Kyalwazi ! Beverly Kyalwazi Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin Multimedia Writing & Rhetoric, ection !" !# $ovem%er &'!

" (i)-(o)* +he $ew ,eneration -ver the cour.e o/ many generation. the de/inition and /unction o/ hi) ho) mu.ic in the 0merican .ociety ha. continuou.ly evolved. +he change. in the genre are )rimarily )re.ent in the me..age. and connotation. de)icted in .ong., %ut al.o in other underlying /actor. .uch a. the current time )eriod and economy. 1 am intere.ted in the.e change. in the genre %ecau.e 1 en2oy li.tening to hi) ho) mu.ic. adly, my en2oyment o/ the mu.ic i. %eing com)romi.ed due to my di.ta.te /or the me..age. and .tereoty)e. de)icted through the ra) lyric. o/ contem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic. 3ontem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic ha. mani/e.ted into a new /orm o/ hi)-ho) with le..er im)ortance in .ociety due to it. mi.re)re.entation or .tereoty)ical view. o/ )eo)le, it. role in .ociety, and it. relation to di//erent genre. o/ mu.ic. (i)-ho) ha. had a .trong )re.ence in the 0merican culture .ince the !45'.. Element. o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic trace %ac6 to We.t 0/rica, where the ma2ority o/ .lave. originated. 1n +ricia Ro.e7. %oo6 Black Noise .he analyze. and give. )rai.e to many a.)ect. o/ (i)-ho) mu.ic. he di.cu..e. how hi)-ho) mu.ic came a%out, how it evolved, and where it i. going. 1n her analy.i. o/ the root. o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic, .he .tate. that, 8hi)ho) i. )ro)elled %y 0/rodia.)oric tradition.9 :&#;. Many de.cendant. o/ We.t 0/rica were .hi))ed acro.. 0merica through the .lave trade. Early hi)-ho) mu.ic wa. a re/lection o/ the narrative. that were told a%out the Dia.)ora. +he .torie. o/ )ain,

Kyalwazi & .truggle., and )rote.t. again.t the o))re..ion o/ 0/rican 0merican. are emitted /rom the mu.ic a. a .oul/ul e<)re..ion. =urthermore, the )oem., /ol6tale., and hymn. o/ 0/rican 0merican. were mirrored in the e<)re..ion o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic. 1n the early !45'., in the city o/ Bron<, $ew >or6, a new culture wa. %orn that went on to .)read glo%ally and move )eo)le over the age., the hi) ho) culture. 0 cou)le o/ $ew >or6 arti.t. Bu.y Bee tar.6i, D? (ollywood, and D? 0/ri6a Bam%aataa were credited /or originally coining the term 8hi) ho).9 +he hi)-ho) culture having it. root. in the .el/-e<)re..ion o/ Blac6 and Latino youth i. 6nown to have /our element.* emceeing :ra))ing;, %rea6ing :%rea6 dancing;, D?ing, and writing gra//iti. :From the Fringe: Hip Hop Culture and Ethnic Relations;. Key in/luence. on early hi) ho) mu.ic were the location and time )eriod /rom which it emerged, thi. %eing the $ew >or6 ur%an terrain in the !45'.. +hi. wa. a )o.tindu.trial time )eriod in which the economy wa. %eing recon.tructed through technology and the growth o/ .ervice, with limited manu/acturing. +he wor6 )lace and 2o% mar6et underwent ma2or recon.truction and cor)orate develo)er. %ought real e.tate creating lu<ury home. only the wealthy could a//ord. +hi. only e<)anded the ga) %etween the wealthy and )oor. 1n $ew >or6, thi. wa. the di.tinction and .e)aration o/ )eo)le %y cla.. and race, with Blac6. and (i.)anic. living %elow the )overty line. +ricia Ro.e claim. that, 8 ituated at the cro..road. o/ lac6 and de.ire, hi) ho) emerge. /rom the deindu.trialization meltdown where .ocial alienation, )ro)hetic imagination, and yearning inter.ect9 :&!;. +he voice. o/ the marginalized were heard through hi)-ho) mu.ic, it /unctioned a. an avenue through which they could e<)re.. their o)inion. and outrage when e<iled to the overcrowded .treet. o/ $ew >or6. +he de/inition o/ hi)-ho), which ha. %een conden.ed to ra) mu.ic, ha. evolved to

