Semiotics in Hip Hop Culture

Semiotics in Hip Hop Culture

                                                                                                                Ousmane Diallo

                                                                                                                Pas 368

                                                                                                                Professor Ratcliff

 

Semiotics in Hip Hop Culture

 

Does semiotics play a major role in the culture of Hip Hop? Absolutely, Hip Hop culture is being presented to the public through usage of semiotics in the media. Morgado writes that “semiotics is a philosophy, a body of theory, and an assortment of methods that deal with the study of signs and how they work (p.134).”  This suggests that signs or symbols have an attached meaning that serves as an operation for people. Society develops meanings for signs and uses it as a way to notify individuals how they should or should not conduct themselves in everyday life. As a result, Semiotics takes on different roles in Hip Hop and influences individuals overall sense of identity. The dominant signs of semiotics in Hip Hop are guns, women, financial wealth, and thug imagery (Donnelly, Hip-Hop Music and Gender Stereotypes slides). The media insists on using semiotics as tools to perpetuate negative stereotypes in Hip Hop culture in order to benefit the market of commerce.

Mass media is aiming to benefit off the advertising market associated with Hip Hop because heavy emphasis is placed on financial gain.  This notion is illustrated by popular television stations selling their rights or ownerships to large corporations.  For instance, the popular Hip Hop network BET (Black Entertainment Television) has recently undergone changes within the past decade due to relinquished rights of its former owner to a large corporation (Fabrikant, para.5). The original owner of BET was Robert L. Johnson and Viacom is currently the corporation that has legal rights over the network (Fabrikant, para.5). One may conclude Viacom did not take interest into BET until the network became widely known throughout the minority community and seen as a source of revenue.  Fabrikant states that in the year of 1999 it was predicted to generate over two hundred million dollars because it was one of the top Black owned businesses (para.4). This program station was viewed as having the ability to boost sales through the number of individuals desiring to watch programs on this station. This network shows individuals in a negative light because it sparks the interests in the consumers that want to emulate these characters. Many of these shows incorporate sexualized women, violence and uneducated individuals that cause the viewers especially young viewers to become a mirror of these actions. This could be indication that Viacom is more interested in gaining profit than looking into promoting positive aspects of the Hip Hop culture. Positive aspects could be seen as providing entertainment that uplifts the target population rather than contributing to imagery that maybe potentially harmful to youth and other individuals.

High profiled corporations have the intentions of financially benefiting at the expense of others. These corporations are influencing the Hip Hop culture through media coverage using aspects of semiotics to control what is being marketed to the public. Talreja, Jhally & Patierno claims “communication is always linked with power and that those groups who wield power in a society influence what gets represented through the media (p.3).” In Hip Hop videos and magazines guns are commonly used to depict an image of strength, which is defined as a necessity for masculinity. Guns are seen as a requirement for masculinity because it is something that provides users with power or control. For instance, the images of guns are understood as a form of semiotics that represents masculinity in the Hip Hop culture. The audience that buys into this concept is simply trying to live up to the expectations being portrayed as important to their culture.

Text is an additional form of semiotics emphasized to stress the importance of masculinity within this particular culture. For example, Juaquin Malphurs is a fairly new and well-known rapper nick-named Waka Flocka Flame (http://artists.letssingit.com/). In song lyrics he often discusses usage of guns and violence towards people he is not fond of. This is a mainstream rapper that television stations like BET usually support by promoting albums and songs. The lyrics in his songs are filled with aggression and contribute to the idea of building hyper-masculinity, especially within minority communities. Donnelly states that Grealy (2008) claims “the explicit violence and aggression featured in rap lyrics plays a role in the increased violence in the streets between rap artists (Hip-Hop Music and Gender Stereotypes).” He goes on to write, “according to some studies, the highest concentration of rap listeners was found in areas with high crime rates (Donnelly, Hip-Hop Music and Gender Stereotypes slides).”  The media is not only publicizing concepts that encourage violence because it is interesting to viewers, it is a source that generates sales. People that inspire to relate with Waka Flocka Flame and similar artists are being controlled by concepts of violence and gun usage, primarily because it is shown as appropriate methods to building a masculine identity.  Studies show that masculinity is an important factor within different ethnic groups, including African Americans and Hispanics (Roberts, pgs. 379- 390; Parrillo, p.386). Therefore, most things associated with building a masculine identity for minorities or those most involved with Hip Hop culture will be popular. Unfortunately the actions and representations of these artists reflect a concept of American society that revolves around masculine identity. Many artists are conditioned to focus on individualism and competition therefore resulting into another negative product of America.

            Another dominant reflection of semiotics is the labels that are attached to women. In Hip Hop women are usually described in terms that degrade their self-worth, oftentimes reducing their identity to sexual objects. Donnelly writes that Leopard (2007) argues, “Women are portrayed as commodities in many forms of rap music (Hip-Hop Music and Gender Stereotypes).”In various rap and R&B lyrics of popular musicians women are described with a function of being reduced to commodities. For instance, both male and female artists tend to use slang terms that degrade women such as “money makers” or “gold diggers,” which denotes an inability to function in society separate from sexual objectification. These common slang terms perpetuate stereotypes of women involved in Hip Hop. Women are also viewed as sexual objects within communities that support the Hip Hop culture because they are encouraged to wear less clothing in the outlets of media. The outlets of media include: magazines, internet sites, and film. This allows audience to pick up on the messages illustrating what it means to be considered flattering or reflection of this culture. When the media exposes the public to these forms of semiotics it reinforces negative stereotypes about women in this culture. Many young girls have this idea of being these women in magazines and television in order to appeal to men. They use their bodies instead of their minds to advance in life, which perpetuates a cycle of uneducated women in the Hip-Hop population. Large corporations that have ownership of media access are more inclined to weigh their costs and benefits rather that the price these young ladies pay in the future. There is a financial benefit associated with displaying these stereotypes and it outweighs the cost of harming women’s sense of self-worth.

            Financial wealth is another dominant sign of semiotics placed in the Hip Hop culture. This category paints a picture of what it means to have access to luxury. Mortelmans asserts that “luxury is defined as a specific kind of sign value, produced in specific narratives and

used in processes of stratification (p.497).”  This statement suggests that luxury can be interpreted differently by individuals depending on where they live or their cultural context. Hip Hop is a culture in itself and provides a definition of luxury, which is monetary gain. The images that are perpeturated are that people can have bundles of cash when they become a part of the industry. Rappers are shown in music videos flashing money and buying fancy items. This image of luxury contributes to the sterotype that minorities are only able to get rich fast by being in some type of entertainment industry.  Donnelly says Kaplan (2008) believes “rap music and videos flash images of cars and other material goods as to proclaim status and or wealth. This in turn suggests to the audience that such material things are essential for hip hop crediability. Young listeners in low socioeconimic sectors are particularily suceptible to this symbolism (Hip-Hop Music and Gender Stereotypes).” The media is able to successfully obtain profit off this perpeturated sterotype in Hip Hip because people tune into their televisions daily, buy magazines, and other sources to find the lastest information on the culture.

            The concept of thug life suggests to viewers that image is important to lifestyles. This particular symbol goes in hand with the building a style or dress code. The thug image consists of oversized t-shirts, baggy pants, gold chains and body tattoos ranging from facial to lower body. This image is derived from the prison industrial complex that many men fall victim to. In the prison arena men have to use their body or physical strength to prove dominance over other men. The type of attire and tattoos indicate their unwillingness to conform and to contest the higher authorities. There are constant images flashed throughout the media of individuals dressing like “thugs” or “gangstas.” This image encourages people to go out and buy clothing or material that they see in the media. However, the image of thug life can hinder opportunities for people within the community, especially when it comes to employment. For instance, a person will be less likely to land a high paying office job when he or she walks into an interview dressed as a thug. There are fewer images of people in the Hip Hop industry that wear suits and ties. This example indicates that semiotics is used by mass media as a tool to persuade the audience to promote commerce, being that public consumption of materials or products financially benefit large corporations. The symbols associated with the thug image assist in advertising and persuade the urban community to spend their income instead of saving for future investment. The media and corporations are more concerned with earnings than the preservation of culture because it places value on things that will sell despite the harmful effects it may have on individuals.

