Is Hip Hop Destroying American Youth?

COR7Nature · 08-15-2014, 02:33 PM

I 1000% agree with this article. Felt like sharing. LEARN SOMETHING

by Sebastien Elkouby via raprehab.com

Is Hip Hop Destroying Black America? To answer this question fairly, we must first discard the distorted image of Hip Hop that mainstream media has passed off for the past 20 years. Hip Hop is a movement consisting of 4 main artistic elements: DJ’ing, Rapping, Breaking and Graffiti. But at its core, it is a philosophy based on the idea that self expression is an integral part of the pursuit of peace, love and unity. It was created by young visionaries who tapped into their greatest potential and gave birth to one of the most important cultural phenomenon the world has ever seen. Shaped by the spirit of Africa, The Carribean and Black America, it is a culture that binds us under the belief that we must strive for excellence through our respective artforms, as well as within our souls. It’s a lifestyle that unites people from the U.S to Nigeria, France to Brazil, Japan to Mexico, often unable to speak each other’s language but fully capable of understanding all that makes us who we are. True Hip Hop is the MC who raps from the heart or enlightens the people. It is the DJ who speaks with his hands. It is the 6 year old B-girl who break dances like her life depends on it or a group of young dancers whose moves defy gravity effortlessly. It is the graffiti artist whose shapes and colors breathe new life onto gritty city landscapes or the beatboxer who manipulates sounds like a one-man orchestra. It’s the aspiring politician who genuinely reflects the people she represents, the progressive educators who give voiceless youth a platform to express their deepest thoughts and the grassroots activists who launch campaigns against a corrupt music industry. For millions of people here and abroad, this is Hip Hop, the way it was meant to be…and it is NOT destroying Black America.

If this doesn’t sound like the kind of Hip Hop you’re familiar with, blame the music industry and mainstream media for bombarding you with a steady diet of rappers talking about drugs, sex and violence for over two decades. Blame MTV, BET, and other networks for trying to redefine what Hip Hop is in order to sell it and shove it down the throats of unsuspecting consumers. It’s easy to blame simple minded rappers for promoting negative messages and images while multi billion dollar companies and shrewd businessmen who market these artists are free from criticism. It’s easy to blame someone like Chief Keef who becomes the obvious poster boy for mindless rap while Jimmy Iovine, the head of Interscope Records, keeps a low profile and avoids having to address his part in promoting “death through entertainment”. It’s easy to protest flavor of the month Trinidad James who raps about Molly, the industry’s latest fashionable drug, while Def Jam’ president Joie Manda proclaims his new discovery as “the cutting edge of what’s happening in the culture today.” It’s easy to blame talentless top 40 rappers for dominating the airwaves of so called hip hop radio stations like L.A.’s Power 106 or New York’s Hot 97 while Rick Cummings, president of programming for Emmis Communications, which owns both stations, isn’t held accountable for his part in broadcasting filth to millions of listeners.

Time and time again, the real decision makers get away with murder while rap artists are projected as the embodiment of everything that is wrong with Hip Hop and young Black males.

Kind of how gangs are perceived as the lone cause of urban violence while those who bring guns and drugs into the community remain anonymous.

Kind of how so many young Black men are written off as criminals and sent to prison in disproportionate numbers while the system that causes this tragedy is profiting from growing incarceration rates.

Kind of how Black students are labeled as troubled underachievers while school districts across the nation, including Philadelphia and Chicago, continue to close down schools in predominantly Black communities to save money.

And all of it devalues the lives of Black people in exchange for financial gain.

So is Hip Hop really destroying Black America? No. The challenges facing Black America are much bigger than Hip Hop. But for what it’s worth, when untainted by outside influences and corporate vultures, Hip Hop in its purest form is about empowerment, unity, culture, creativity and hope. And God knows we need it.

~~Soulflower~~ · 08-15-2014, 02:51 PM

Hip Hop was an outlet for urban youth in the inner cities back in the mid to late 70's who were stricken by poverty and racism. It was used as a backlash against "White America" and promoted the black experience. Hip Hop introduced these experiences to a wider audience. Black people did not destroy Hip Hop. Corporate America did and now we have manufactured imitations of African American stereotypes because they don't want to hear the truth anymore.

The truth is that there is still injustice, poverty and racial division against minorities. They don't want to hear the truth because they know they are very much apart of the problem.

My 2 cents and THANKS for the article I agreed with it.

COR7Nature · 08-15-2014, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulflower

Have you ever thought about how Hip Hop was created?

The rap music playing on the radio is not Hip Hop.

You have to think about why Hip Hop was originally created.

