Hip Hop And Politics Analysis

For decades now, political issues have presented significant problems in American society. Although the genre of hip hop music formed in the Bronx in the 1970’s, it wasn’t until the 1980’s that it became a more diverse genre, and spread around the globe. It was in the eighties when hip hop started expressing a political perspective, and encouraging its audience to take action. Political issues have been communicated over the years through, what is known as, political hip hop. Some of the most prominent topics illustrated in hip hop to this day include gun control, violence and crime, police brutality, and civil rights. Jasiri X and Mick Jenkins both emphasize the lack of awareness of black oppression and police brutality, still to this day, …show more content…
Rappers are habitually knowledgeable of the ongoing problems happening at the time. They can then report said problems to the world, through their music, in order for their audience to be aware as well. In August 2016, Mick Jenkins released “Drowning,” which symbolized the systematic exploitation and oppression of blacks. Jenkins used the phrase “I can’t breathe” repeatedly throughout the song. Those three words were the last spoken by a 43-year-old African American, Eric Garner. Garner was put in a chokehold by a police officer in New York City. The police officer then took him to the ground, and pressed Garner’s face into the pavement until the point of suffocation. Jasiri X once acquired an all-important motto of “an artist’s duty is to reflect the time.” This is heavily prominent in Jasiri X’s track “P.O.W.E.R,” which is an acronym for “people oppressed will eventually rise.” Jasiri X targets young colored individuals to influence them to want to change the world, and make it a more equitable place. Both “Drowning” and “P.O.W.E.R.” exemplify the oppression African-Americans have been enduring, and the lack realization by …show more content…
Illustrated in both of the tracks, African-American are subjected to cruelty and police brutality far more often than others. Jasiri X and Mick Jenkins both offered insight concerning these posing political issues to their audiences, for the sake of broadening their knowledge and make a meaningful change. In all, many political issues that have been a threat throughout history are still occurring in the modern day. “Drowning” and “P.O.W.E.R.” contain many of these posing problems, and give vision to both the black community to unite and promote balance and justice for all, and the privileged to listen and understand what the problem with oppression is, and how to bring it to an