Information presented in the Hip Hop culture also affects people’s ability to develop and reinforce insights of personal culture. Corporations and the advertising industry restrict individuals to a certain amount of information when they decide what is presented to the public. As a result of limiting information to the public, communities are being negatively impacted. These communities are faced with a dilemma because they no longer have complete control over their cultural capital. According to Thompson, cultural capital falls in line with people having the ability to construct their own values, skills, and means for interactions with others inside their communities (pgs. 394-412). Taylor writes “in the past few years it has become commonplace for workers in the advertising industry to use the phrase convergence of content and commerce to describe the increased role that advertising plays in the production of popular culture in the United States (p. 405).” Taylor’s statement suggests that original culture can be affected by the marketing industry because it has the ability to persuade people to buy into information distributed, which may cause individuals to lose direct connection with their main sense of beliefs or traditions. The dominant signs of semiotics are the main source of information that gets passed along through the media. Stereotypes become prevalent when individuals have less control of what is being presented about their culture.           

            The stereotypes that is passed around in the Hip Hop media not only impacts cultural capital, it affects social capital throughout neighborhoods as well. Putnam argues that social capital is the networks that people build and maintain in communities, obtained through social interaction (pgs. 1-9).  Putnam calls this concept of interacting and building strong ties in the community civic engagement (pgs. 1-9). He believes that social capital is a necessity to the health of communities (Putnam, pgs. 1-9).  This particular capital is impacted by the messages pushed in Hip Hop media because individualism is promoted more than civic engagement. For instance, the dominant sign of semiotics known as financial wealth encourage audiences to work by themselves to achieve this portion of success. People that feed off the media’s perception of luxury tend to follow what they see in the coverage, and in this case they will be less likely to believe they need someone else’s help to reach success with wealth.

            There are both pros and cons to semiotics and its use in media. Consequently, the harmful effects overshadow the positive representations due to the financial market pitching to its consumers on what is wrong, right and the direction one should take in one’s decisions. From a business perspective it can be seen as beneficial to the media corporation without any responsibility to reflect upon. Nonetheless that type of mentality has allowed the most ethical individuals to accept what they are doing without the consideration of the effect on its audience or the people of the urban and affluent society. The distinction between commerce and culture is evident when people become cognizant of how Semiotics is used as a tool to persuade and inform individuals on what Hip Hop is now and what it was back in the Bronx of New York in the 1970’s. One should consider the fifth element of Hip Hop, which is Knowledge to somehow decipher and use Semiotics, as a tool to assist one’s self when the media distributes the Hip Hop entertainment of the present.   

           

 

Works Cited

 

Morgado, Marcia. “The Semiotics of Extraordinary Dress: A Structural Analysis and Interpretation of Hip-Hop Style.” Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 25.2 (2007): 131-155.

 

Donnelly, Mike. “Hip-Hop Music and Gender Stereotypes: A Semiotic Analysis of Masculinity in Hip Hop.” 28, April 2010. Web. Retrieved from: http://prezi.com/gdgef4rrjfir/hip-hop-and-gender-stereotypes/

 

Fabrikant, Geraldine. “BET Holdings to Be Bought By Viacom for $2.34 Billion.” Nytimes.com. N.p., 4 Nov. 2000. Web.

 

Mortelmans, Dimitri. “Sign Values In Processes Of Distinction: The Concept Of Luxury.” Semiotica 157.1-4 (n.d.): 497-520. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web.

 

Parrillo, Vincent. Strangers to these Shores: Race and Ethnic Relations in the United States, Ninth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc, 2009. Print.

 

Patierno, Mary; Jhally, Sut; & Talreja, Sanjay. “ Stuart Hall Representation and The Media.” (2005). Retrieved from: http://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/409/transcript_409.pdf

 

Putnam, Robert D. “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital. Journal of Democracy, Vol.6, No. 1(1995) 65-78. Pgs. 1-9. Web.

 

Roberts, George W. “Brother to Brother: African American Modes of Relating Among Men.” Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Jun., 1994): pp. 379-390. Web.

 

Taylor, Timothy D. “Advertising And The Conquest Of Culture.” Social Semiotics 19.4 (2009): 405-425. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web

 

Thompson, George D. “Cultural Capital And Accounting.” Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal 12.4 (n.d.): 394-412. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web.

 

“Waka Flocka Flame – Biography.” LetsSingIt. N.p., n.d.  Web.

Retrieved from: http://artists.letssingit.com/waka-flocka-flame-rkf4b/biography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hip-Hop and Youth Culture In Todays Society

From google search

 

Youth culture and hip-hop culture become synonymous entities when thinking critically about how they both influence one another. Hip-hop emerged as an authentic cultural expression of the African American urban youth during the late 1970s. The foundation of hip-hop and hip-hop culture is stemmed from the creative self-expression of African American youth struggling to survive in a dyeing city. Since then, hip-hop has expanded and given a voice to many young people around the world. Through hip-hop’s cultural style, sound and lyrics, young people of all cultural backgrounds begin to find an identity through hip-hop culture. Since the emergence of this musical genre, hip-hop has undergone a number of phases throughout its existence. In recent times, hip-hop has become commercialized and profited from large corporations seeking to gain money from this authentic culture. The debate between culture and commerce is prevalent when discussing the way hip-hop is viewed in modern day. Not only has mainstream hip-hop promoted a lifestyle of materialism, it has also helped promote an ideology of misogyny and violence through its lyrical and visual content. In this paper, I want to exam how mainstream hip-hop culture and its diverse media outlets effects, impacts and influences the lives of young people. By relying upon Patricia Hill Collins’ concept of intersectionality, I am able to exam how race, class, and gender each work together to contribute to audience members’ experience with hip-hop music and culture and their sense of belonging to the hip-hop community. Influences of rap music and hip-hop culture on youth are pervasive. These influences are not only on Black urban youth, but affect many diverse youth groups nationally and globally (Mahaji 122).

DECODING THE MESSAGE

            Behind every song there is a message being transmitted from the artist to the audience. Whether that message is transmitting a positive message or a negative one, a message is always transmitted. Today hip-hop has become mainstreamed, and embraces’ the consumption of luxury goods and status symbols as emblems of success. Materialism is now a fundamental message within hip-hop culture. Although mainstream hip-hop is not representative of hip-hop as a whole, it receives the most media attention. Some of the themes represented in commercialized hip-hop are issues that become problematic in the ideology of young people. “The core narratives of gangsta rap are extremely troubling in their glamorization of violence, material consumption, misogyny, and sexual transgression” (Mahiri, Conner, 123). How then, do these themes effect our youth development? When I mention youth I am particularly talking about people ranging from ages ten to seventeen years of age; the years where huge transitions are emerging. Teens in particular, are searching to find their own identity; many times that search is found through hip-hop culture. Middle school and high school are crucial times in a teen’s life; socialization, assimilation and acceptance are fundamental throughout teen years. Through hip-hop, teens are able to adopt a sense of style, attitude and belongingness among their peers.  For this reason, it is fundamental to decode the messages behind rap music, but it is also significant to decode the messages behind hip-hop and consumerism. These messages directly influence how young people react and understand the world around them.