Kyalwazi " over the year. to it. current .tate today. During the !44'., hi)-ho) mu.ic reached it. )ea6 or golden age. (i)-ho) mu.ic during thi. time wa. characterized %y innovation and creativity, characteri.tic. that are mi..ing in the hi)-ho) mu.ic today. Earlier hi)-ho) arti.t. e)itomized creativity %y .ee6ing to added new .ound. to their )er/ormance.. ome well-6nown arti.t. and leader. o/ the hi)-ho) golden age, included ra) grou) @u%lic Enemy, ,randma.ter =la.h ra))er Big Daddy Kane, and ra))er. Eric B. and Ra6im. +hey all managed to gain /ame de.)ite the o))re..ive economic circum.tance. that .urrounded them. 1n addition to thi., they %rought new and diver.e .ound., rhythm., and element. to hi) ho) mu.ic, .etting in motion a .am)ling )eriod where a wide range o/ .ound. /rom roc6 to .oul came together. ,randma.ter =la.h )er/ected a critical element o/ hi)-ho)* .cratching. +hi. techniAue, in which a record i. )layed %ac6 and /orth .cratching the needle with and again.t the groove o/ a record, created a new .ound that di.)layed originality. During thi. time )eriod, the city .treet. were revived and /illed with a new .ource o/ energy :The Culture Industry, Hip Hop Music and the hite

!erspecti"e;. 0ccording to +ricia Ro.e, talent wa. di.)layed in the .treet. through com)etitive duel.* +he.e early duel. were not a matter o/ encouraging crowd reaction. a. 8yell, hoB9 and 8 ome%ody cream.9 +he.e )artie. and com)etition. la.ted hour.C9 :#D;. (i)-ho) arti.t. during thi. time were )er/ormer. com)letely inve.ted in the art they created while )er/orming. En/ortunately, thi. )eriod came to an end a. new /orm. o/ hi)ho) evolved over generation.. +oday7. /orm o/ the genre ha. dra.tically diverged /rom it. root. ta6ing on a new meaning all together, )laying a di//erent role in .ociety, and lac6ing the uniAuene.. it wa. once 6now /or. 3ontem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic i.n7t a))ea.ing to the ear. a. it aimle..ly

Kyalwazi G im)lement. vulgarity and mi.ogyny in lyric., and detract. /rom the advancement. made %y 0/rican 0merican. in .ociety. 1/ you ta6e a moment to li.ten to the lyric. o/ any )o)ular hi)-hi) ra) /rom the )a.t two year., there i. a good chance that what you will hear i. male arti.t. ra))ing a%out their .e<ual conAue.t. over women or their materiali.tic and derogatory re/erence. o/ women. +he hit .ingle 8E)B9 relea.ed in &'!! clearly de)ict. male .e<ual domination over women. +he lyric. o/ the /ir.t ver.e in the ra) are, 8Laugh now, 17mma ma6e you cry later9 :3urti. ?ame. ?ac6.onFE)B;. +he ra) /eaturing .ucce../ul ra) arti.t #' 3ent :3urti. ?ame. ?ac6.on;, i. /ocu.ed on how a man %eat. u) the women he ha. .e< with. +he view o/ women in thi. ra) a. )o..e..ion. made /or the )lea.ure o/ men i. .ic6ening and highly in.ulting. =urthermore, it i. di.tur%ing that thi. ra) had high rating. ma6ing it on the to) !' Bill%oard Mu.ic 3hart. Ra) arti.t. are alway. coming u) with degrading term. to u.e /or women in their mu.ic. +he.e term. include, 8Bitche., (oe., and Whore..9 1n &'!&, accredited ra))er and entre)reneur E-G' :Earl teven.; relea.ed hi. ra) .ingle 8=unction.9 +he .econd ver.e o/ thi. .ong /eature. E-G' .aying, 8=uc6in witta lil %itch over in Halle2o9 :Earl teven.F+he Bloc6 Brochure Welcome to the oil &;. E-G' ma6e. .everal other re/erence. to women a. 8%itche.9 in thi. ra) di.)laying hi. com)lete lac6 o/ regard /or women. +here are many other )o)ular arti.t. who u.e degrading term. /or women in their mu.ic .uch a. 3hri. Brown, Ludacri., and Big ean. +he lac6 o/ re.)ect /or women di.)layed in the mu.ic o/ )o)ular hi)-ho) arti.t. ma6e. contem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic una))ealing com)ared to )a.t hi)-ho) mu.ic. +he %ig-name hi)-ho) arti.t. today can %e characterized a. 0/rican 0merican male.. =or .everal year. now, 0/rican 0merican male hi)-ho) arti.t. .uch a Dr. Dre, E-G', Lil Wayne, & 3hainz, and noo) Lion :/ormerly noo) Dog;, have dominated the mu.ic

