Pros And Cons Of Hip Hop

Hip hop is a genre of music born over 50 years ago in the South Bronx in New York City by young African Americans. It is a sensation today and widely consumed and enjoyed by many across different age groups and a myriad of racial and cultural backgrounds. Despite its widespread popularity, it is often associated with negativity, criminality, drug use, violence, guns and most of all, it is considered as a genre of music that debases women and blacks in general. Others argue that hip hop is a tool for change, and a sign of hope for the hopeless. This essay will attempt to balance the arguments from both worldviews. I will first elaborate on hip hop as the voice of the voiceless, a source of entertainment, education and hope.
For African Americans, hip hop has been used as a gateway and a means to break the vicious cycle of powerlessness and poverty that has plagued their community since the time of slavery. It was aimed to make a statement about the plight of African Americans in society. Hip hop artists target the American justice system and condemn the mass, indiscriminate and unjust incarceration of many young men. Hip …show more content…
The artist feed the people with the things they desire most: money, luxury, sex and beauty. Some of the more talented rappers are able to use their words to create these characters along with vivid story lines that often are related to urban subject matter. This is no different from other forms of entertainment, in particular, the movie industry. When we watch our favourite actor carrying and using their guns to kill people, consuming drugs, or being portrayed highly sexually in a movie, it is not seen as degenerate. Some of the characters being created in these movies are no different than some of the characters that are created in rap music. Just because a rapper says that they do certain things in their music, it does not mean that they always