Found in google search

 

HIP-HOP: A MARKET FOR “COOL”

Can you remember a time during your adolescence in which you were influenced to dress a certain way or act a certain way because it was the “cool” thing to do? If so, can you remember why it was “cool” to act or dress that way? During my teen years it was hip-hop music videos that influenced me to wear Jay-Z’s Rocawear gear and Kimora Lee Simmons Baby Phat clothing. It was Nelly’s catchy beat that had me wanting to buy Air Force Ones, Nikes’ popular shoe brand. Advertisements, music videos, magazines, and even hip-hop music itself influenced me to replicate and mimic what I thought was “cool”. As a young girl searching for acceptance among her peers, I felt the need to purchase these material goods in order to fit in. “The rap lifestyle marked to consumers through multiple media outlets, focuses on the consumptions of designer clothes, jewelry, cars, and shoes which are often sold by the rap moguls companies” (Hunter, 15). Product placement in rap music videos has become an essential component in the hip-hop industry success. Product placement is transmitted through multi avenues of media, such as music videos, magazines, commercial advertisements and other facets of media. Through the process of marketing goods, large corporations are able to sell their product to the masses; utilizing hip-hop’s popularity, large corporations and rapper entrepreneur are able to profit from the masses. Marketers sought out what was popular and succeeded when they approached hip-hop. These marketers become experts on what is “cool”. They make advertisements desirable to young people, so they can go out and purchase it. They use famous athlete or in this case popular rap icons to market their brand in order to appeal to the masses.  One interesting documentary that discusses these issues is a documentary called Rhyme Pays: A Market For Cool. This documentary navigates through the lives of a group of young people who are enticed by hip-hop culture. Throughout the film, young hip-hop enthusiasts define their identity through hip-hop culture. They replicated hip-hop culture by purchasing designer brand name products, luxurious jewelry and expensive shoe wear. This documentary also dispels the product placement found in music videos and magazines; products are presented in a desirable way which compels the consumer to go out and buy that product. “Hip-hops’ recent focus on entrepreneurship and marketing has created a culture where hop-hop is experienced primarily through consumption rather than production” (Hunter, pg. 15). This notion of culture and commerce is displayed in the documentary Rhyme Pays, and it gives the audience in insight of how consumerism in hip-hop culture reinforces a sense of materialistic identity. Moreover, I do not want to completely put a negative context to marketing companies or rap entrepreneur. I believe it is a smart way to sell their products however, I feel that the messages transmitted through product placement in music videos glorifies materialistic goods and strays away from the fundamental humanistic needs.

 

Hip-hop and the realtionship with shoes

 

INTERSECTIONALITY, HIP-HOP AND YOUTH

            Hip-hop is commonly known for the strong presence of male rappers. Hyper-masculinity is favored in hip-hop music and hip-hop as a culture. In general, men dominate the hip-hop sphere and women are placed in the background like objects, simply there to be a sexual puppet for the rapper. This image that I just created can be seen in just about any rap music video out there in todays mainstream media. Hyper-masculinity, or the “macho personality” consist of the following three variables: a) “callous sexual attitudes toward women”, b) “the belief that violence is manly”, and c) “the experience of danger as exciting”. In an interesting research study conducted by Jabari Mahiri and Erin Conner (2003),

The researchers explored ways that middle school students experienced and reflected on  violence in their lives and in popular culture. The researchers probed ways that these  students’ interpreted or reflected upon rap music and hip-hop culture, particularly its  representations of violence, crime, and sex. This research provided insights into what these youth thought about violence in their lives including its depictions in electronic  media. Additionally, it revealed ways that they resisted and/or critiqued some negative  images and influences of hip-hop and rap.

This study also explores the perspective of middle school boys and girls thoughts of rap music in a school setting. They were asked to write in a journal about their views of rap music. Some of the entries that were collected consisted of critical analysis of particular rap music. Reflections in the student journals often extended the critique of the albums in the following example that represented many that were handed in:

I think the music industry needs to change some of their lyrics because they send negative thoughts to kids minds. For example the video Lady Mamalad. The song has Lil’ Kim and Cristina Agulara in the video half ass naked. When children see the video—they might want to keep seeing naked women on T.V. all the time. The other video that sends negative thoughts to kids is Lil’ Wayn’s song Lil One. All they talk about through the song is selling drugs and making money (Mahiri,Conner 135).

 A visual of what the student was describing in her journal entry.

(From Youtube).

The researchers of this study later conclude that “These students critiques of the negative characterizations of men and women as gangstas and ho’s suggests that they understand something of the larger cultural/ political dynamics that generate these negative representations in rap music and in other areas of their lives” (135). This research is significant because it relates to hip-hop and young peoples’ cognitive process to analyze hip-hop in a critical manner. Analyzing certain rap music that depict women as over sexual and rappers as money hunger machines, are ways to explore the gender differences in hip-hop culture. By incorporating hip-hop in academia, we can introduce young people in analyzing what they hear and allow them to become aware of the messages being transmitted through rap music. This could be a step toward changing the consciousness of young people passive listening toward rap music.

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HIP HOP: A STEP TOWARDS CONCIOUSNESS

            Although I have explored many different ways that hip-hop music and hip-hop culture has negatively impacted the way young people think, act and understand the world around them in recent times; hip-hop has also benefited young people in many ways. It is true that much of the rap music heard on the radio and television now a day transmits negative messages to the masses. However, there is an increase of positive hip-hop circulating in a varied of electronic media. Mainstream radio stations also have implementing a new generation of “conscious rappers” on their air time. Take for example Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore and even Frank Ocean who discuss topics such as race, gender, class and sexuality in their music. The great lyrics of Kendrick Lamar demonstrate the struggles growing up in the city of Compton, California. His music is inspirational and gives young people chance to articulate the issues he raps about. Macklemore takes the same approach in reaching out to the youth in a positive demeanor. Macklemore expresses his views on same sex marriage in the song “Same Love”, he is taking a step forward in shaping the consciousness of young people today.

 

(Retrieved from Youtube)

Although Frank Ocean is not viewed as a rapper, he is a representative of hip-hop culture. His bravery in revealing his sexual identity as bi-sexual is truly respected, especially living in a homophobic society. These contemporary artists are impacting the rap scene by incorporating social issues in their music. I believe that this is a step toward youth consciousness and promoting social issues that affect our whole nation. In conclusion, hip-hop itself is not entirely negative. Certain facets of hip-hop music promote negative messages to young people by glorifying material goods, money, and misogyny in their musical contexts. However, mainstream hip-hop is not representative of hip-hop and its entirety. There is a shift in consciousness beginning to arise in the artist I mentioned above. If more rap artists like Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore and Frank Ocean for example, received more radio air time, then perhaps we can balance out the levels of positive rap and negative rap. Overall, hip-hop culture is one that is comprised with authentic, creative roots first started from a state of oppression. Whether you want to two-step to the beat of a rap song or bob your head to intricate lyrics, hip-hop has contributed to the world a sense of identity and culture that will forever be respected.

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

Iwamoto, Derek. “Tupac Shakur: Understanding the Identity Formation of Hyper-Masculinity of a Popular Hip-Hop Artist.” The Black Scholar 33.2 (2003): 44-9. ProQuest. 14 May 2013 .

Adams, Terri M., and Douglas B. Fuller. “The Words have Changed but the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music.” Journal of Black Studies 36.6 (2006): 938-57. ProQuest. Web. 13 May 2013.

Stephens, Dionne P., and Layli D. Phillips. “Freaks, Gold Diggers, Divas, and Dykes: The Sociohistorical Development of Adolescent African American Women’s Sexual Scripts.” Sexuality & Culture 7.1 (2003): 3-49. ProQuest. Web. 13 May 2013.

Clay, Andreana. “Keepin’ it Real: Black Youth, Hip-Hop Culture, and Black Identity.” The American Behavioral Scientist 46.10 (2003): 1346-58. ProQuest. Web. 13 May 2013.

Mahiri, Jabari, and Erin Conner. “Black Youth Violence has a Bad Rap.” Journal of Social Issues 59.1 (2003): 121-40. ProQuest. Web. 10 May 2013.

Suddreth, Courtney B. “Hip-Hop Dress and Identity: A Qualitative Study of Music, Materialism, and Meaning.” ProQuest. Web. 10 May 2013.

