Hip Hop Influence On African American Culture

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The influence of hip hop on the African American community is very much so prevalent that many wonder why, but after examining socially conscious hip hop and the influences it has on the African American culture you may have a better understanding as of why the importance is so strong and why Chuck D of Public Enemy stated rap to be the “black CNN“. First I want to look at hip hop and how hip hop was started and the messages pertaining to police brutality, cultural, political, and depictions of economic struggles that’s delivered through music and touches the soul. Hip hop first started in New York around 1970, just south of the Bronx when drugs, poverty and violence was hitting hard. A DJ by the name of Kool Herc began mixing records starting …show more content…
One of the most recent incidences of police brutality is the killing of Mike Brown. Here you have an unarmed teenage kid harassed by the cops for walking in the middle of the street, and because he didn’t get out of the street when he was rudely instructed to by a white police officer he was executed with his hands up. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this matter racism is the reasons why police brutality runs rampant within black communities. However, not all parts of “American” society choose to remain silent in the face of uncontrollable police brutality. This is when we see hip hop artists use their talents to speak out their feelings and emotions in their music. As long as there is injustice hip hop will find a way to tell a story which many feel the need to be told. In the song “Trapped” by 2pac tells his story of being harassed by cops, his thoughts concerning the lies kids are sold in their early childhood, and his reaction to police racial …show more content…
I couldn 't find a trace of equality Work me like a slave while they laid back Homie don 't play that It 's time I lett 'em suffer tha payback I 'm tryin to avoid physical contact I can 't hold back, it 's time to attack jack They got me trapped
Politically engaged artists in hip hop are often viewed to have more responsibly in the culture. These artist filled the shoes for the youth that is tired of certain politicians and the lack of assistance in the black leadership. They want someone that will speak out on new ideas and new leadership goals that are aimed and in tune with their current needs. Many of them are looking for someone that willing to speak out on career opportunities, reanalyzing racial profiling, incarceration practices and so on. Many of times Mcs consistently speak out on the community concerns. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina we see many of artists speaking out about the lack of help to get the people out the floods, and the help received from the government after the

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