OUGD505 - SB2 - Cause Research - Hip Hop, For Better Or For Worse?; Jamaica Osori

The struggle for an identity is one that most Americans are familiar with. The generation of young people coming of age in the 21st century know this better than any other. While our ‘American’ bodies have changed over time to represent an intermixing of sorts it has caused a conflict within what it means to be an American. The American men and women today look, think, dress, talk, and live in a way that it almost unrecognizable to the young American 30 years ago.  And yet, the mainstream dialogue and story that represents the American population remains relatively unchanged. Hip Hop Challenges that story, and calls for young people to reclaim a part of their identities that has been taken. It isn’t surprising then that young black men feel the need to over exert themselves through Hip Hop in order to regain a sense of power both over their bodies but more importantly over the way they are represented. After enduring centuries of slavery and institutionalized discrimination it seems almost as if he as earned his right to ‘make some noise’ and ‘keep it real.’ What has resulted is a movement of young people constructing complicated identities through the use of strategic and political language in the creation of Hip Hop to uncover an alternate story and dialogue to the hegemonic structure that continues to suppress them. While Hip Hop has always been a form of resistance aimed towards ‘normative’ American culture it has also perpetuated and therefore contributed to the reconstruction of sexism and homophobia in black spaces which raises the question of whether or not black culture/ spaces are better or worse because of Hip Hop culture and Music.

We live in a country that embraces homophobic, sexist, racist, and classist imagery on a day to day basis. From the stories we tell our young children that perpetuate gender norms to the books our high school students read in their AP English classes our young people are constantly being flooded with narratives that exploit and reinforce the same facets of rap that our white power structure has deemed ‘unacceptable.’ “Some responses to sexism in rap music adopt a tone that suggests that rappers have infected an otherwise sexism-free society.” (Rose, 75).  I too agree that the presence of these images and narratives in Hip Hop is nothing less than unacceptable but that doesn’t make its existence in mainstream culture any more suitable. With that established I think its more interesting and important to see how these images surface and manifest themselves in Hip Hop because it makes a claim to how young black men orient themselves within culture that suppresses them.

Jay-Z- 99 Problems

So I…pull over to the side of the road

I heard “Son do you know why I’m stoppin’ you for?”

Cause I’m young and I’m black and my hats real low?

Do I look like a mind reader sir, I don’t know

Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo’?

“Well you was doin fifty-five in a fifty-fo’ ”

“Liscense and registration and step out of the car”

“Are you carryin’ a weapon on you I know a lot of you are”

Nas- Hip Hop is Dead

What influenced my raps? Stick ups and killings

Kidnappings, project buildings, drug dealings

Criticize that, why is that?

Cuz Nas rap is compared to legitimized crap

Cuz we love to talk on ass we gettin’

Most intellectuals will only half listen

Artist like Jay-Z and Nas are not only widely recognized as incredible entertainers but also from a intellectual standpoint are significant sources that speak to the experience of young black men. What is most interesting is the way in which their social critique is coupled with misogynistic language and images- often times in the same songs. These images surface in Hip Hop is Dead with the lyric “Grindin hittin Brazilian dimes from behind.” And in 99 Problems with Jay-Z’s use of the word bitch in his hook. While both artists are asserting their power against the hegemonic structure their assertion goes a step too far as to assert their power as men over black women. Jay-Z and Nas can write as many books as they wish to defend their use of violent language towards women but it doesn’t change the underlying effect of their language. Jay-Z can argue that he is using satire to poke at the issue of intellectuals not looking beyond raps violent lyrics to decode the true message of his music. But the fact of the matter is, any use of the word “bitch” or any imagery that degrades women is a violent act against women and furthers the suppression of women in this country. Intention, in cases like theses, is highly irrelevant- because the use of such language, especially from artist who make social critiques unconsciously allows for the continued use of imagery outside of popular music and within the everyday lives of Americans. This phenomenon is not exclusive to rap music. Social theorists call the act of suppressed people furthering the suppression of others recursivity and it emerges in all communities that have previously or are currently suppressed. Mainstream culture teaches those involved with the cultural production of Hip Hop that asserting power over women is acceptable and so in pushing back at the mainstream rap reproduces the male/female power structure within Hip Hop. The Hegemonic culture then accuses Rap of being sexist and inappropriate as a way to silence not only the violence and sexism present but also to censor any product produced through the cultural process. A movement that was initially enabling African-American culture is now restricting it.