 

 

 

 

Corporate Exploitation of Hip Hop

Lewis Weaver

Pas 368

Exploitation of Hip Hop

The corporation takeover of Hip Hop began in the early to mid 1990s. This corporation takeover imposed themes of misogyny, materialism and violence. What was once a genre whose lyrics mostly consisted of day to day life in their neighborhood, upbeat music, was now infused with messages of materialism. Hip Hop music was created by youth of color in the Bronx, New York in the 1970s. This same genre is currently being exploited and pimped by mostly large white owned corporations. This is ironic due to the fact that the origins of Hip Hop are rooted in the black and latino community. Hip Hop is currently being used by large corporations to be exploited for profits, reinforce capitalistic ideals as well as a tool to adversely effect Black and Latino Youth. Once corporations began to see the earning potential of rap music, the exploitation began. In Chapter 7 of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Hip Hop, Chang discusses began discussing the corporate takeover of Hip Hop.With the success of ‘Rappers Delight’ by Sugar Hill Gang selling millions of records, this surprised a lot of corporations. They had not realized Hip Hop music could generate such revenues.anding on radio charts, both artists and label executives began to see the financial potential in hip hop because it was a untapped market and somewhat new. Since Hip Hop was now seen as a potential gold mine, the question was how could these corporations use Hip Hop to promote and sell their products? The answer was to use Hip Hop stars who have an impact on their community as the middle man or mediator to market their products. I feel as though this was a clever trick by these corporations parts because they let the artists do all the “dirty” work of marketing and promoting their products, while they reap the benefits effortlessly. According to a scholarly article by Stephen armstrong, Justin Ames, Hypnotiq’s senior marketing manager states. “In media terms, the influencers in the urban market aren’t looking at TV commercials, or consuming any conventional media. They watch videos and read magazines, so you could put a fortune behind your media spend and never reach them.” You can infer from this quote how corporations reap the benefits of this artist exploitation without little to no effort other than their initial investment. The returns on that investment outweigh any possible negativities, corporations are not concerned about the negative social costs this product placement has, only profits. This product placement in the culture has a lot of adverse negative impact on not just the Hip Hop culture but particularly African Americans. Jay-Z, a prominent figure in the Hip Hop community is endorsed by major corporations, one corporation that he is endorsed by whose products have a negative effect on the community is Budweiser. According to adage.com, Budweiser partnered with Jay-Z by launching a yearly music festival called “Budweiser Made in America”. While many might think this is not a big deal and it is a positive thing that he is hosting a music festival, you have to look at the influence and impact someone like Jay-Z has on the community.

A lot of people including youth are easily influenced and swayed by what they see their favorite artists wearing.According to a study from JAMA pediatrics, There is convincing evidence that exposure to certain media messages increases substance use in adolescents (http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com). As you can see, artists have a profound impact and influence on many peoples lives, but most importantly the youth. For example, In the movie we viewed in class, Rhyme Pays: Hip-Hop and the Marketing of Cool, it talks about product placement in hip-hop culture. Ace a black male spent over $400-$500 each month on new clothes and shoes. Mainly due to the fact that it was considered cool and his favorite artists wear them. Corporations realize this influence artists have, and use them as “guinea pigs” to promote their products and make millions in revenue. Jay-Z being endorsed by Budweiser was a tactic to promote and build a new consumer base for profits. These corporations do not care about the underlying effects of their messages. Alcoholism is a problem in the African American community. Someone who is influential in the black community like Jay-Z, is not helping this problem by endorsing a beer company. According to statistical studies by JAMA pediatrics, There is convincing evidence that exposure to certain media messages increases substance use in adolescents, Alcohol use in movies and promotions is also linked to actual alcohol use (archpedi.com). Rappers like Jay-Z and 50 cent are immune to the realities many black Americans face, maybe that is why they cannot see the effects and influence they have on their community. Some of these artists are not aware of the social costs they are implementing by promoting these products, they only see the fame and money that is associated with it. These artists have a social responsibility to an extent, especially considering that their fame and fortune are dependent on society and individuals in aggregate. They also have to be aware of their influence, considering millions of individuals were influenced enough to listen to their music, attend their shows and buy their albums.

According to smallbusiness.chron.com, There are a number of advantages to using celebrities in advertising, whether you are running print, Internet, radio or television commercials. The main way is by influencing consumer purchases, the affinity consumers have for certain celebrities can greatly influence their purchases. Just as I mentioned earlier with Ace buying G-Unit Reebok sneakers (who endorsed 50 cent at that time) that is an example of a consumer with an affinity for a celebrity buying the product that they endorse or promote. You can see how and why companies use these artists as exploitation tools to promote their products, they will not only attract a new consumer base but they will also increase sales of their products. Adding an artist as the face of a corporations product adds instant credibility to the mind of consumers.Companies like Adidas backed by Run-DMC and Nike backed by Spike-lee and Michael Jordan, turned into hip hop branding.

The revenues and success of these companies increased plentiful, companies were now seeing the gold mine hip hop had become, so they began continuously exploiting the culture in many ways by pushing their products onto the culture. Materialism was never an aspect of traditional hip hop roots, it started to become one. Chang states “it was clear that hip-hop was not only selling $400 million dollars worth of records,but hundreds of millions of dollars worth of other products, shoes, jeans, liquor etc” (Chang 419). There was simply to much money to be made from these figures. Although Jordan was not a Hip Hop artist, he is apart of the Hip Hop community considering how iconic his shoes are and how they are portrayed and expressed in the community. According to celebritynetworth.com, Within the first year Air Jordan produced $100 million in revenues.Today, 58% of all basketball shoe sales are Air Jordans and brand produces over $2.5 billion in annual sales for Nike. This seems like a good enough incentive to have a public figure endorse your product. Look at all the benefits Nike reaped off the Jordan deal, the amount of money they initially agreed to pay Jordan which was 500,000 per year for five years was nothing in comparison to the life long revenues the company obtained. This is an example of corporations using Hip Hop figures or cultural aspects to promote and achieve economic gains.

However, on the flip side there is an incentive for an artist to promote these corporations products, it is not like they were forced to do it. They are also partially responsible for this product placement, yet I realize that these artists do need to make money and sustain a living. According to an article from(nytimes.com) For artists, deals with brands can be more lucrative than traditional record contracts. Performers usually get an advance or fee in addition to a royalty rate higher than that given by record labels, which is usually $1 to $2 per sale. If the artist is signed to a label, he usually has to share the money he makes. In most cases, control of the recording copyright reverts to the artist or label after a set period of time. Here you can see why these artists end up succumbing to the corporate capitalistic ideals, artist have to survive and with the wave of illegal downloading nobody is really buying albums anymore. Artists now have to find outside sources other than traditional record sales to make money. These outside sources could be signing lucrative endorsements like I mentioned above or simply scheduling more tours and performances in which the artist makes most the money. According to The Guardian, Seagrams Gin was name checked in five tracks, including Petey Pablo’s Freek-a-Leek, the number two hip-hop track of 2005 which garnered over 350,000 plays on US radio. It included the lyric “Now I got to give a shout out to Seagrams Gin, cause I’m drinkin’ it and they payin’ me for it.” This is a prime example of corporation product placement and artist seeking outside sources to make money At least 350,000 people heard that lyric and it may have influenced enough people to buy some Gin. That is exactly what these corporations want, low cost with a high return. The low cost would be the cost to pay the artist to feature their product, which is most likely very small in comparison to the amount of revenue and capital that corporation will acquire because of the song. I see it as a sense of the Corporations paying the artists to work for them, by work I mean advertise, market and promote their product. Corporations are taking advantage of the Hip Hop community by having artists draw attention to their products that are featured in songs and videos. These corporations do not care about the social costs of promoting alcohol in our airwaves, only profit. Artists may not care about these social costs or realize it because their living conditions are not relatable with the average black male. Artists are not the only ones who have tapped into alternatives to acquiring revenue, record labels do as well. It costs a lot of money to put a record out these days. Mervyn Lin, vice-president of marketing at Sony BMG UK, Lemar’s record label states, “When Sony and BMG merged in February, we set up a Futures division to explore ways for working with partners on shouldering those costs. Brands like the idea. We’re looking at working with, say, mobile phone companies like 3 to help with the costs of videos or recording sessions in exchange for exclusive tracks or alternate endings(guardian).” As you can see, corporations are basically paying for their presence in music and videos because they realize the influence and potential profit earnings of Hip Hop. An excerpt from Steve Gordon from an article in guardian.uk emphasizes this paid brand placement. Gordon states, “We’ve gone as far as to produce a track for a mobile phone company which includes brand mentions. They came to us with an idea for a tune and we took it and made it more underground with the right artist. Brands also work with community radio stations – or pirates – where they pay for mentions. Basically, if you’re listening to a pirate and the DJ mentions a brand by name, chances are they’ve been paid to do so.” Is this forced intrusion on the culture? And is this really what the culture needs and wants? Hip Hop culture and corporate America have basically become business partners. This partnership is in the form of paid product placement. This paid product placement is used to influence music listeners by the forced entry or obtrusion of the product in a song or video.

