Sociology

The concept of popular culture in general first appeared publicly in America in the 1960s. It ranges from the Jazz Age of the 1920s, to the sexual and the rock-n-roll revolution of the 1960s to the current social networking website of today. Though no single definition has been agreed upon, most scholars concur that popular culture represents a mainstream phenomena encompassing the entertainment, artifacts, arts, values and beliefs shared by many if not the whole society (Storey, 2008). These include a game, a fast food restaurant or mass media. The term could also refer to those aspects of our daily lives that are not academic or intellectual and that are free from elitist standards that commonly dominate the fine arts. Items which may not be popular e.g. a novel that no one bought, a movie one watched that was not a block buster can be considered part of popular culture. The assimilation of a different culture does not occur naturally. Nations embrace cultures from other nations either through political alliances, entrenched economic competition or long term occupation by another country as in the case of Britain and Germany. In America, culture is a unifying bridge across time bridging together generations of diverse background, age, gender, ethnicity, religion and social status (Storey, 2008).

For the purpose of this paper, I have chosen hip hop culture as an aspect of American pop culture that greatly captivates and interests me. Hip hop music also referred to as rap music, is a conglomeration of rhythm and blues and jazz folded into one pattern (Price, 2006). Initially, this music was seen as a passing trend, fitting between heavy metal and alternative rock. However, over the years it has become the chosen platform of rebellion for the youth. As a genre of music, it emerged from a unique African American disposition in the 1970s and is rooted in the Black oral tradition of narrativizing, Africanized syntax, tonal semantics, signification and other communicative practices. The origin and raw beginning of contemporary rap music can be traced to DJ Kool Herc in the Bronx in the 1970s where it largely remained an underground phenomenon until the emergence of Sugar Hill Gang which produced the enormously popular song titled, Rappers Delight. Consequently, rap music has continued to flourish after the release of this album. What seemed like a passing phenomena has persisted in the changing popular culture (Price, 2006).

Hip Hop as a Popular Culture Course
I strongly believe that hip hop culture is appropriate for a popular culture course. First and fore most, this culture has evolved to become a global culture since it has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion (Reese, 2000). Unlike any other sub-culture in the American history, hip hop music has transcended ethnic boundaries. This enormous cross-over appeal has turned hip hop culture into a potentially great unifiers of diverse populations. Its greatest potential though, is that it is a catalyst for racial and social class healing and reconciliation by substantially building ethnic bridges and mending ethnic relations because of its eclectic audience. Currently in America, approximately 75 of hip hop and rap audience is non-black (Reese, 2000). Hip hop is the product of self-realization, self-determination, pride and most importantly creativity.

Secondly, hip hop has transcended beyond just music. It has become a culture andor a lifestyle for people worldwide from its flashy dress code to the language. It is both an attitude and a language through which individuals from New York can relate with individuals from Japan. Hip hop therefore has taken hold and permeated significant regions of the world. Lastly, hip hop and rap music is the fastest growing music genre in America accounting for more than 10 of the 12.3 billion music sales in 1998 and 11 of the 762.8 million albums sold in 2001 hence replacing rock and roll as the most popular genre of music among the youth and indisputably becoming the linchpin of the hip hop culture (Reese, 2000). Over time, it has grown from being a marginal subculture in New York to being a phenomenon that has not only saturated mainstream America but also has had a massive impact at a global level.  It has grown from the fringes to the suburbs and into the corporate board rooms despite the fact that it is created on the streets by black youth. This colossal move from marginal to the mainstream was even highlighted by the cultural barometer, Time, which on February 5, 1999, declared America to be a Hip Hop Nation.

Personal Interest in Hip Hop
Like others, I am highly interested in and fascinated by hip hop culture and hip hop music on the same note because it has evolved to become a dominant generational voice throughout the world. Through it, oppressed people have been given a platform upon which they can voice their problems for it has the ability to encourage, empower and embrace young people. Since its inception, it has been a means and manner of expression for politically abandoned, economically disenfranchised and socially repressed youth (Price, 2006). It has become the voice and culture of international youth adults regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, class, economic standing and economic affiliation through a unique system of appropriation, association and adoption. Hip hop has revolutionized the times because being music from the margins, it has grown to consume the mainstream. Unlike rhythm and blues that formed the basis for rock and roll, hip hop did not need to be repackaged in whiteface for it to be consumed by the masses. Therefore, hip hop music did not adapt to the mainstream, but rather the mainstream came to hip hop hence a reversal or shift in power relations.

 Hip hop artists use language and different methods of presentation in order to speak about different issues while maintaining socially acceptable urban identities. Hip hop in United States in the 1980s and 1990s was driven by an ideological commitment to Black Nationalism, various forms of Afrocentrism and Islam and a consciousness on race that centered Blackness and pushed Whiteness to the periphery (Alim et al., 2007). Hip hop is a movement based on ideology, in which speakers construct their own identities based on various philosophies or systems of beliefs. The construction of hip hop identities based on ideology focuses on how rappers conform to an accepted or imposed ideology as well as how they rebel against it or challenge powerful social views and convictions. Hip hop identities are constructed with regard to numerous defiant ideologies.

