Hip-hop music has evolved over the years and can’t be really traced to a certain origin. While some claim it started during the slave era, others link it a little further. However, modern Hip-Hop dates back to the 1970s which was birthed as a brand of music which was political, real, and poetic.
Kool DJ Herc was seen to be the pioneer of this brand of music which was a voice to the people of Bronx and other parts of New York. The isolation and bad condition of these neighborhoods where stressed on back then. Hip-Hop gave a lot of Americans the opportunity to air out their feelings to the whole world.
After more than forty years, it has really gone a long way with its culture and message crossing the boundaries of the US, going around the world. In a lot of African countries, Hip-Hop has found its way into different cultures, holding many of the youths together.
Forbes magazine states that it is an industry that has been able to generate over 10 billion dollars a year, since a lot of artists have been used as an opportunity for companies to advertise their products, reaching a large fan base.
Today, Hip-Hop has integrated itself into, not just the music industry alone, but also into movies, fashion, advertisement, and much more. Rappers have even gone ahead to explore other areas in the industry as well. Hip-Hop has gone beyond being a music genre – after so many up and downs – it’s a lifestyle! While some have used it to propagate negativity such as violence, sex and drugs, others have used it for propagating positive messages like religion, family, and relationships, creating awareness of diseases, etc.
Hip-hop has various styles with the culture introduced in several other countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. This has brought about a distinction in the type of Hip-Hop heard in places outside the US. For instance, the hip-hop in the US and the brand in Japan are very different. It’s seen more as an art that has reflected in different perspectives in the US while the Japanese see it more as the way it’s presented with much expensive jewelry and automobiles with African-American performers in it.
Regardless of how it’s seen, Hip-Hop still remains accessible with many youths finding their way and benefiting from the culture. Today, there is a lot of cost-friendly software and hardware that can be used to create music which has enhanced more creativity.
The accessibility has also made it possible for more youth from different backgrounds to engage with a wider community which brought more integration over the years. There have been a lot of short-term and long-term benefits that young people have gotten from the rising trend of the Hip-Hop culture.
Finally, with the urgency needed for tolerance, equity, and justice in the society we have today, it’s pertinent that we have a re-look at the Hip-Hop culture. Despite not being perfect, it’s a culture that has brought a lot of awareness to the world with its divergent messages, and should be seen as one of the most important movements.