Example of  someone whose apart of the hip hop culture that has paid product placement (i;e drake and sprite)

In January 2003 American Brandstand was launched as a research project, which tracks all the mentions of brands in the Billboard Top 20 singles chart. It was designed by Agenda Inc. to demonstrate that pop culture relevance is a key dynamic in modern brand strategy. The Brandstand chart represents a barometer of the role of brands in pop culture (www.brandchannel.com). The study found that Cadillac was the most mentioned brand for the year 2004, followed by other brands such as Hennessy (#2), Nike (#11), and Juicy Fruit (#48). Who do you think were the top brand-dropping artists of this time period? Hip Hop artists of course, Kanye West was number one with Twista and Jay-z shortly behind. The top category for brand placement were fashion brands. Product placement has become a staple within the culture.

These corporations masquerading as pimps are a major driving force for the intersectionality problem that exists in the Hip Hop community.

There is no wonder why homophobia, classism, commodification, sexism and violence persist in the community, this is what sells and gets the attention from corporations. A current example that is being pushed by corporations such as interscope, is Chief Keef, his lyrics display misogyny and violence. One of his most recent lyrics from an unreleased track called “you” in which he posted on his twitter included “See you aint gonna let me fuck and I feel you, but you gon suck my dick before I kill you”

link to the song

There were no consequences from inter scope or any of his endorses for these lyrics. When artists are paid to prey on and negate Black women this makes it seem as if it is okay to treat women in this way. There is a huge problem of intersectionality within the Hip Hop culture, I blame this mainly on the corporations because they are the driving force whether it is financially or at an exposure level, for these artists. By continuing to promote artists that talk about homophobia, violence and sexism it makes it seem as if it is okay to do that. Like I have mentioned throughout this essay, many individuals are easily influenced by media and music, especially adolescents. These type of messages that these artists depict are a cancer to our community. Lil Reese, one of Chief Keefs crew members and also a label mate of Def Jam was caught on video beating and jumping a girl. However, Russell Simmons took acknowledgement of this event lightly, he had a social responsibility in my opinion to do something about this, he treated the situation fairly lightly. According to ebony.com, Simmons used terms such as “we must do better” and reese has to “show compassion”. Obviously it did not seem as if Simmons drew the line on this incident because he never spoke on it again and Lil reese is still on Def Jam. I feel as though he is concerned about how many records reese can sell as well as profits. By not taking any punitive action, Simmons is portraying to the community that you can hit a girl, treat her wrong and it will be fine, nothing will happen. These incidents are an example of what Hip Hop music is identifying as “masculinity” these days. These misogynic messages in a lot of Hip Hop music gives a sense that masculinity is equated with objectifying, sexualizing, dehumanizing women. That is what it takes to become masculine or a man, this is entirely wrong and these messages are effecting our community every day. Individuals like Rick Ross thinks it is okay to put a drug in another woman’s drink, rapping and finessing on the mic like that is cool.

This misogyny is not what Hip Hop was founded and based on. In fact, the earliest Hip Hop pioneers went against these exact teachings. The authors from Hip-Hop & the Global Imprint of a Black Cultural Form state “Bambaataa and other hip hop pioneers adhered to belief systems that upheld basic human equality and that explicitly denounced constructions of race and racist activities to separate and hierarchically situate human beings” (Morgan, Bennett). If corporations continue to promote and support artists that promote intersectionality the problem will continue to cease to exist. What you hear on the radio and what is on your television is mostly depicted of intersectionality. Some artist tend to brag about there sexual escapades, as well as talk down on those of a lower socio-economic standing as if they never started at that point either. These negative attributes are unfortunate things that sell and gain profits for these corporations.

The battle between Hip Hop Culture vs. Commerce continues till this day, some people may say it is a losing battle but I feel as though Hip Hop will never lose its traditional roots, it may be suppressed but it will never become eliminated. The tension between commerce and the culture began once record labels and corporations began exploiting the culture through advertisements and marketing because of the amount of money that was available. Some individuals may say marketing has always been apart of hip-hop, business and in all fields. While I agree marketing is apart of all businesses, I feel as though hip hop has been exploited the most, in no other sector have I seen such a corporation influx that controls almost every aspect of the industry or culture. Corporations strategically used popular black figures to promote their products knowing the influence and profits they will incur. Like most things in America, the culture was exploited for the value of a dollar. Urban kids were more likely to buy Jordan’s and Adidas seeing their favorite athlete or rapper wear them. Corporations would exploit these artists as marketing tools for their products. They would do this in many ways, they could pay the artist to wear their items, pay the record label to show it in a video or song or even endorse them, like Jay-Z and 50 cent. With the establishment of this mainstream commerce and advertising in the culture, there has been a focus on sexuality, class and materialism rather than unification, positivism. Intersectionality still exists in our culture, if we cannot change the power and influence these corporations have by supporting artists who depict homophobia, sexism, classism I am afraid many people will fall trap to these messages. These attributes may be associated with being “cool” or “masculine” because people see their favorite artists doing it, and like I mentioned earlier, people are easily influenced through media messages. It is up to us as a culture to take back our foundation and not have this cancerous plague surrounding our culture. Hip Hop is not about dehumanizing, objectifying and showing off your material possessions. However, for the average person who only hears whats on the radio or what is on television, they are receiving a narrow minded view on what the culture is actually about.

Work cited

Abrams, Sil. “Lil Reese and Big Russ= Major Problems.” ebony.com. Ebony, 01 Nov 2012.Web.15May 2013. <http://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/lil-reese-and-big-russ-major-problems-129

Armstrong, S. (2005, Jul 11). Media: ‘I’m drinkin’ it – they payin’ me for it’: From burgers to booze, trainers to games consoles, hip-hop is the home of product placement, reports stephen armstrong. The Guardian. Retrieved f rom http://search.proquest.com/docview/244146643?accountid=7285

Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005. Print.

Joseph, Clifton, dir. Rhyme Pays: Hip-Hop and the Marketing of Cool. 2004. Film. 3 Apr 2013.

Levine, Robert. “It’s American Brandstand: Marketers Underwrite Performers.” nytimes.com. nytimes , 07 Jul 2008. Web. 15 May 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/business/media/07music.html?pagewanted=all&gt;.

Morgan, Marcyliena, and Dione Bennett. “Hip-Hop & the Global Imprint of a Black Cultural Form.” n. page. Print.

Primack BA, Dalton MA, Carroll MV, Agarwal AA, Fine MJ. Content Analysis of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drugs in Popular Music. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(2):169-175. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2007.27.http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=379041p

Schultz, E.J. “Jay-Z Cedes Stage to Beyonce for Budweiser Made in America.”  http://www.adage.com. adage.com, 10 Apr 2013. Web. 15 May 2013. <http://adage.com/article/news/jay-z-cedes-stage- beyonce-budweiser-made-america/240804/>.

Suttle, rick. “What Are Five Advantages to Using Celebrities in Advertising?.” chron. N.p.. Web. 15 May 2013. <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-advantages-using-celebrities-advertising- 34394.html>.

Stanley, T. L. (2004). Cool consumption good fit for hip-hop. Advertising Age, 75(28), 16-16. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/208341632?accountid=7285

“American Brandstand 2004.” http://www.brandchannel.com. American Brandstand. Web. 15 May 2013.

“Michael Jordan Net Worth.” celebritynetworth. N.p.. Web. 15 May 2013. <http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nba/michael-jordan-net-worth/>.

Hip-hop and Misogyny

Misogyny and Hip-hop

By:Brittany Carter

The perception of women in hip-hop through out the years has changed dramatically. It has turned from a way of expressing the thoughts of strong-minded women to now the degradation of women in hip-hop lyrics and videos.  Hip-hop has always been known as the “Boys club”, but in the beginning women were respected in the community.  Their dance styles, their beats and lyrics were valued.  Women in videos were respected and rappers didn’t refer to women as “bitches” and “hoes”. As the years went by in hip-hop, The audience slowly became bombarded with the sexual depictions of women. Hip-hop was already a culture that was resisting oppression against social norms, and it started off as a great stepping-stone for women who wanted to get their voice heard, without having to show their bodies. As time went by, somehow, expressing yourself became misinterpreted. A drift from strong content to sex sells happened, which still remains today. The standard of talent defeating image has been diminished. Negative connotations of women through hip-hop have remained. In today’s society women are being exploited in the in the hip-hop community.  The media have plagued African-American women as not being equal to their male counterparts. It is present in the lyrics, videos and everything that has to do with hip-hop.  The misogyny in the hip-hop community will not be changing anytime soon.  Misogyny is the mainstream way of keeping women, and in the case of hip-hip in particularly African-American women, oppressed.