The gangster rap genre for example, rejects the inferior social class status placed upon them by redefining the negative characteristics imposed by the majority class, showing that the majority class too posses the same gangster like qualities. The underground rap on the other hand, focuses their use of language to denounce part of the hip hop movement that has assimilated with mainstream society (Alim et al., 2007). Over all, the street language used has become a sort of pidgin language among rappers who use the same slang and adjectives irrespective of their ethnicity. The use of codeswitching, styling, crossing and language mixing renders hip hop music through its language as very creative and entertaining. Hip hop uses language as a weapon- not a weapon to offend or violate, but a weapon that provokes and pushes people to think. However, the vernacular of this culture changes constantly hence attracting the youth in large numbers who are bounded to this culture linguistically.

The clothing styles of the rappers that include bourgeois labels like Nautical, Hilfiger and Ralph Laurel creates mystery as it contradicts the expected image of the fearless street soldiers. This fashion which consists of base ball caps worn backwards with label from NBA or NFL, expensive tennis shoes, oversized rugby or polo shirts worn over lose baggy pants have evolved from rap music (Reese, 2000). Unlike the fashion of other generations, this fashion has significantly cut across every ethnic boundary. Hegemony secures the dominance of the most powerful classes and groups in society. It emerges from social and class struggles which it shapes and influences and its hold over subordinate groups can never be fully guaranteed. Hegemony consists of a struggle between the resistance of subordinate groups and the forces of incorporation operating in the interests of the dominant group which invariably wins by gaining the acceptance of a new hegemony (Storey, 2008).

Graffiti is one of my other fascinations within the hip hop culture. Though it is an ancient art, it gained attention with its proliferation in urban neighborhoods with urban gangs in the late 60s and 70s to mark their territories, challenge middle class and elite aesthetics and as a sense of security.  In America the explosion of graffiti has been associated with hip hop music though it is being used as a tool of empowerment for the youths to challenge the dominant society and transform their communities (Christen, 2003 Price, 2006). Graffiti as an art, involves highly stylish letter forms drawn with markers or multi-color spray paint murals on buildings, walls and subway. These murals and stylish letters are constantly improved upon with new additions in its technique hence it is a growing art. Graffiti is practiced at times for the sack of increased reputation and personal promotion. For instance, after the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G, elaborate murals were done to pay respect to them. Therefore, hip hop graffiti is a way of creativity and self expression rather than a form of gang demonstration (Christen, 2003).

Though it seemed like hip hop would not last, the strong unprecedented resistance it faced has made rap music more popular. The more the resistance and controversy it met, the more the youth wanted it hence its survival and unparalleled growth. Hip hop as a form of popular music comprised of four elements emceeing, deejaying, break dancing and graffiti. As this music advances, these four elements are constantly being merged with others like slang, clothing e.t.c. The hip hop culture has also challenged the social systems in America and the world over in ways that have unified individuals especially the youth across a rich ethnic spectrum (Reese, 2000).

A good example of how this music has cut across ethnic boundaries within the Asian community. In Los Angeles for instance, there is a blossoming Asian American rap scene with groups like Asiatic Apostles, Seoul Brothers and Bubula Tribe whose message ranges from relationships between blacks and Koreans to social issues such as hate crimes against Asians. There are also white and Latino rappers who have impacted the hip hop culture like The Beastie Boys, Vanilla Ice, Fat Joe and Cypress Hill. According to Russell Simmons, the overall message of this music is the same. It is unabashedly rebellious, didactic and cool. It is grounded in the social, political and economic liberation of disenfranchised, oppressed and ostracized youth who have been systematically removed from access to what equates to full citizenship (Price, 2006). Though racism is still prevalent it is not strong enough to thwart the collective enjoyment of rap music by the youth of Americas and around the world.

Values behind Hip Hop Culture
Rap music has been established largely due to the values of the American society which recognizes music as a form of expression. Rap music is the poetry of the street along with graffiti and break dancing through which the youths can express them in rhythmic form (Price, 2006). The collective message of the music told the candid stories of the urban youth- stories of drugs, crime and violence. Though the message was hedonistic, they still found a platform to outwardly express their rage towards the system. Throughout history, white Americans have expressed their fascination with black culture (Storey, 2008). This fascination by the white Americans has often manifested itself within the entertainment industry. Through the voyeuristic mechanisms of television, radio and film, whites Americans have been able to safely regard African Americans without having to make any intimate contact with them.

