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Influence and Association of Hip-hop with the Society.

Over the past three decades, Hip-hop has rapidly evolved into a highly popular music genre, especially among young people. According to Johnson (2014), this genre is popular among youths as it motivates them to work harder to achieve their dreams and to attain a life they always aspire to live. Wilkins (2016) defines hip-hop as a music genre that combines rhythmic speech often called rapping with electronic instruments. Hip Hop was created from two terms Hip which means, in the know and Hop, which signifies the Hop movement which is exhibited by artists when performing this genre (Wilkins, 2016). The history of this Hip Hop date back to mid-1970s and was one of the few attempts by Black and Caribbean artists attempted to preserve their culture, and inform other people about their way of life. In this paper, we will explore how Hip-Hop music has impacted the concept of race and racial constructs that have existed in American society for years. Despite facing criticism from several individuals, Hip Hop is a source of inspiration, prosperity, unity and strength for Americans, as it challenges them to work hard, and to treat everyone equally, irrespective of their race, gender, or place of origin The emergence of Hip Hop music depicted the earliest attempt by African Americans and Latinos to exert their influence in a society dominated by whites. The concept of race is evident when discussing Hip hop, since the music was initially created by a marginalized group, trying to make its impact felt by other members of the society. According to Brown, & Pehrson, (2019), a race can be defined as a group of people sharing common physical characteristics among them Skin and eye color, bone structure among many more. In its early years, Hip hop was viewed negatively by other races, who considered it as retrogressive. With time, however, the music evolved into a nationwide genre, and a source of prosperity, and unity for Americans. For instance, according to Greenburg, (2019, Hip Hop music is a source of popularity and prosperity among black musicians such as Jay z, Kanye West and Rick Ross grew into affluent, and iconic entertains. Further, most of these musicians have gained acceptability among all races, and have grown into international entertainers. Hip Hop has brought Unity among Americans, by challenging the negative stereotypes, against black citizens. In its initial stages, Hip Hop was primarily used by black musicians to entertain fellow citizens and to inform others about black culture, and their way of life (Johnson, 2014). However, with time, this genre has evolved and gained popularity among non-black musicians. For instance, a large number of non- black musicians such as Drake, and Eminem have grown into prominent Hip-hop stars. Further, the popularity of Hip hop has slowly spread into other races, such as whites and Hispanics (Johnson, 2014). Hip Hop has been viewed as a source of strength, and a unifying factor for the lovers of this music, irrespective of their races. Further, it has provided young people with an opportunity get entertained and to interact with each other irrespective of their races. Hip Hop has inspired young American citizens to work hard and to address issues facing them. According to Johnson, (2014), the emergence of Hip Hop in the mid-1970s was a major breakthrough for black communities as it provided them with an opportunity to get their voice heard, in a society dominated by whites. For a long time, black teenagers have always been suspects to major crimes such as robbery, and drug trafficking among many more ((Johnson, 2014). However, as more people in the American society embrace Hip Hop music, things are changing for the better, for black teenagers. For instance, the negative stereotype against blacks is slowly fading, and more Americans are embracing Hip Hop music. Further, according to Johnson, (2014) Hip Hop has benefited Blacks citizens, by providing them with an avenue to highlight major issues facing them. Some of these issues include high Incarceration rates, high unemployment rates, police harassment, and public discrimination among many more. For instance, a large number of Hip Hop musicians among them Kendrick Lamar have stepped out to challenge police brutality against black citizens. Hip Hop is a source of hope and strength for young Americans, as it inspires them to rise and face their fears and insecurities. For instance, Hip Hop can be used to spread positive messages that can motivate young people to be responsible members of the society. According to Johnson, (2014), Hip Hop is a highly effective tool for communication message to people across ethnic and racial lines. As a result, this genre has been used as a tool to address issues such as unemployment, drug and substance abuse, and racial discrimination which are thorny in the American society. Johnson (2014) further argues that listening to Hip Hop helps build a person’s resilience and self-esteem, hence empowering them to achieve greater things in life. As a result, Hip Hop has a positive impact on Americans, as it gives them the strength needed to achieve a financial breakthrough, in a highly competitive business world. Despite its widespread acceptance and use among young Americans, some critiques argue that Hip-Hop music is highly destructive, as it encourages immorality and deviant behavior among young people. Most of the critiques argue that Hip-hop promotes violence, gang membership, and drug and substance abuse among many more (Harakeh, & Bogt, 2018; Johnson, 2014). For instance, according to Harakeh, & Bogt, 2018), listening to Hip Hop music is associated with high rates of marijuana and cigarette smoking. Wilson (2018) refutes these claims by arguing that Hip Hop musicians write songs about their lives, or those of their close friends, just like in any other music genres. However, Hip Hop music is viewed differently because it originates from black Americans, and their life experiences differ from those of non-blacks (Wilson, 2018). For instance, majority of them grew up in crowded, and unhygienic areas, where drug use, gun violence, and gangs were prevalent (Wilson, 2018).). For this reason, most of them write about issues that are rarely experienced by people from other races. Despite facing criticism from several individuals, Hip Hop is a source of inspiration, prosperity, unity, and strength for Americans, as it challenges them to work hard, and to treat everyone equally, irrespective of their race, gender, or place of origin. Hip Hop has positively impacted the American society, by urging Americans to come together to address issues facing them. One of these issues was discrimination, especially among black citizens. On several occasions, musicians such as Kendrick Lamar have used Hip hop music openly voiced their views against police brutality, especially against black citizens. Further, this music has been used to deconstruct negative stereotypes against blacks by showing that they too can succeed. Hip hop has also been a source of prosperity for American citizens, as a number of musicians have grown into national figures, and amassed a lot of wealth. Hip Hop has also been a source of prosperity for many Americans, as it challenges them to work hard to achieve, and live the American dream. For instance, most Hip-hop music emphasizes on financial freedom and prosperity, which are in line with the American dream. Lastly, Hip Hop music has been a source of unity for Americans, as it argues against discrimination, based on race or any other factor. Further, the history of Hip hop shows that every American has an opportunity to succeed, and no one should look down upon those from unfortunate backgrounds.

References Brown, R., & Pehrson, S. (2019). Group processes: Dynamics within and between groups. John Wiley & Sons. Greenburg, Z. O. M. (2019, June 17). Hip-Hop's Next Billionaires: Richest Rappers 2019. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2019/06/13/hip-hops-next-billionaires-richest-rappers-2019/#5c61af722edd Harakeh, Z., & Bogt, T. F. T. (2018). The Effect of Rap/Hip-Hop Music on Young Adult Smoking: An Experimental Study. Substance use & misuse, 53(11), 1819-1825. Johnson, E. M. (2014). My Culture, My Voice: The Impact of Youth Hip-Hop and Spoken Word on Adolescent Participants in Positive Youth Development Settings. Wilkins, C. (2016). (W) rapped Space: The Architecture of Hip Hop. In Diversity among Architects (pp. 97-127). Routledge. Wilson, N. (2018). Rap Music as a Positive Influence on Black Youth and American Politics.