In todays media African-American women are portrayed has being hypersexual. “Black women have explored every facet of the twin myths of hyper sexuality and easy accessibility that emerged in the new world as part and parcel of black women’s initiation into what it meant to chattel” ( Sharpley-Whiting). This is especially portrayed in Hip-hop. Misogyny is not only in hip-hop but, it also expresses mainstream American ideas. These ideas have been  internalized and embedded into the minds of the American people over time. A part of the learned mainstream American culture is sexism and misogyny. Hip-hop culture is frequently judged for its misogynistic exploitation of women, but this misogyny has its roots in the culture in which we live. Hip-hop can be explored and used as a valuable tool in examining gender relations. It brings to surface the issues that many young people face such as discrimination, peer relations, and self-worth.  For young people that do not hold sexist ideals, mainstream hip-hop may influence them to do so as it spreads and continuously gains popularity. Others are directly and indirectly supporting an environment that allows sexism to continue.

Misogyny in hip hop culture refers to lyrics, videos or other aspects of hip hop culture that support, glorify, justify, or normalize the objectification,  exploitation, or victimization of women (Adams, Fuller).  It can range from allusions to stereotypical characterizations and defamation.  There are many reasons why hip-hop is such a misogynist culture. Adams and Fuller say

“Hip-hop is a cultural form that attempts to negotiate the experiences of marginalization, brutality, truncated opportunity, and oppression within the cultural imperatives of African American and Caribbean history, identity and community.”

I feel that the degrading lyrics and images that male rap artists portray are ways of showing their masculinity and their hope of adding validity to the life they are so desperately trying to. I also feel that hip-hop is a mere reflection of what the true  mainstream attitude are towards women.  They are reacting to internalize negative stereotypes of women (Cheney). The major factor behind the misogyny in  hip-hop culture is that rappers use this method in order to obtain success.   They feel in order to succeed they must comply with the mainstream’s attitude, even though they may not agree with it. I also feel that women themselves also play a role in the misogyny of women in hip-hop.  When discussing how misogyny in hip-hop culture we tend to forget how these images portrayed in music affects the average African- American women. I think that these images bring down African-American women’s self-worth of themselves and also through mainstream attitudes.

Hip-hop culture was started by African American youths in New York City.  In the beginning hip-hop incorporated rapping, deejaying, break-dancing, and graffiti-writing, but it has evolved to be much more than that. It is now a lifestyle for many young people mostly between the ages of 13 and 30. The most powerful and influential part of the hip-hop culture is rapping and rap music. “It has taken on increasing salience in recent years as it has been taken up and reproduced through the mass communications, fashion, and cultural entertainment industries. Sexism, homophobia and violence are among the popular trait commonly associated with hip-hop.”(Munoz-Laboy). Rap music has developed a reputation of being brutally honest, violent, and misogynistic.  Much of the music and many videos specifically spread, endorse, and continue negative images of black women. Even though there are many races represented in the hip-hop culture, African-American women in particular are seen in popular hip-hop culture as sex objects.

In most of the hip-hop videos, rap artists are surrounded by women, dancing suggestively and wearing close to nothing clothing. The videos usually involve the rapper throwing money around, drinking alcohol and popping champagne.  There are also driving fancy, expensive cars also. While all of this is going on the camera is mainly focused on the rapper and the female by his side.  The lyrics convey the messages that the images are showing.  Lyrics of most rap songs contain name-calling to suggest that women are worthless objects. Women are described as being only good for sexual relations by rappers who describe their life as being that of a pimp. In many popular rap songs men glorify the life of pimps and refer to women as their hoes. This pimp and hoe relationship is present in the 50 Cent song “P.I.M.P”.  The chorus of the songs says, “I don’t know what you heard about me, but a bitch can’t get a dollar out of me, No Cadillac, no perms you can’t see, that I’m a motherfucking P-I-M-P.”  The rapper proclaimed himself as a pimp, but not in the normal sense of a pimp that drives a Cadillac or has a perm but in the sense that he has control over women and that they will do anything sexually he wants. The song’s music video put images to the lyrics. The video shows a member of the group “walking” two women on leashes. In August, during the MTV Music Video Awards, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg performed “P.I.M.P” before a live audience. Girls on leashes were once again featured and the rappers were joined on stage by Bishop Don Magic Juan, a real life former pimp. These images show that to the rappers women are beneath them and are treated like animals. While images of women being put on leashes is an extreme case of how women are being degraded, most of the rap artist’s songs and videos degrade women in some way or fashion.

Rap artist are notorious for calling women hoes and bitches. In the song Aint no Fun (If the Homies Can’t get none) rapper Kurupt says, “I know the pussy’s mines, Im’a fuck a couple more times. And then I’m through with it, there’s nothing else to do with it. Pass it to the homie, now you hit it. Cause she ain’t nuthin but a bitch to me. And y’all know, that bitches ain’t shit to me. I gives a fuck, why don’t y’all pay attention. Approach it with a different proposition, I’m Kurupt. Hoe you’ll never be my only one, trick ass beeyatch!”. Lyrics like these are a reflection of how women are viewed by rap artist.  They are just sex objects to them.  Once they obtain what they wanted then they toss them and pass them to someone one else. The rapper YG also replays this message with his lyrics, “Bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks”. Rappers convey these messages and images through videos and songs, and the main audiences that are witnessing these things are the youth.

In rap culture, women are treated as a sign of success.  They are treated like they are accessories and they are way to show status of a rapper, to prove that they have made it are.

“It is not that rappers feel that women are inferior, but they feel treating women like a collector’s item is how they should go about displaying their new-found success. Artists always try to have the hottest girls in their videos which makes other people, predominantly young men, think “Wow! They are definitely living the good life!” (Albert).

The purpose of this smokescreen is to simply make money, but rappers do not realize the extent to which their music is affecting the younger generations. When children watch television and see that the person that they idolize is throwing money in the air, with several cars and multiple women, that image is stowed into their minds and they think that that is the definition of success. “They begin to nurture the idea that in order to achieve success, you have to have a beautiful woman by your side” (Albert). For example, in a song entitled “Successful”, artist Trey Songz says “The money, cars, clothes, the hoes…I suppose…I just want to be successful.” The chorus of this song is a perfect example of the mentality that artists relay to their listeners. The message is replayed nonstop to the audience that it is directed towards hears the same message repeatedly, and soon the youth will start to repeat this behavior.

Most African American women seem to be outraged at the way the way that they are being portrayed in the media, particularly in the hip-hop community. Hip-hop is a culture mainly of African-American artists, so it stands to reason that a lot of the women featured in the videos are African-American. The average African-American woman is affected by hip-hop culture the most because there is a direct correlation. “When people see African-American women dancing and strutting in the videos, a lot of people form a general idea about them and believe that all African-American women behave in that manner.”  (Albert). When young African-American girls see the way these women in videos act, they become negatively influenced.

Television also has been a mean of using hip-hop to exploit women. For example, shows like Flavor of Love are a product of what the media has generated from the rap influence. The show is extremely disrespectful towards women.  The show is based off of multiple women fighting for the attention of one famous man.  On the show the women are willing to do anything to win dates and get one on one time with the artists.  The show shows the women behaving in distasteful matter and they are a mirror to what society already believes that African-American women at. It’s almost as if society thinks it is okay to treat women in this manner, since it is justified in many songs and other forms of media. Hip-hop has almost made it okay for people to talk about women with such disgraceful terms.

Along with affecting the behaviors of youth, hip-hop also effects the way the youth perceives themselves as being attractive or their self-worth.  According to the article by Ayanna, “Many women defined their own worth on what they can do for and get from a man. Some women were willing to take risks with their bodies, minds and hearts hoping to raise their socio-economic status and gain security for their children’s future, and they have learned to use their sexuality to do this.”.  Also the in a vibe article by Kathy Dobie, she asked multiple women their self-worth was low and why they thought that by have sex with a rapper would make them feel more confident.  The first women’s reason, “I’ve got nothing to offer…No education, no good job, no nothing. So why would a man want me, other than sex? I felt I had to give, so I used myself.” (Dobie). She also found that a lot of women but the blame on themselves. They assumed and accepted that men would oppress and disrespect them. As another one of the women described, “If you had the right kind of man that wasn’t controlling, and you were like a team, it’d be cool…But there’s no man out there like that.” (Dobie). The women in the article have demonstrated the images that hip-hop shows on a daily basis.  They showed that, “Men thought that women were only worth giving them sexual favors, and women thought men are only worth giving them money.” (Aynana).