Kyalwazi # indu.try relea.ing hit .ingle. and al%um.. >e., their ra). di.)lay a /ew catchy %eat., %ut they lac6 .u%.tance and me..age. that are a))lica%le to current i..ue. in .ociety. +hey are com)ri.ed o/ derogatory .tatement. and de)ict drug., .e<, and violence. 1t .eem. a. i/ almo.t every other word in today7. ra) mu.ic i. 8/uc6.9 $ow there were ra). during the earlier age. o/ hi)-ho) that contained common vulgarity .een in hi)-ho) mu.ic todayI however, the motivation o/ arti.t7. )roduction o/ the.e ra). wa. to get their o)inion. heard. -ne .uch e<am)le i. the notoriou. ra) %y $W0, 8=uc6 tha @olice.9 Relea.ed in !4JJ, thi. ra) re/lected the re.entment and anger /elt %y arti.t. in $W0 a. well a. many other. over the racial )ro/iling o/ %lac6 ur%an youth that occurred /reAuently during the time )eriod. +hey cra/ted the ra) in a way that moc6ed the )olice .y.tem %ecau.e they /elt that they were widely un2u.ti/ied in a lot o/ their action.. 3ontem)orary hi)-ho) /ail. to draw the line in it. u.e o/ vulgar and /oul connotation. o/ )eo)le. =urthermore, contem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic only )er)etuate. the .tereoty)ical raci.t. image. o/ 0/rican 0merican. a. criminal. and drug dealer.. +he.e are image. that 0/rican 0merican. have %een trying to detach them.elve. /rom /or decade.. +hey have had .ucce.. due awarene.. rai.ed %y 0/rican 0merican )ro/e..or. and .cholar. .uch a. Michael Eric Dy.on and Mar6 0nthony $eal :The Hip Hop ars;. (owever, the lyric. em)ha.izing .e<, violence,

and drug. that )lague hi)-ho) mu.ic are traced %ac6 to the root. o/ hi)-ho) .temming /rom Blac6 culture. Becau.e o/ thi., /inger. are )ointed toward. 0/rican 0merican. when i..ue. involving hi)-ho) mu.ic are rai.ed in .ociety. +he hi)-ho) mu.ic never encountered many contradictory i..ue. or /eeling. among audience. until today. +here/ore, it can only %e concluded that a new /orm o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic ha. emerged with le..er a))eal due to the way hi)-ho) arti.t. continuou.ly de%a.e women and their

