The 1980s marked a breakthrough period for hip hop. Production equipment became cheaper and more accessible; Roland TR-808 drum machines allowed producers to craft authentic beats by creating original patterns rather than relying on DJ breakbeats for rhythm production.
MCs and rappers adopted personas that ranged from ultra-smooth to hardened gangland tough, using music to communicate and empower. Furthermore, they embraced a culture that included writing.
The Impact of Hip Hop on Society
Hip hop culture has had an enormous impact on society. Influencing fashion, art and dance across the world; inspiring many through drugs and violence but also providing voice to a society without one before. Influencing how young black boys behave and approach life.
Rappers, DJs, graffiti artists and fashion designers all form part of the hip hop culture. Together they help produce its music with its distinctive sound that has captured hearts worldwide. Hip hop has had an incalculable positive influence around the globe since its birth, and will only continue doing so so long as its appreciation and respect remain high.
Hip hop culture has brought positive change to poor communities in major cities by giving them an outlet to express themselves and decrease violence between gangs of the same ethnicity, and encourage participation in community projects. Hip hop also gives young children an alternative path towards joining gangs or drug dealing; its positive alternatives such as tagging, breakdancing and rapping have helped break this cycle of violence and hatred.
Though traditionally associated with Bronx house parties, current scholars are exploring other sources for hip hop’s birth. From Kool Herc’s early scratching and quick mix innovations to Melle Mel’s socially conscious lyrics on Grandmaster Flash’s Furious Five records to J Cole’s meditations on addiction in KOD by way of J Cole, hip hop’s four elements continue the legacy of resistance and free expression that propelled its creation 50 years ago.
According to Emdin (2010), hip hop culture has grown into an international movement far beyond its African American origins. It can now be heard everywhere from clubs in Sao Paulo to Qatar where rappers rap in Arabic; break dancers break dancing on Helsinki streets are all examples of its influence.
The Impact of Hip Hop on Individuals
Hip hop originated as a culture within African American, Afro-Caribbean, and Latino inner city communities that were struggling with economic hardship, drugs, and gang violence during the 1960s and 70s. Hip hop gave youth an outlet and sense of connection with others through DJs spinning records, rappers expressing feelings and ideas through music and dance performances, urban poets drawing their audience into movement with imagery and words; all creating something positive from nothing and encouraging youth to express themselves freely while developing individual personas through positive self-expression and self-expression within communities ravaged by economic hardships, drugs, and gang violence during those decades.
Hip hop revolutionized how people perceive urban culture; now seen as more than just criminal behavior and gang warfare, its music serves as a force for good than just cause of criminal acts or warring factions. Hip hop provides hope by providing workshops, mentorship programs, community events and cultural pride events aimed at giving young people pride in themselves and culture; successful hip hop artists serve as role models that encourage youths to fight for their rights and stand up against injustice.
As hip hop became a mainstream genre, its commercialization increased, leading to different subgenres like West Coast rap, Southern rap, and gangster rap becoming more prominent. This change caused producers to stop using samples in favor of producing original sounds; the result being more distinctive sounds distinct from jazz and soul influences seen early in hip hop history.
MCs and rappers adopted personas that reflected their unique styles, from cool and charismatic to tough and aggressive. Additionally, heavier influences from punk, funk and rock genres began seeping into hip-hop at this time – Outkast, DMX and 2 Chainz being popular examples at this time.
Hip-hop music has quickly gained in popularity over recent years among both men and women of all ages. Now considered mainstream, its influence can be heard across other forms of music such as dance, pop, sexy and R&B genres as well as in new artist who incorporate different genres into their compositions. Its rise has also led to many new artists that incorporate various forms into their own work.
The Impact of Hip Hop on the Economy
Hip hop music evolved out of urban poverty in the 1970s and has become an international cultural movement with global reach. Hip hop’s influence can be found beyond music — in dance, apparel, perfumes and jewelry; cinema; radio; television; books and magazines as well as writing: poetry, short stories and novels that examine inner city realities while striving for survival and success.
Hip Hop’s hallmark feature is lyrical storytelling through rhythm and rhyme by rappers known as MCs (MCs are short for Malik Rashad or Ras Kass). Early rappers used personas like soft or hard, as the culture progressed, they became capable of telling complex and thought-provoking tales using rhythm and rhyme, learning to write and polish their words before performing them as spoken-word rap or spoken word performances – an approach which eventually gave rise to an entire culture of rappers and songwriters who continue taking their art to new levels.
Today’s multibillionaire rappers can leverage their fame and cultural impact to build successful businesses that capitalize on their fan base’s attention and cultural relevance by developing unique brands of entertainment and merchandise that they own and control. Promoting products on social media or selling concert tickets are powerful revenue generators. But they may need other means of supporting themselves and their families when album sales decline?
Rappers must understand the economics of their industry in order to effectively use their financial clout in promoting job training programs and supporting companies that bring jobs and investment to hard-hit communities. Rappers can encourage these companies they endorse to set up manufacturing and distribution facilities locally. Furthermore, they can inspire young people to follow in their footsteps and become entrepreneurs themselves.
With Hip Hop celebrating 50 years this year, Jae Williams ’08, MA ’16 – an Executive in Residence of Emerson’s Business of Creative Enterprise program (BCE) – believes it essential for rappers to learn the complex terrain of modern economics. In his course titled Hip Hop Culture & The New Economy, Williams introduces students to how Hip Hop culture has altered consumer and entrepreneurial cultures alike.
The Impact of Hip Hop on Politics
Hip hop has proven itself an invaluable political tool, from its early days of gangsta rap through Black Lives Matter movements. Hip hop has long been used as a means of communicating issues that society needs to hear; from early versions like Gangsta Rap to more recent movements such as Black Lives Matter. Hip hop has had an influenceful role in shaping political dialogue while giving voice to communities that otherwise wouldn’t have had one. Furthermore, the genre has united rappers from diverse backgrounds into an artist collective who care deeply for causes they care about passionately!
Hip hop’s initial birth occurred during an era marked by increasing gang violence and poverty; evidenced in music from that era by groups such as Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, MC Hammer, Snoop Dogg and A Tribe Called Quest. Furthermore, drug prohibition policies had serious ramifications on rap culture that affected it significantly.
Many rappers ventured into politics as an outlet to express their opinions on various issues that resonated with their fan base, such as poverty, racism and Afrocentrism – such as Native Tongues (Jungle Brothers, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest) addressed through lyrics.
Over time, hip hop has evolved from an obscure genre into an immensely popular mainstream music phenomenon with global appeal. Its influence on politics can be seen through celebrities like Jay Z who use their fame to advocate for social justice causes like fighting racial inequality within their community or with partners such as NFL.
While hip hop’s influence on politics has been positive, its effects haven’t always had the desired effects. While efforts such as Sean Combs’ 2004 “Vote or Die” campaign failed to have their intended results, others such as Nas’ 1995 song “The World is Yours” proved more successful at shaping political opinion and shaping its direction.
However, as hip hop continues to evolve and change over time, it could serve as a political tool and bring attention to pressing issues that require action. Hip hop has the power to change how Black Americans interact with those representing them in politics.