Hip-hop has a standard when it comes to beauty.  The Lil Wanye Lyric, “I like a long hair, thick, red bone,” is the main standard of beauty that is being portrayed in hip-hop. The standard is that you must have long straight hair. You must be thick in all the right places.  That means having full press and a round booty, but also have a small waist. Lastly you must be light skinned or exotic looking.  This is the beauty standard of hip-hop and these are the images being shown to the youth on hoe beauty should look like. It is like if you don’t have all three of these characteristics then you are not considered beautiful.  “Skin tone as beauty Colorism, or discrimination based on skin tone within a racial group, is one of many legacies from American slavery” (Lake). African American children learn about the significance of skin tone when and if they see people treated better or worse based upon having lighter or darker skin (Celious & Oyserman,). There are standards that are imposed upon the African-American community.  One is that if you are light-skinned you are automatically prettier.  It is also a stereotype that every African-American woman has a big butt and big hips. Lastly it is thought that if you have long straight or curly hair then you have “Good Hair”. There are young girl growing up that that only have some or none these characteristics and they consider themselves to be less attractive or not beautiful at all.  In the book Pimps Up Hoes Down, Sela and 18 year old undergraduate said, “Watching the videos, you see the long curly hair and think ‘Man that would be nice to have some long, curly hair”. So when a young girl has neither she perceives herself as being less attractive and not beautiful.   These images of the standard of beauty are plastered all over the hip-hop community.  Rarely do you find a darker skin girl in the lead role of a hip-hop video.  You rarely see women rocking their natural hair or having natural body parts.  In hip-hop women are a sign of success, so young boys they must find a girl that looks like the video model to obtain success, and for young girls they must look like them to be considered beautiful.

With every generation music has had its hand in dictating certain attitudes and cultural styles during that era of time. Through its lyrics a song almost commands people on how they should speak, act and in some instances even how they are suppose to dress. Music has a way of connecting with people in a way that the listener seems to feel as if the words were written solely for them. Hip-hop is one genre that seems to be the center of conversation whenever there is a debate regarding music. Hip-hop has changed the way people think since the 80s. Not all people think of hip-hop in a positive way. Do to the lucrative sells of hip-hip music commerce verses culture has taken over the hip-hop genre. These days the explicit lyrics and the semi nudity in the videos are used to attract more people to the artist and music. Hip-hop has convinced a large portion of society that this is how women should be treated. These images that are portrayed in the media has portrayed a detrimental influences on young women in some instances. The way young women are portrayed buys into the old concept that “Sex sells”. The time is long over due for more positive measures to be taken in the hip-hop community in our fight to ensure that women are shown in a brighter light then that of the misogynistic way they are projected now.

References

Adams. Terri M and Douglas Fuller. “The Words Have Changed But the Ideology Remains the Same: Misogynistic Lyrics in Rap Music” Journal of Black Studies , Vol. 36, No. 6 (Jul., 2006), pp. 938-957

Albert, Brandon. “Hip-Hop: The False Advertisement of Woman” Commonplace, Winter 2009. Web. 13 May 2013.

Ayanna. “The Exploitation of Women in Hip-hop Culture” My Sistahs, n.d. Web. 13 May 2013.

Celious, A., & Oyserman, D. (2001). Race from the inside: An emerging heterogeneous race model. Journal of Social Issues, 57, 149–165.

Cheney, Charlise L.“Brothers Gonna Work It Out: Sexual Politics in the Golden Age of Rap Nationalism.” New York: New York University Press. 2005

Dobie, Kathy. “Love’s Labor Lost.” Vibe. Sept. 2001. 196.

Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel, Hannah Weinstein and Richard Parker “The Hip-Hop Club Scene: Gender, Grinding and Sex” Culture, Health & Sexuality , Vol. 9, No. 6 (Nov. – Dec., 2007), pp. 615-628

Lake, O. (2003). Blue veins and kinky hair: Naming and color consciousness in African America. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Sharpley-Whiting, T. Denean. Pimps Up, Ho’s Down: Hip Hop’s Hold on Young Black Women. New York: New York UP, 2007. Print.

 

 

Hip Hop Concert Review-Lewis

Hip Hop Concert review

On Saturday March 30^th 2013, I was fortunate enough to attend my first Hip Hop festival ever as well as my first Hip hop concert in California. This year I attended paid dues independent hip hop festival which lasted from 12:00pm through 11:45pm. The event was located at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino. One of the main reasons I attended this event was due to its lineup, there were so many artists I planned on seeing that were at this event so it was convenient for me to see multiple artists I liked at one venue. The festival featured over 50 artists with acts from Black Hippy, De La Soul, Tech N9ne, Immortal Technique, Talib Kweli, Juicy J, Nipsey Hussle, Mobb Deep, Dom Kennedy. These were just a few of the most popular artists that were at the venue. Surprisingly I would have to say my favorite performance with the most energy and liveness was Joey badass. This kid is a new emcee from Brooklyn, New York that has taken the hip hop blogs by a storm. If you ever get the chance I suggest you listen to his crew pro era and their mix-tape they dropped this year. Despite what many people say, I am not a big fan of Kendrick Lamar and Black Hippy and for how crowded and hyped the anticipation of their closing performance was as the main acts, I was not impressed by the performance. They lacked a lot of energy and often I could hear Ab-soul and Jay rock losing breath on the mic. However, this music concert review was not a critique on artists performance but however an analysis on the bigger picture of this Hip hop festival and its significance. Paid dues Hip hop festival, personified the Hip hop culture in my opinion. There were people from all kinds of backgrounds, races, lives that were unrelated to each other. However, we all shared a common interest and that is hip hop music and its culture. Going to concerts like these and seeing the crowds shows you how much of a international and globalized melting pot Hip hop has become. Hip hop does not discriminate based on your background, gender, class or race. Going to these concerts it is evident and you can see this.

In addition to that, by me going to this festival it proves to myself and others that there is a conscience better representation of hip hop outside of the air waves. I feel as though if more individuals would go to concerts like this, they will see that there is hip hop and rap music that talks about subjects outside of gender oppression, sexuality, income etc. Unfortunately, many people are not open minded enough to give things a new chance and would rather stick in their box. I guarantee Joey badass, Talib Kweli, and Immortal technique gained many new fans after the festival, in addition to that I bet that they also provided insight to a lot of casual Hip hop fans that normally only listen to whats on the radio. These concerts gives the casual fan or non listener the ability to see a spectrum of something that has not been shown before them. Overall Paid Dues independent Hip Hop festival was a great way for me to stay in touch with a culture that I feel I am apart of (Hip hop Culture). There were Dj’s and even B-boys at the event that personified the early roots of the culture just like in our book we read this semester by Chang. Concerts like this symbolize that positive attributes of Hip hop culture and provides a lane for new listeners to see something outside of the radio.

Colors trailer

They call me O.D

Ousmane Diallo

PAS 368

Professor Ratcliff

 

They Call Me “O.D”

 

                          I was born in 1988. I grew up in the 90’s and Hip Hop culture has played a definitive role in my life. Much of what I know about Hip Hop is credited to my older brother Steven who jammed the sound system every day in his room growing up. If my brother Steven wasn’t in his room he would be in his car blasting two 15-inch speakers with loud bass competing with other cars on the block back, in the mid/late 1990’s. I looked up to my older brother growing up and his life was centered on the Hip Hop scene. Steven was a graffiti artist, break dancer, and listened to all kinds of hip-hop artists such as Wu Tang Clan, Westside Connection, Snoop Dogg, and NWA. Also, down South rappers like Master P and Three Six Mafia. When my brother Steven wasn’t listening to music he was piecing or bombing which meant drawing graffiti like art. He was truly one of the best graffiti artists and held a reputation of having mad skills, bombing his name “Pokis 2.” Then when Steven wasn’t piecing he was break dancing and popping with these dance crews that would battle at events held by promoters of rock steady b boys. My brother Steven gave my brother Omar and I tagging (graffiti) names growing up, my name was “O.D”.  He introduced me to music videos, bought my first Adidas outfit with matching sneakers and taught me how to move on the dance floor. Whatever my brother thought was cool was all the validation I needed. I gained respect in school amongst my peers because of the insight my brother Steven had exposed me to.

