by Griffin Blum
Hip-hop music has always been one of the most influential genres of music in modern history, as it dissects the struggles of the common person. “Hip-hop music in its infancy has been described as an outlet and a voice for the disenfranchised youth of marginalized backgrounds and low-income areas.” (Wikipedia) This has always been the overarching theme for hip-hop, and it’s the primary force behind how it’s evolved over the years. Hip-hop is a megaphone for those who have felt oppressed and relegated in society one way or another. Rap is the form most associated of hip-hop, and it’s a tool used to describe how daily lives transpire for people with disadvantaged backgrounds, prominently being people of color. It reached a level of use where Chuck D referred to rap as “CNN for Black People.” Jeff Chang discusses how marginalized people used it to transfer information. “If you were a fan of rap music, you could listen to artists from different cities and find out what was happening in those cities, whether it was how young people felt about the police, how they partied or danced, all of the stories not getting reported by the media.” People of color created their own line of communication, which at its basest form, is exactly what music is supposed to be. What made hip-hop so unique, however, is that everyone at some point in their lives, likely when they’re young and not fully integrated into society, feels slighted and marginalized, and hip-hop successfully translates that feeling into a universal rallying cry. While the subject of the actual song may not apply to everyone, the principle of fighting for what they believe and their social standing will transcend time.
Two examples of songs that display this aura of fighting for their voices and a reflection of the surroundings are “Fuck the Police” by NWA and “Changes” by Tupac Shakur, as both reflect the emotions of the inner city residents, points of view not usually represented by the national media at the time.
Works Cited
“Hip Hop Music.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music.
Riley, Theresa. “Still Fighting the Power.” BillMoyers.com, 21 Sept. 2012, billmoyers.com/2012/05/18/still-fighting-the-power/#.VKsGHnJzchg.email.
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