George Strait and George Jones played a major role in influencing his music. Brooks is still successful in the country music industry; though his quick rise to fame hurt his marriage when he confessed to allegations of infidelity that eventually led to divorce. Brook’s life is similar to the life of many other country artist. He was a boy from a small, rural town with a dream who