It was an outlet for urban youth in the inner cities back in the mid to late 70's who were stricken by poverty and racism. It was used as a backlash against "White America" and promoted the black experience. Hip Hop introduced these experiences to a wider audience. Black people did not destroy Hip Hop. Corporate America did and now we have manufactured imitations of African American stereotypes because they don't want to hear the truth anymore.

The truth is that there is still injustice, poverty and racial division against minorities. They don't want to hear the truth because they know they are very much apart of the problem.

I agree with everything you said 1000%. I do actually think about why Hip-Hop was originally created. I'm not refuting any points you stated, but my 2 cents is what really defines the point of the 'backlash' you mentioned---in essence, the goals of the founders and originators of hip-hop was to show and display inner strength via camaraderie and culture through art in sound in hopes of achieving unity and respect for many people.

"The rap music playing on the radio is not Hip Hop."

I agree with that based on the previous explained essence of it.

"Black people did not destroy Hip Hop. Corporate America did and now we have manufactured imitations of African American stereotypes because they don't want to hear the truth anymore."

I agree that only black people did not destroy Hip Hop. But by absorbing the above statement, black people did play a part in the destruction of hip hop's essence and founding goals.

"The truth is that there is still injustice, poverty and racial division against minorities. They don't want to hear the truth because they know they are very much apart of the problem."

Finally, by understanding the above statement---it seems like in 2014 we are back to square one.

Thanks for the insight SoulFlower.

~~Soulflower~~ · 08-15-2014, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by COR7Nature

I agree with everything you said 1000%. I do actually think about why Hip-Hop was originally created. I'm not refuting any points you stated, but my 2 cents is what really defines the point of the 'backlash' you mentioned---in essence, the goals of the founders and originators of hip-hop was to show and display inner strength via camaraderie and culture through art in sound in hopes of achieving unity and respect for many people.

"The rap music playing on the radio is not Hip Hop."

I agree with that based on the previous explained essence of it.

"Black people did not destroy Hip Hop. Corporate America did and now we have manufactured imitations of African American stereotypes because they don't want to hear the truth anymore."

I agree that only black people did not destroy Hip Hop. But by absorbing the above statement, black people did play a part in the destruction of hip hop's essence and founding goals.

"The truth is that there is still injustice, poverty and racial division against minorities. They don't want to hear the truth because they know they are very much apart of the problem."

Finally, by understanding the above statement---it seems like in 2014 we are back to square one.

Thanks for the insight SoulFlower.

Thanks!

I realized everything I stated was pretty much what you also stated which is why I edited my post.

I also think African Americans played a part in Hip Hop's downfall but I wouldn't say its their fought because then we would have to go all the way back to slavery to really analyze why an African American would take part in the destructive of Hip Hop.

We would have to look at the purpose of slavery and how that impacted the way African Americans see themselves and other people who are not African American. When you are taught that if you do something a certain way, if you look a certain way, if you make a certain type of music etc then you will believe these are things you have to do in order to be successful so you will go along with it. However, this way of thinking dates back all the way to slavery. Its the westernized way of thinking which unfornately has poisoned the African American culture.

COR7Nature · 08-15-2014, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulflower

Thanks!

I realized everything I stated was pretty much what you also stated which is why I edited my post.

I also think African Americans played a part in Hip Hop's downfall but I wouldn't say its their fought because then we would have to go all the way back to slavery to really analyze why an African American would take part in the destructive of Hip Hop.

We would have to look at the purpose of slavery and how that impacted the way African Americans see themselves and other people who are not African American. When you are taught that if you do something a certain way, if you look a certain way, if you make a certain type of music etc then you will believe these are things you have to do in order to be successful so you will go along with it. However, this way of thinking dates back all the way to slavery. Its the westernized way of thinking which unfornately has poisoned the African American culture.

You definitely make VALID points. Thanks for sharing, understanding and contributing to the discussion!

Deviouz · 08-15-2014, 04:33 PM

This convo is beautiful. Great stuff fellas.

COR7Nature · 08-15-2014, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deviouz

This convo is beautiful. Great stuff fellas.

Thanks Deviouz!

Oh and by the way, is that Meth' on your avatar? It looks like him, but I'm not 100% sure. Dope @$$ pic!

~~Soulflower~~ · 08-15-2014, 05:20 PM

I am a WOMAN but thanks!!

DwnWthVwls · 08-15-2014, 10:58 PM

Nice read. Thanks.

COR7Nature · 08-15-2014, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DwnWthVwls

Nice read. Thanks.

The pleasure is mutual. Thanks as well!

