The Role of Mainstream Hip Hop in Society

There is much said about rap and hip hop music. Many people have a negative disposition against this music for many reasons. Some people simply hate the way it sounds. Other people hate the fact that such a popular form of music is created by mostly black people. Hip hop has always had a large group of detractors, but there is absolutely no doubting the popularity it has garnered since it stepping into the mainstream spotlight in the 90's. 

Before we delve into the topic, I would like to start by saying I myself am a fan of rap and hip hop. This serves as a learning process to myself as much as it will to you all. As you read, please do not think I am lumping all the music of this genre into one big ball of assumption. I am referring to mainstream rap and hip hop. I am referring to the garbage broadcast through our most popular radio stations today.  

It is no secret that rap and hip hop convey messages of hate, violence, sexism, racism and class-ism. I mean, they're saying this stuff into a microphone. Many dismiss it as "just music" and that people are influence by what they want to be influenced by, but it is a scientific fact that our subconscious mind takes in so much more information than our conscious minds can even begin to process. These messages which carry negative messages certainly register with all of us who hear them, perhaps even more so with avid listeners and fans. 

It is not just the music. Visually, the top figures in the industry play their role in continuing sexual and racial stereotypes. The handful of female hip hop artists are objectified to no end. Nicki Minaj is a prime example to me. I mean, is she even real? Sometimes I wonder what we would find if we took a hammer and chisel to the layers of make-up, and if we could strip her of all those plastic surgeries. Maybe there's a programmed robot in there somewhere. Anyway, in conjunction with that, every male rapper holds up the seemingly standard, old stereotypical role of a black man. Jeffery McCants provides as interesting perspective as a black writer; "On an episode of the Tyra Banks Show" Keith Boykin, a black author and speaker, said 70 percent of all rap music is purchased by white males. That statistic bothered me, given the stereotypical nature of most mainstream rap music. It reinforces old stereotypes of blacks while creating newer ones that are just as degrading. To me, this is like the minstrel shows that were popular during the Reconstruction period where white, and sometimes black, performers would dress in black makeup called "blackface" and take on black stereotypes for the entertainment of white people. But today you don't need blackface to put on a minstrel show." 

And then we move on the the actual content of the music. The lyrics. The top sellers in the hip hop industry are the ones yelling messages of hate through our speakers. They can be subliminal or they can be right in your face. Either way, is it acceptable to allow these ideas to be pounded into the heads of the masses who religiously listen to this music? Is it okay to let lyrics such as "Slut, you think I won’t choke no whore / 'Til the vocal cords don’t work in her throat no more?! / Shut up slut, you’re causin’ too much chaos." (Eminem) be the precedent for our youth? 

Misogyny is standard in hip hop and rap today. It is almost a requirement. As an example, of the 14 songs on Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" 11 contain violent and misogynistic lyrics, while 9 of them depicted killing women. Some would say that the nature of Eminem's character and his disregard for social restrictions makes this a form a unique creativity, but what is the message we are getting here? 

My project will take the form of a visual mag. My audience is the listeners and followers of this music. I am not here to tell you what to listen to, I am simply trying to open your eyes to what messages you're really getting out of this music. The ideals of sexism, racism, hate and power hierarchies are driven into you every day from all forms of media and advertisement. This presentation serves as a continuation of the enlightenment that this course has shown us.