The Praise of Hip-hop

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Hip-hop derived from the South Bronx during 1970s and has served as a medium to express the social realities. Inspiring communities to overcome the struggles that many faced during that time, poverty. This allowed for the communities, that were often neglected and erased from others’ minds to be heard. Empowering the image of self and creating opportunities for people to rise above poverty.However, to also understand the reasoning of the created situations in poverty is systematic.  

During the 1970s there was a clear geographical divide amongst race and class. Poor African Americans and Puerto Ricans were being displaced from their communities and separated from the rich and even amongst the middle class. For instance, “urban renewal” it had effected the not only by race but by class. As upper class and middle class started to move to the suburbs, it created a ripple effect of “intense poverty, economic, collapsed and the erosion of viable public space were part and parcel[ed]” (Neal 1999). This success can be given to “urban renewal” which had “private[zed] public place in downtown areas…[which] exposed to intense poverty and rampant unemployment” (Neal 1999). Through this times, there were many ways hip-hop promoted these travesties allowing to show the disparities in society that many choose to avoid, by moving away or refuting it.

The use of poverty as a topic of interest is still prevalent in lyrics. For instance, ranking at number 5 is a song by the name of “Changes” by Tupac. It says “I’m tired of being poor and, even worse, I’m black. My stomach hurts so I’m looking for a purse to snatch…” (Ebeid 2013). The notion of this portion of the lyrics, is portray the harshness and desperation for the need of life essentials such as food. However, this only a small percentage of what the realities may have been. Another example, “Jackin 4 Beats” by Talibe Kweli says “the nation’s economy is a situation comedy, Corporations are making money while, the people are facing poverty” (Ebeid 2013). As shown, the lyrics were not restricted on a community based level but also spread the awareness of the detrimental fall of our society as whole.

            Poverty has been blamed on the individual rather than the system. The media in many attempts continued to have the black poor be the reason for the poverty rather than the victims of poverty. As portrayed by the media, hip hop was harming the black society and speaking erratically. Blowing the “reality” out of proportion. On the contrary, hip-hop helped empower the image of the individual and allow the neglected to be heard. “[Rappers’] words often reflect what they see and experience firsthand in their communities” (Rose 2008). However, also allowing listeners to relate to the struggles spoken about. Rather than letting the media take charge of the image of the poor communities, they had shed some light onto the realities of their communities. Also exposing the issues of poverty not just at a micro-level of society but as a macro-level as well.

Work Cited

 Ebeid, Rifk. 2013. “10 Hip Hop Songs About Poverty - The Borgen Project.” The Borgen Project RSS2. Retrieved March 20, 2016 (http://borgenproject.org/10-hip-hop-lyrics-poverty/).

Neal, Mark Anthony.(1999). “Postindustrial Soul: Black Popular Music at the Crossroads.” InWhat The Music Said : Black Popular Music and Black Popular Culture . New York: Routledge, pp.125-157. Reproduced by permission of Routledge/ Taylor& Francis Books, Inc.

 

Rose, Tricia. 2008. The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk about When We Talk about Hip Hop--and Why It Matters. New York: BasicCivitas. Retrieved March 20, 2016 (https://books.google.com/books?id=puxolsxrs-sc&pg=pa61&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false).