Kyalwazi D mi.re)re.entation o/ 0/rican 0merican.. +he main /unction o/ contem)orary hi)-ho), re/lected %y mu.ic arti.t., i. to ma6e a )ro/it. Bac6 during the golden age. o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic there wa.n7t much hy)e to win award. or get li.ted on chart. /or hi)-ho) mu.ic recognition. @re.tigiou. award .how. .uch a. the BE+ (i)-(o) 0ward. would not come into )lay till many year. later. (i)ho) arti.t. %ac6 then weren7t involved in any ru.h to )roduce new ra) mu.ic or relea.e al%um. .een today. 1t wa. all a%out getting hi)-ho) mu.ic recognized a. a /orm o/ .el/e<)re..ion, the )er/ormance., and the me..age. arti.t. wanted to .end. 1n Mic6ey (e..7. %oo6 Is Hip Hop #ead$ he re/lect. on how the /unction and /ocu. o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic ha. .hi/ted over the year.. 1n the /ir.t cha)ter o/ the %oo6 (e.. wrote, 8(i)-ho) i. .omething you live.9 :&";. 1 /ind that thi. i. a )hra.e that really re.onate. with hi)-ho) mu.ic today, a time in which hi)-ho) arti.t. are out /or the money and not the )a..ion. +here are many new, u)-and- coming ra))er. in the hi)-ho) mu.ic %u.ine... 0. a re.ult there ha. %een increa.ed com)etition among e<i.ting ra))er. to get their mu.ic out to the )u%lic. 0ndrew ?. Rau.ch, i. an author and coauthor o/ .everal %oo6. on )o) culture. (i. %oo6, 1 am (i)-(o) i. com)ri.ed o/ the re.)on.e. o/ hi. twenty-/our interviewee., to the Aue.tion* KWhat i. (i)-(o)LK (i. interviewee. include legendary D?., )roducer., )oet., gra//iti arti.t., emcee., and 2ournali.t. /rom the golden age o/ hi)-ho). +heir %ac6ground. and contri%ution. to the hi)-ho) world are told with each cha)ter interview. Mo.t im)ortantly their view. and )er.)ective on di//erent trend. and the evolution o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic are .ur/aced. 1n Rau.ch7. interview with 06ro%ati6, an emcee /rom the !44'., Rau.ch a.6. a%out the emcee7. o)inion on ra) mu.ic today. 06ro%ati6 re)lie., 8:We .aid; Let7. get out there, do more .how.Cnow it7. more a%out every%ody %eing de.)erate to

Kyalwazi 5 .ell record. and get attention9 :!";. 1n hi. interview with Rau.ch, 06ro%ati6 criticize. hi)-ho) arti.t. today /or their lac6 o/ care /or the mu.ic they are )roducing. (e e<)lain. that in the )a.t arti.t. .uch a. him.el/ were trying to )rovo6e movement. or change. +hey reli.hed the /act that they had a voice and an audience. +oday7. hi)-ho) arti.t. aren7t dedicated to the mu.ic they )roduce. -ut /or the money, they )roduce ra). with .im)le lyric. re)eated continuou.ly and add a good %eat to it. +hough the tune can get to you, the ultimate reality i. hi)-ho) arti.t. today are .hallow due to the /act that their drive /or )roducing hi)-ho) i. money. +hi. lac6 o/ )a..ion di.)layed %y contem)orary hi)-ho) arti.t. i. a cau.e /or the declined value o/ )re.ent day hi)-ho) mu.ic. 1t i. .o ea.y /or them to reu.e .u)er/icial and materiali.tic content in their lyric. that have managed to .ell numerou. al%um. and have earned them title. and award. in the )a.t. 1n com)ari.on with the hi)-ho) mu.ic )roduced during the golden age, contem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic lac6. originality and can7t %e di//erentiated /rom other genre. o/ mu.ic. (i)-ho) mu.ic o/ the golden age /eatured a com%ination o/ new .ound., in.trument., and %eat. )rovided %y D?. and emcee.. +hey mi<ed /un6 with 2azz, and R&B with roc6. $o two ra). had .imilar .ound.. 1n Rau.ch7. interview with emcee and )roducer, 3huc6 D, Rau.ch e<)re..e. hi. awe at the /act that no two .ound. the emcee ever )roduced were the .ame. 3huc6 D re.)ond. %y .aying, 8+hat7. .omething we .et out to doCa lot o/ )eo)le in ra) mu.ic and hi) ho) don7t under.tand that9 :G5;. +he goal o/ the )a.t hi)-ho) arti.t. wa. to %ring new .ound to the .cene. +hey were 6nown /or ta6ing advantage o/ the .)ace and natural environment around them when creating .ound. 0 lot o/ the hi)-ho) arti.t. today have the .ame generic .ound.. 0dvancement. in technology ha. allowed /or the re)lication o/ cla..ic turnta%le techniAue. and other .ound. u.ing

