NY Times

25 March 2014 Page 10

Rappers Dismay

Hip hop is no longer in the confines of urban areas it is now in yout homes and you cant call the police on it. BY: JAVON ARLEE STAFF WRITER

Hip Hop has gone through many phases since its creation
forty years ago in the basement at 1520 Sedgwick Ave in New York. Hip Hop has transformed into a global musical powerhouse. But even with the surge of international popularity there still seems to be a barrier in respect from the older generations that control award shows, like the Grammys which is meant to celebrate artists of all musical genres. Yet since Hip Hops addition to the award ceremony in the late 1980s there has yet to have been much acceptance. The gripe that many that oppose Hip Hop take is that it is too sexual, it glorifies violence, and that causes the listeners to imitate their behavior. Yes, it is true that on radio stations and hip musical stations you tend to hear rappers glorifying violence and telling stories of what they did to stay afloat in their lives. These are the artists that most of the outsiders equate to Hip Hop, the artists that add no substance other than party songs and violence degrading women. What the outsiders fail to see is how quickly these artists of no substance wane into irrelevancy and those who have substance and real skill remain in Hip Hop lore. Rappers such as Mos Deff, Common, Jay-z, Kanye West. While they may also talk about females and drugs they also use their music as a tool to reach their fans about issues that are important in their communities. With that said It will be difficult accepting hip hop from the outside since most of it is based upon cultural and economic

class experiences. The only way someone from outside the culture could effectively understand hip hop would have to be if they actively try to place themselves in the shoes of the artists and close their eyes and let their story unfold.