Although my brother Steven is significant to my awareness of Hip Hop culture, it was what I saw on television and heard on the radio that positioned myself to follow my own beat and have my own sense of style.  Everything I watched on television or found appealing was in some way intertwined with Hip Hop.  One of the most influential parts of Hip Hop that I consider laid the foundation for myself would have to begin with the television show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” Will Smith was “The Man” with the backwards cap, inside out jacket, and all the beautiful ladies. Will Smith’s character conditioned me to have an infatuation with Michael Jordan sneakers and hip hop culture. Michael Jordan is a symbolic individual when I refer to hip hop culture because much of what is seen in Hip Hop today, is perpetuated trends that were started by Michael Jordan attire with Nike. Spike Lee is an iconic symbol that represents hip-hop culture because if his commercials with Michael Jordan and independent films that reflect the lives of inner city communities.

                               Hollywood films add to my definition of what I know as Hip Hop culture. Films such as Colors, New Jack City, Menace to Society and Friday have influenced my interpretation of hip-hop culture. These films depict oppression, drugs, sex and murder and sometimes glorify these situations or actions. Hip Hop films contained the elements of Hip Hop culture especially the 1988 film “Colors”. Its difficult to define Hip Hop because the Hip Hop culture I was mainly exposed to was the rebellious age of rap and gangsters of the late 80s and 90s that revolved around violence. My generation had missed Run DMC, EPMD and Public Enemy and what they stood for and rhymed about. Although I’m cognizant these groups were landmarks in hip-hop, my attention was focused on the present contemporary music. I respected Hip Hop artists because each group had their own unique approach whether it is negative or positive. While Tupac was stating lines about unity and fighting the system, Bone Thugs in Harmony were singing about being positive and using non-violent ways to stay positive. However both Tupac and Bone Thugs also added negative lyrical content that advocated violence and misogyny.     

                          1990’s and Hip Hop music has created both positive and negative effects throughout my adolescence. During middle school and up to high school I was unaware of my dislikes toward homosexuals and misogynistic views towards women. There were times I had fistfights over pride or territory and even for small comments that made one appear weak. I found myself pre-judging people, using derogatory terms that offended both men and women, and physically causing harm to individuals that were like me, living a life through Hip Hop music. However, this was occurring because what I had been subliminally registering in my mind as a kid was creating boundaries between people. I had to learn from experience and mature with age to understand I was being mislead and confused.

                         Hip Hop culture is a movement I’ve been proud to be a part of since I first heard the bass and drum kick on the turntable. Hip Hop contested the stereotypes of many African Americans and Latino Americans. Just as Bruce Lee contested the stereotypes of Asian Americans being weak and small, Hip Hop particularly opened the door for African American males to have a sense of identity that wasn’t owned by a form of European hegemony. Instead it was an image that came out of being oppressed by a nation and having to assimilate into a nation’s socioeconomic system. Hip Hop provided an image where the DJ and MC could be themselves, wear what they choose, and act as they wanted when compared to western values of music of being structured, professional, and having a common sound. I grew up during an age where conscious rap was being used aggressively and aimed towards making a social change when years previously it was used moderately but just as informative. Tupac Shakur’s life as a Hip Hop innovator set the stage for West Coast rappers and shot back at the elite just as rock and roll did against “The Man.” The significance of hip Hop culture I appreciate the most is being able to have your own style and use it to help you find your identity and gain self-esteem. Most of all you should be proud of who you are and the struggles one has gone to, to achieve success in a capitalist nation.

            

Fresh Prince Of Bel Air

Relationship with Hip Hop- Lewis

Relationship with Hip Hop- Lewis Weaver

Posted on 

by itzarap

For my entire life I have listened to and grew up on hip hop music. So it has made a profound  impact on my life and daily experiences. My family is located in the Midwest, East Coast and South , so that was mainly the types of music I listened to growing up. My dad’s from the South so I grew up listening to a lot of Outkast, UGK, Three Six Mafia and 8ball and MJG. Nevertheless, on the flip side my Mom’s side being from Chicago and the East Coast region, I listened to a lot of Bone Thugs N Harmony, Twista, Do or Die, Rakim, Mobb Deep and Biggie. Overall, I have had a pretty diverse range of music that I grew up on. Due to this vast amount of different spectrums of rap music that I have listened to, I have built my own personal reflection of what hip hop symbolizes and portrays to me.

My love with Hip Hop is like any relationship, it has its ups and downs, good moments and bad moments. As I listened to different hip hop growing up I realized hip hop music is a reflection of the melting pot of differences in the demographics of our regions. Each region of the United States has its own unique sound and characteristics when it comes to Hip Hop music. You can tell the difference between a west coast style song and a heavy bass style of music like a lot of southern  songs. Growing up, I believed that Hip Hop was not for me due to how vast and different the genre could be. I had believed at a young age that since a lot of songs I listened to were  about violence, drugs and oppression that hip  hop was not for me. It was not until I got older that I saw the big picture;  hip hop was a reflection of what was going on in the ghettos and impoverished areas of the United States.

​ I was fortunate enough to realize and be taught at an earlier age that no matter what area the music was made, there was still a common mutual message that was being portrayed in Hip Hop music. That message being their lyrics and songs being a overall reflection of their daily life and what they were going through. One of the prime examples of a rap group that I grew up on that rapped about what they were going through in the streets was Mobb Deep. When my mom first played their albums The Infamous and Hell on Earth, I did not understand why they would make such  albums like that until the third listen. Both of these albums in my opinion were among two of the best albums in hip hop history. These entire albums basically depicted a narration of street life in Queensbridge, New York at the time. This album was one of the albums that sparked my relationship with Hip Hop. This has shaped my opinion of the culture that hip hop is about, and that is reflection of personal life experiences.

Technology has played a huge part involving my relationship with Hip Hop and its culture. Growing up I did not have access to computers, mp3s and such that many adolescents do now. The only thing we had in my family was the radio and television. It wasn’t until the start of the millennium that technology really took force and started to change the way I viewed Hip Hop. Before technology came around such as the internet, social media and listening devices, it was harder for me to go out and listen to different artists besides what the radio played. I got a one-dimensional view of what hip hop was, for a good part of my early child hood. It was not until I was able to get on the internet and download music from different artists from sites like Limewire, Kazaa, that I really got to see how vast and expansive our culture really was. I was able to listen to see how evolved hip hop had become due to technology, artists were more able to upload new songs, new artists made their way in the industry. The introduction to technology made me realize one thing, technology like hip hop, is always changing and evolving into something new. Due to this technology I heard different styles of production and songs, due to new production equipment and software etc.

​ The beauty about Hip Hop is that individuals besides race, class, gender or socio-economic background are able to portray a message or idea behind their rhymes. Hip Hop was not a culture that excluded anyone based off their background, there were many rappers from different backgrounds that I grew up listening to, such as Big Pun, Lil Kim, Eminem. Despite this, growing up I did not like the way the culture depicted woman, particularly African American women. Having family from the south, I was emerged with southern music growing up in addition to east coast/mid-west music. A lot of music from the south that I listened to growing up with my dad was three six mafia, UGK, Outkast, T.I, No Limit. A lot of these artists had songs made for strip clubs or songs that portrayed women in a negative light.

​ Growing up I did not understand why these artists would depict women in such a way, especially with them having mothers themselves. It was not until later in life that I realized it is simply of a reflection and narrative of what these artists are living day to day. In addition to that, I was fortunate to realize that not all Hip Hop music was this way, and whether it is a blessing or a curse it shows an example of how different the culture is and how it comes in so many shapes and forms. I appreciate the individuality and uniqueness that Hip Hop culture has, this plays a huge significance to me because, it is a reflection of our world and that is a giant ever changing melting pot.