Kyalwazi J com)uter .o/tware. +he hi)-ho) mu.ic )roduced today ha. .trayed /rom it. creative u)%ringing due to the recycling o/ %eat. and .ound. that have had .ucce.. with the )u%lic in the )a.t. +here i. currently no %oundary %etween the hi)-ho) and R&B genre. in today7. mu.ic indu.try. +he article 8E)/ront* R&B-Er%an Renewal,9 written %y the colla%orative e//ort. o/ (illary 3ro.ley and ,ail Mitchell o/ Bill%oard magazine, re)ort. the )roceeding. o/ the &''5 Bill%oard R&BF(i) (o) 3on/erence that too6 )lace in 0tlanta. ale. .trategi.t., mar6eter., and video game com)any owner., )re.ent at the con/erence, gave their in)ut on the declining hi)-ho) .ale. and way. to revive them. -ne o/ the main theme. di.cu..ed in connection with the decline in .ale. wa. the relation.hi) %etween the hi)-ho) and R&B mu.ic genre., which )aneli.t. de.cri%ed a. Knot at a creative .talemate.K While a decline in hi)-ho) .ale. wa. recorded, R&B wa. viewed a. one o/ the thriving mu.ic genre. at the time. 0naly.t contri%uted thi. to the /act that mu.ic arti.t. recognized a. hi)-ho) arti.t. were com)o.ing R&B .ong. and al%um.. +he.e .ong. and al%um. had high rating. leading to the increa.e in overall R&B .ale.. (i)-ho) mu.ic de.erve. it. own )lat/orm, a. wa. .uch in the )a.t. +here will %e no hi)ho), i/ arti.t. de/ining them.elve. a. hi)-ho) arti.t. continue to divert to u.ing the .ound. o/ other genre.. De.)ite it. many /law., contem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic ha. had increa.ing value over the )a.t /ew year., e.)ecially where youth are concerned, and it 6ee). u) with the current time.. 1n her )a)er, K(i) (o) Mu.ic a. a >outh Medium /or 3ultural truggle in Manzi%ar,K hani -mari, e<amine. the develo)ment o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic on the +anzanian 1.land. o/ Manzi%ar, 0/rica. he di..ect. the con/lict over the .trong )re.ence o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic on i.land inha%ited %y highly con.ervative )eo)le. 1n her analy.i. .he

