Hip Hop culture

Hip Hop culture

Growing up in Albany New York, Hip Hop wasn’t just about the rap songs, it was a culture. Most black people at the time resonated with it, and it was almost the life of every black person during those times. I loved my hood, and even with the decrease in Hip Hop popularity in recent times, I still can’t forget my roots.

Albany, just like many other localities in New York has seen a great transitioning in the music culture with upcoming generations. Back then, we used to have three Hip Hop and R&B radio stations, now there is only one left, 99.1. Many acts have come up and quickly replaced the customs and traditions of New Yorkers, with little or no allusion to the then popular culture. The only activity that is somewhat related to this is by a company called A Little Booking Agency. They have teamed up with Suny Albany’s Student Association to set up concerts, mostly for the younger people living in this hood. Most of the songs they play are not relatable to people of my generation, and I can barely pronounce or remember the names of the songs or even the artistes themselves.

Most of my classmates back then came from different parts of New York, but we had one unifying factor, Hip Hop culture. My friend, Tresha Wright, recalls how she grew up in a similar setting as mine, and her love for Hip Hop was undeniable. One time she came home with Jay Z’s CD and as she was listening, the dad came up to her and forbade her from listening to him. He explained to her that since she was from Queens, they only pledged allegiance to Nas, who was Jay Z’s music rival. In as much both had great talent, there was a conspicuous division between Hip Hop fans, and this was on the basis that one had to support their very own.

Wrights story is a clear indication of some of the challenges faced by the Hip Hop communities in the different parts of New York. When fans chose to support their own and defect from listening to other artistes, a musical rivalry ensued, and this diluted the values and norms of the society that were the main agenda in these songs. By comparing two talented artists, her father influenced the kind of message she heard, and this was an example of a slowly eroding culture. The same scenario was experienced with Tupac and Biggie, and people from the west coast believed Tupac was a better rapper, and the converse was true for people in New York. Hip Hop fans associate this to be one of the reasons the culture reduced its influence in the society.

Ideally, New Yorkers resonated with Hip Hop songs more as it was the ideal platform to express their feelings, voice out complaints and preach change to people in the east coast and the whole world. Hip Hop transitions from Biggie to artists like Jay Z in the early 2000’s saw a change in the content of the music being produced, and it was apparent that times were changing. This new aspect, however, was not appreciated by many, and it gained fans and lost others in the process.

The American society was greatly influenced by the new way of life, and most institutions came up as a result. The message portrayed not only had impact on Americans, it touched many people around the world. The themes in the songs were mostly peace, self-respect and social justice.  They had a positive reception from across the world, and they helped solve social problems including drug abuse, crime and poverty.  The greatest fan base was from people living in the gutters and projects, and this were their heroes, voicing out their concerns and outlining the weaknesses in the society.

In Albany my locale, the message that was preached by these artists helped as become the people we are. Most of my friends became DJs, rappers and producers, and the need to become part of the change was intrinsic. Everyone wanted to change a thing or two in Albany, and the platform to do that was rap music. Looking back, I’ve learnt to appreciate the dynamics of this culture, and the reality of the difference in matters arising now and matters that we struggled with back then, and I can see a positive progression.

Hip Hop has transformed lives, and not only are the voices heard, talents have been natured and milestones made in community projects. Various artists have come up, and looking at their successful predecessors like Jay Z, there is hope for a better future, devoid of stereotypes and prejudice about people of a certain community or what they stand for. These successful artistes have gone back to promote their culture, and Hip Hop lives on!

References

Orejuela, Fernando. Rap and hip hop culture. Oxford university press, 2015.

Sulé, V. Thandi. “Hip-hop is the healer: Sense of belonging and diversity among hip-hop collegians.” Journal of College Student Development 57, no. 2 (2016): 181-196.

Washington, Ahmad Rashad. “Integrating hip‐hop culture and rap music into social justice counseling with Black males.” Journal of Counseling & Development 96, no. 1 (2018): 97-105.