Hip-hop has long been a controversial point within academic groups, with disputes occurring over the influence and effect that hip-hop has on young African Americans. Some academics say it has a negative influence, and others positive. I believe that the movies Just Wright and Brown Sugar effectively display that hip-hop and the surrounding culture can have a positive impact not just on African-American youth, but the greater African American population in general. The movies use themes of self-discovery, love, and mise en scene elements to create the idea within the viewers mind that hip-hop, and the identity surrounding it can be positive influences, when portrayed in the right way. Just Wright is a romantic comedy starring Queen Latifah
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Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, the Nigerian-American film director seemed to go out of his way to emphasize the positive effect hip-hop can have on individuals. Andre and Sidney, lifelong friends, are both at crossroads in their lives and their hip-hop industry careers. Sidney has just been made editor in chief of a hip-hop magazine and moved back to New York from L.A., and slowly realizes throughout the film she loves Andre, while Andre is weighing whether he should continue with his record deal or not and is staring marriage dead in the face. As the film progresses, Sidney and Andre spend more time with each other, and in discussing their problems at their own individual crossroads, they start to question again why they love hip-hop. At this point lies the core of the movie, whether hip-hop artists should continue with what is expected of them, or buck the status quo and do what makes them happy in their lives. In her essay on hip-hop, Bettina Love reaffirms this point when she says, “Corporate boardrooms create much of rap’s music and culture, and they then mask and disseminate it to youth as street culture or “real” hip-hop.” (Love, 18) Brown Sugar is the culmination of African-American frustration with the status quo. It has a positive impact in forming the ideology of hip-hop in African American youth because it stresses themes of self-discovery, love, and freedom of expression. “When the characters choose love, their relationship with hip hop also falls into place.” (Sanchez, 38) Andre’s decision to choose love for his own style of hip hop and personal freedom is an uplifting message to African American and hip-hop youth. A message that even though society expects you to rap about materialistic, worldly pleasures, the option to refute that and pursue one’s own interests is definitely still in
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, the Nigerian-American film director seemed to go out of his way to emphasize the positive effect hip-hop can have on individuals. Andre and Sidney, lifelong friends, are both at crossroads in their lives and their hip-hop industry careers. Sidney has just been made editor in chief of a hip-hop magazine and moved back to New York from L.A., and slowly realizes throughout the film she loves Andre, while Andre is weighing whether he should continue with his record deal or not and is staring marriage dead in the face. As the film progresses, Sidney and Andre spend more time with each other, and in discussing their problems at their own individual crossroads, they start to question again why they love hip-hop. At this point lies the core of the movie, whether hip-hop artists should continue with what is expected of them, or buck the status quo and do what makes them happy in their lives. In her essay on hip-hop, Bettina Love reaffirms this point when she says, “Corporate boardrooms create much of rap’s music and culture, and they then mask and disseminate it to youth as street culture or “real” hip-hop.” (Love, 18) Brown Sugar is the culmination of African-American frustration with the status quo. It has a positive impact in forming the ideology of hip-hop in African American youth because it stresses themes of self-discovery, love, and freedom of expression. “When the characters choose love, their relationship with hip hop also falls into place.” (Sanchez, 38) Andre’s decision to choose love for his own style of hip hop and personal freedom is an uplifting message to African American and hip-hop youth. A message that even though society expects you to rap about materialistic, worldly pleasures, the option to refute that and pursue one’s own interests is definitely still in