Kyalwazi 4 ac6nowledge. the /act that hi)-ho) mu.ic )lay. an im)ortant role in the live. o/ the Manzi%ari youth who live in )overty. (i)-ho) allow. them to have .ome inde)endence a. well a. entertainment in their live.. 1t i. viewed a. a con.tant where they don7t have a lot. tudie. and re.earch done %y Emery @etchauer, o/ Lincoln Eniver.ity, have al.o .hown that hi)-ho) mu.ic ha. led to im)rovement in the language .6ill. and com)rehen.ion o/ youth acro.. the %oard. -ne o/ the ma2or rea.on. hi)-ho) mu.ic o/ the )a.t wa. .o e//ective and had greater value in .ociety wa. the time )eriod during which it originated. +here were a lot o/ economic hard.hi). and o))re..ion /aced %y minoritie.. (i)-ho) mu.ic gave them a way to e<)re.. what they were /eeling and voice the change. they wi.hed to .ee in .ociety. +he mar6et /or hi)-ho) mu.ic today ha. changed a lot .ince then. (i)-ho) arti.t. are no longer loo6ing /or a way to get their o)inion heard, %ut rather a way to entertain. +hu. the change in motive /or hi)-ho) )er/ormance. due to the advancement o/ time i. a legitimate. (owever, there i. no 2u.ti/ication /or the )ro/anity di.)layed in today7. hi)-ho) mu.ic. 1t i. im)ortant that awarene.. i. rai.ed a%out thi. new /orm o/ contem)orary hi)ho) %ecau.e o/ it. .trong )re.ence in .ociety. >oung adult. are the main con.umer. o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic. (i)-ho) mu.ic .tream. on radio .tation.I it i. downloaded online, and )layed at )artie. or hangout.. 0t the Eniver.ity o/ $otre Dame cam)u. there i. even a night dedicated to hi)-ho) mu.ic* hi)-ho) night. +hi. i. a )o)ular event with high .tudent attendance. Becau.e o/ the va.t availa%ility o/ hi)-ho) mu.ic, it. value and role in .ociety mu.t come into Aue.tion. Nue.tion. .uch a. 8what are it. e//ect. on .ocietyL9 mu.t %e a.6ed. 0n.wer. to the.e Aue.tion. are /ound only through analy.i. and com)ari.on o/ contem)orary and )a.t hi)-ho) mu.ic. @a.t hi)-ho) mu.ic wa. original and it had

Kyalwazi !' meaning, /unctioning a. a voice /or the marginalized. +oday7. hi)-ho) mu.ic i. driven %y arti.t. de.ire to ma6e money, it lac6. originality, it i. di.re.)ect/ul toward. women, and it di.credit. the character o/ 0/rican 0merican. in .ociety. Becau.e o/ thi. degradation o/ rhetoric .een in contem)orary hi)-ho) mu.ic, it mu.t %e ac6nowledged that it ha. an in.igni/icant role in .ociety com)ared with the role )a.t hi)-ho) mu.ic )layed.

Kyalwazi !! Wor6. 3ited 3hri.tman, Ed. KRetail- i<-Month lide.K Bill%oard&The International Ne's'eekly o( Music, )ideo and Home Entertainment !G ?uly &''5* J. @rint. (art, Walter Edward. K(i) (o) Mu.ic.K The Culture Industry, Hip Hop Music and the hite !erspecti"e: Ho' *ne&#imensional Representation o( Hip Hop Music Has In(luenced hite Racial +ttitudes. 0rlington* n.)., &''4. !-G&. R)t. in hite Racial +ttitudes. $.).* n.)., n.d. $. )ag. @rint.

Historically Negati"e

(e.., Mic6ey. K(i)-(o) Realne.. and the White @er/ormer.K Critical ,tudies in Media Communication &&.# :&''#;* "5&-J4. @rint. -mari, hani. K(i) (o) Mu.ic a. a >outh Medium /or 3ultural truggle in Manzi%ar.K -ournal !an +(rican ,tudies D." :&'!";* !""-##. @rint. Rau.ch, 0ndrew ?. I +m Hip Hop: Con"ersation on Music and Culture. Lanham* Rowman & Little/ield, &'!!. @rint. Ree.e, Ren/ord. K=rom the =ringe* +he (i) (o) 3ulture and Ethnic Relation..K !opular Culture Re"ie' !'.& :&''';* n. )ag. R)t. in From the Fringe: The Hip Hop Culture and Ethnic Relations. $.).* n.)., n.d. $. )ag. @rint. Ro.e, +ricia. Black Noise. Hol. !G&4. (anover* We.leyan, !44G. @rint. - - -. The Hip Hop ars. $ew >or6* Ba.ic 3ivita., &''J. @D= /ile. teven., Earl. elcome to the ,oil .. 3D.

K=unction.K The Block Brochure