I. Introduction
Hip-hop has continued to captivate the world as the most politically charged and uncensored genre of music, and it appears to return to be returning to its roots as a medium for expressing identity and as a format for social, political and cultural commentary (Waters 2016). This essay will firstly examine hip-hop’s role in the African-American community, and it’s use to form a medium to create a cultural identity for Black youth. Secondly, this essay will also consider the effects of the genre expanding to become a globalized community, and the effects and repercussions of this expansion. Lastly, the essay will compare the utilization of hip-hop overseas, specifically in Australia, chiefly among the youth population who have …show more content…
Hip-Hop in African-American culture
From the time of its birth, Hip-hop as a genre would prove to be tumultuous and unpredictable, as it would act as a stage for artists to express their ideologies and views on topics of various issues which would have pronounced or faint effects on its respective community’s cultural identity (Rosser 2008).
The most prominent role hip-hop has played in the African-American community, according to Professor Blanchard of Stanford University (2000), is the role of the genre in their attempt to “battle against de facto economic segregation” and reclaim the cultural identity that generations lost through slavery. Hip-hop has also played a crucial role in the shaping of the African-American youth’s perspective and understanding of cultural identity. The genre has acted as a form of cultural capital, utilized by Black youth, to form and authenticate a black identity (Clay, …show more content…
Indigenous Australian hip-hop has since 1982, according to Mitchell (2006), been used to educate indigenous youth on their cultural history, and to form and explore a cultural identity and “get in touch with traditional aspects” of this identity. This form of expression also taps into the roots of hip-hop, as it also focuses on allowing indigenous youth, and the indigenous hip-hop community, according to Mitchell (2006) to express “anger at discrimination and marginalisation and pride in one’s heritage” using a form of storytelling set to music, which strengthens its affinity with indigenous culture, where oral history is strongly rooted in the
Hip-hop has continued to captivate the world as the most politically charged and uncensored genre of music, and it appears to return to be returning to its roots as a medium for expressing identity and as a format for social, political and cultural commentary (Waters 2016). This essay will firstly examine hip-hop’s role in the African-American community, and it’s use to form a medium to create a cultural identity for Black youth. Secondly, this essay will also consider the effects of the genre expanding to become a globalized community, and the effects and repercussions of this expansion. Lastly, the essay will compare the utilization of hip-hop overseas, specifically in Australia, chiefly among the youth population who have …show more content…
Hip-Hop in African-American culture
From the time of its birth, Hip-hop as a genre would prove to be tumultuous and unpredictable, as it would act as a stage for artists to express their ideologies and views on topics of various issues which would have pronounced or faint effects on its respective community’s cultural identity (Rosser 2008).
The most prominent role hip-hop has played in the African-American community, according to Professor Blanchard of Stanford University (2000), is the role of the genre in their attempt to “battle against de facto economic segregation” and reclaim the cultural identity that generations lost through slavery. Hip-hop has also played a crucial role in the shaping of the African-American youth’s perspective and understanding of cultural identity. The genre has acted as a form of cultural capital, utilized by Black youth, to form and authenticate a black identity (Clay, …show more content…
Indigenous Australian hip-hop has since 1982, according to Mitchell (2006), been used to educate indigenous youth on their cultural history, and to form and explore a cultural identity and “get in touch with traditional aspects” of this identity. This form of expression also taps into the roots of hip-hop, as it also focuses on allowing indigenous youth, and the indigenous hip-hop community, according to Mitchell (2006) to express “anger at discrimination and marginalisation and pride in one’s heritage” using a form of storytelling set to music, which strengthens its affinity with indigenous culture, where oral history is strongly rooted in the