08-15-2014, 02:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
COR7Nature Groupie Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Los Angeles x Worldwide Posts: 14	Is Hip Hop Destroying American Youth? I 1000% agree with this article. Felt like sharing. LEARN SOMETHING by Sebastien Elkouby via raprehab.com Is Hip Hop Destroying Black America? To answer this question fairly, we must first discard the distorted image of Hip Hop that mainstream media has passed off for the past 20 years. Hip Hop is a movement consisting of 4 main artistic elements: DJ’ing, Rapping, Breaking and Graffiti. But at its core, it is a philosophy based on the idea that self expression is an integral part of the pursuit of peace, love and unity. It was created by young visionaries who tapped into their greatest potential and gave birth to one of the most important cultural phenomenon the world has ever seen. Shaped by the spirit of Africa, The Carribean and Black America, it is a culture that binds us under the belief that we must strive for excellence through our respective artforms, as well as within our souls. It’s a lifestyle that unites people from the U.S to Nigeria, France to Brazil, Japan to Mexico, often unable to speak each other’s language but fully capable of understanding all that makes us who we are. True Hip Hop is the MC who raps from the heart or enlightens the people. It is the DJ who speaks with his hands. It is the 6 year old B-girl who break dances like her life depends on it or a group of young dancers whose moves defy gravity effortlessly. It is the graffiti artist whose shapes and colors breathe new life onto gritty city landscapes or the beatboxer who manipulates sounds like a one-man orchestra. It’s the aspiring politician who genuinely reflects the people she represents, the progressive educators who give voiceless youth a platform to express their deepest thoughts and the grassroots activists who launch campaigns against a corrupt music industry. For millions of people here and abroad, this is Hip Hop, the way it was meant to be…and it is NOT destroying Black America. If this doesn’t sound like the kind of Hip Hop you’re familiar with, blame the music industry and mainstream media for bombarding you with a steady diet of rappers talking about drugs, sex and violence for over two decades. Blame MTV, BET, and other networks for trying to redefine what Hip Hop is in order to sell it and shove it down the throats of unsuspecting consumers. It’s easy to blame simple minded rappers for promoting negative messages and images while multi billion dollar companies and shrewd businessmen who market these artists are free from criticism. It’s easy to blame someone like Chief Keef who becomes the obvious poster boy for mindless rap while Jimmy Iovine, the head of Interscope Records, keeps a low profile and avoids having to address his part in promoting “death through entertainment”. It’s easy to protest flavor of the month Trinidad James who raps about Molly, the industry’s latest fashionable drug, while Def Jam’ president Joie Manda proclaims his new discovery as “the cutting edge of what’s happening in the culture today.” It’s easy to blame talentless top 40 rappers for dominating the airwaves of so called hip hop radio stations like L.A.’s Power 106 or New York’s Hot 97 while Rick Cummings, president of programming for Emmis Communications, which owns both stations, isn’t held accountable for his part in broadcasting filth to millions of listeners. Time and time again, the real decision makers get away with murder while rap artists are projected as the embodiment of everything that is wrong with Hip Hop and young Black males. Kind of how gangs are perceived as the lone cause of urban violence while those who bring guns and drugs into the community remain anonymous. Kind of how so many young Black men are written off as criminals and sent to prison in disproportionate numbers while the system that causes this tragedy is profiting from growing incarceration rates. Kind of how Black students are labeled as troubled underachievers while school districts across the nation, including Philadelphia and Chicago, continue to close down schools in predominantly Black communities to save money. And all of it devalues the lives of Black people in exchange for financial gain. So is Hip Hop really destroying Black America? No. The challenges facing Black America are much bigger than Hip Hop. But for what it’s worth, when untainted by outside influences and corporate vultures, Hip Hop in its purest form is about empowerment, unity, culture, creativity and hope. And God knows we need it.

08-15-2014, 02:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~Soulflower~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,304	Hip Hop was an outlet for urban youth in the inner cities back in the mid to late 70's who were stricken by poverty and racism. It was used as a backlash against "White America" and promoted the black experience. Hip Hop introduced these experiences to a wider audience. Black people did not destroy Hip Hop. Corporate America did and now we have manufactured imitations of African American stereotypes because they don't want to hear the truth anymore. The truth is that there is still injustice, poverty and racial division against minorities. They don't want to hear the truth because they know they are very much apart of the problem. My 2 cents and THANKS for the article I agreed with it. Last edited by Soulflower; 08-15-2014 at 02:58 PM.

08-15-2014, 05:20 PM	#8 (permalink)
~~Soulflower~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,304	I am a WOMAN but thanks!!