Black culture which is a seemingly exotic entity additionally intrigues white youths because of its ability to offer them the opportunity to act out against conventions of mainstream white society  hence rap music is the latest African American cultural commodity to titillate white audience (Price, 2006). Not only has hip hop music become increasingly popular among white Americans, but its characteristics have infiltrated numerous aspects of mainstream white culture including its vocabulary, fashion and movies. The hyper-masculine aura which surrounds rap music appeals to their adolescent desire to rebel against the constraints of their parents and white society, in general. However, seeking to encounter with the other does not require that one relinquish ones mainstream personality.

Controversies Surrounding Hip Hop Culture
Rap music has created controversy and promoted social debate over its inherent negative influence on the youth and the public in general. Throughout the last decade, there has been a regression of the societys perception of women more so black women (See, 2007). Critics believe that the portrayal of black women by male and female artists in the video images and lyrical content has functioned to reformulate and perpetuate existing black female racial stereotypes while at the same time formulating new ones. Additionally, hip hop has objectified women as sex objects hence making it extremely difficult for women rappers to make it in the rap industry (See, 2007). Violence and crime continues to persist especially among urban Black youth. This negative influence has been described as pervasive and has been attributed to the rise of rap music and hip hop culture.  Gangster rap in particular has been blamed for the increase in crime through its core narratives which glorify and glamorize violence, misogyny, material consumption and sexual transgression (Jabari at el, 2003). These vulgar rhetorical traditions expressed in gangster rap are linked to dominate cultural constructions where the negativism is used as a strategy of containment to reinforce the dominant ideologies.

Furthermore, the present generation of African Americans is faced with the dilemma of whether to integrate with mainstream society or chose to remain isolated in their existence (Storey, 2006). This has been difficult especially for successful rappers whose present life of luxury conflicts with their ghetto roots. There also exists inconsistencies in the revolutionary consciousness of hip hop culture with regard to issues of sexism, heterosexism, social and economic elitism and racial supremacy.

Economic and Social Ideological Significance of Hip Hop Culture
Economically, hip hop culture has grown through a number of transitions, from a local non-profit bearing industry to an international, multibillion-dollar industry that is now to many a model of success (Hughes, 2002). Big and small businesses in America have been inspired to formulate relationships with the hip hop community hence have become more aggressive in their use of music to appeal to young people. Through music videos and the rappers, manufacturers and numerous Fortune 500 companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Reebok and Pepsi have found an avenue to showcase their products through advertisements and commercials to a market that is eager to spend cash (Reese, 2000). For example you are likely to see Wyclef Jean at a soundboard with a bottle of Pepsi while other rappers like Foxy Brown strike a pose on billboards in her Calvin Klein. The sheer power of the hip hop economy is that a product can become a top seller simply by being mentioned in a tune or by being worn by an artist. The rise of hip hop oriented romance pictures and comedies also reflects the attempt of the motion picture industry to capture the billion-dollar consumer profile of the hip hop audience (Price, 2006).

As artists began to achieve prestige as influential members of society, they have launched a variety of entrepreneurial endeavors that showcase the empowering aspects of hip hop. Roc-A-Fella is branching out its product placement with some cast of the soul Food program wearing Roc-A-Fella apparel (Hughes, 2002). Rap artists have also turned into business moguls whereby they are establishing their own record labels hence able to take control of their careers. A good exemplar is Dr. Dre and Suge Knights Death Row Record and Jay-Z, Dash and Kareem Biggs Burkes Roc-A-Fella, an enterprise and empire that has used hip hop to emerge as a major business force. In addition to this phenomenon, artists are also becoming multi-threat performers (Price, 2006). They can sing, choreograph, direct, produce, write, promote themselves and act in film and television. A good example is Wu-Tang clan, which has fused the boundary between genre and ability.

Socially, hip hop offers the African American youth with sense of racial and gender identity. Hip hop culture functions as an alternative site for black male gender as it reflects his life experiences, aspirations and challenges enabling him to center his identity in the aspect of hip hop culture that glorifies street culture (See, 2007). At the same time, through the popularity and economics of hip hop, young African American women are now more visible than ever before in mass media and popular culture as either performers, consumers of hip hop or role models. Queen Latifah is highly recognized as a pioneer in using rap music to provide a critical critique of racism, sexism and to promote the importance of female agency and autonomy. In addition, female rappers who have adopted an independent voice have been able to address issues of misogyny, domestic violence, and relationship conflict. Therefore, hip hop has provided a great opportunity for African American women to express their interdependence to have their issues and voices heard and to present personas of womanhood that other young black females can emulate (See, 2007).

 As a cultural strength, hip hop has the potential to be used to promote group-sustaining patterns of gender socialization. Furthermore, incorporating it into social work and public health practices are likely to empower and inspire African American youth and young adults to assume a proactive posture in addressing economic, social and public health challenges. Hip hop culture and hip hops dominance in the entertainment industry will continue to be strong for many years to come as artists seek to explore new avenues of expression beyond the foundational elements (Price, 2006).