Song Analysis: Black Lives Matter

In an interview with Chancellor Johnson , a Hip-Hop DJ Johnson states that this responsibility depends on the artist. “If somebody like Chief Keef comes out and talks about 'Black lives matter, ' no one 's going to take him seriously. And when it comes to rappers like J. Cole,Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar who are known to do it, people listen, but they always do this so it 's nothing new. They would really have to do something different.” However, Moore disagrees, as she states that artists mentioning Black Lives Matter, helps bring attention to the movement even if the artist themselves do not express support. Although Hip-Hop artists like ASAP Rocky and Young Thug have said they do not feel the need to speak on these issues because …show more content…
“Sometimes even influence with their local governments. More than you ever have, now you see hip-hop artists who have relationships with mayors and city council people and Congresspeople.” Yet not every Hip-Hop artist feels they have the ability to chime in on the conversation for change. Macklemore, a White Hip-Hop artist known for his popular hit Thrift Shop released the song White Privilege II in January of 2016. Cautiously, Macklemore discusses themes of police brutality, cultural appropriation, and White Privilege. Most importantly, Macklemore acknowledges being a White rapper in a Black space where he benefits from the same system that disregards the lives of Black people. Quoted below, these lyrics from White Privilege II identify that Macklemore is aware of the problems but he does not know the route he should take as an …show more content…
This is why the complexity of Hip-Hop’s position in sociopolitical movements changes per participant, in essence it seems Hip-Hop is its own social movement. As Michael Jefferies identifies S. Craig Watkins position on Hip-Hop as a social movement: “Hip-Hop enables its participants to imagine themselves as a part of a larger community; thus, it produces a sense of collective identity and agency. However, although we are a part of a community and like to think of it as one, Hip-Hop is not monolithic. This means the perspectives of individuals who participate within the artform and social movement do not have the same perspectives. I would like to think that although this complexity is understood what cannot be changed regardless of the multiple thoughts and ideas within the culture is that Hip-Hop has always engaged as a storyteller and representation of the Black struggle. Black Lives are important to the genre. Whether it be Black artists who speak within the music, allies engaging in the political conversation, or the artists who feel the political connection does not matter in their artistry, the point is it does. Hip-Hop being a social agent is embedded in the genre’s DNA. What matters is that there are individuals