Marqus Nguyen

Period 1
Hip-Hop & Rap vs. Violence
In America, oo many cii!ens "elieve #a #ip-#op and rap represen violence. $e
me %irs "egin "y e&plaining #a rap is an elemen o% #ip-#op, no vice versa. $egendary
#ip-#op aris 'R(-)ne says, *rap is some#ing you do +and, #ip-#op is some#ing you
live- in #is song *Hip Hop vs. Rap-. Hip-#op is an ar and #as gro.n ino a .ay o% living
"e.een #e ariss and liseners. /#e mos imporan %ive elemens o% #ip-#op are "rea0
dancing +""oying,, rapping +emceeing,, creaing gra%%ii, producing +"eing a dee1ay,, and
0no.ledge. Rap music is #e oral elemen o% #ip-#op and #as "een manipulaed "y #e
media o represen violence. /#e media ries o pu"lici!e violence .#en #ey can ge
c#ance o "ecause suc# vulgar aracs more liseners. As more liseners are convinced
#a rap signi%ies violence, #e more #e ar o% #ip-#op is overs#ado.ed.
People %orge #a #ip-#op sared as a *"lac0 %ol0 roc0 and roll-. Hip-#op sared
as a musical genre very muc# in%luenced "y 1a!!, soul, and R&2. /#e single *Rapper3s
4elig#- "y /#e (ugar#ill 5ang is considered o "e #e song #a populari!ed #ip-#op in
mainly in America and even #e .orld. I% you lisen o #e song yoursel%, you .ould
pro"a"ly sar "o""ing your #ead or dancing "ecause i .as inended %or you o ge your
groove on. Ho.ever, #ip-#op "egan o evolve 1us li0e every#ing else in li%e. Hip-#op
.en %rom soul o "ecoming more compeiive, poliical, conscious, and lyrical. 6very
elemen in #ip-#op "egan o gro. as .ell .i# rap7 .#ic# .as "lo.ing up in #e media.
/#e ar o% #ip-#op .as dispersing around #e .orld and music la"els "egan o emerge,
"u many corporaions .aned #e money a rapper made #an releasing qualiy music.
/#oug# money .as "ecoming a ma1or %acor %or #ip-#op music, many #ip-#op ariss
.ere a"le o "alance "o# .eal# and lyrical a"iliy. 8us li0e ariss in /#e Renaissance,
Hip-Hop produced grea accomplis#mens and ariss li0e Nas, 8ay-9, 6minem, /#e
Noorious 2.I.5, :pac, and muc# more.
I remem"er .#en I used o lisen o a lo o% pop songs, .#ic# un%orunaely .as
%rom #e radio. None#eless I %inally lisened o #e songs *4ear Mama-, *'eep ;a Head
<p-, and *=#anges- "y :pac. /#e songs .ere #ro.ing my emoions and #oug#s all
over #e place. I .as surprised, #ope%ul, e&u"eran, depressed, guily, and #in0ing a"ou
my .#ole li%e in a maer o% only #ree songs.
I reminisce .ac#ing *4ear Mama- and seeing #is o.n mo#er earing up over
#is grae%ulness o% #aving a mom. /#e video made me %eel a grae%ulness #a I never %el
%or my mo#er. A%er #e song ended, I sprined o my mo#er3s room, "u s#e .as
sleeping a%er a ireless day a .or0. I glared a #er %or a minue and made a grin %or #er
resless suppor on my li%e. I #asily das#ed "ac0 o my room o lisen o *'eep ;a Head
<p.- /#is song le% me #in0ing a"ou #e .orld and my li%e. I .as pondering on #e
rials and ri"ulaions #a everyone %rom all classes may go #roug# everyday. I
remem"er #e video #aving :pac .i# a orange-sriped s#ir, "aggy "lue 1eans, .#ie
s#oes, a "lac0 #a, a nose ring, and a cre. o% .#a seemed li0e %riends around #im. I
consider #e "ro0en scenes .#ere a c#ild goes #e g#eo #e lives in o ge #is mom
%lo.ers %rom money #e sole on #e 0ic#en a"le. I remem"er #a #e video ended .i#
:pac #olding a c#ild and saring deeply in #e camera. I %el #is eyes #ad old me o
repea #e video7 and so I did. A%er an a"undance o% replays, I 1us sared .i# #ead on
my arms and my eyes, closed, o.ards #e ground. My #ead .as roc0ing le% o rig# and
my #ear #ad %el i slo.ed do.n a #e speed o% #e 6ar#3s roaion. /#e insrumenal
.as, and sill does ime-o-ime, o play .i# #e r#y#m o% my #ear. /#e lyrics .ere
imprined li0e I .as a :> o li%e convic .al0ing #roug# #is desined prison %or #e %irs
ime. (ince #en, I disregarded all #e malicious and ignoran opinions o% :pac #a my
%amily used o ell me so I .ouldn3 lisen o suc# music. A%er #a day, I "egan o as0
my mom a"ou :pac, o#er ariss, and #ip-#op music.
My mom old me #a :pac made in%luenial songs even #oug# #e .as
overs#ado.ed o% #is repuaion o% "eing a #ug, gangser, #aving aoos, #aving a
criminal record, "eing "lac0, and dying a suc# a young age. No dou" #a :pac %irs
scared me, "u a%er lisening o a "unc# o% #is songs I "ecame enamored .i# #ip-#op. I
%irs "egan o e&pand my #ip-#op 0no.ledge "y lisening o #e mos noa"le and
aggressive7 /#e Noorious 2.I.5, Nas, and 6minem. /#ese aggressive ariss did sarle
me .i# #eir conen, "u I 0ne. #a #ey .ere incorporaing arisry. /#ese ariss used
ec#niques li0e punc# lines, .ordplay, %lo., inernal r#ymes, assonance, imagery, r#yme
sc#emes, and mos imporanly7 a message. I% #ere .asn3 a direc message in a song, %or
enerainmen purposes, I "egan o incorporae my o.n message #roug# #eir lyrics.
(ome o% my %amily mem"ers and %riends %ell vicim o #e sereoypical and
limied 0no.ledge o% #ip-#op7 #a i% i .as vulgar #an #ere .as moral message a all. I
.as lisening o a lo o% e&plici ariss li0e 6minem, ?u-/ang =lan, and N.?.A a one
poin. Many o% %amily mem"ers old me o sop lisening o suc# music or I .ould #ave a
corruped mind. I %el guily, "u I .as in love .i# #ip-#op, so I "egan o lisen o
conscious rap music. Ariss li0e $upe @iasco, 'R(-)ne, Pu"lic 6nemy, Mos 4e%,
=ommon, and /ali" '.eli #elped me "ecome more conscious a"ou li%e siuaions and
my c#oices. )verall, #ip-#op music #as in%luenced me o "e more creaive, conscious,
spiriual, a criical #in0er, and #as in%luenced me o gain as muc# 0no.ledge %rom all
sources as possi"le. People are a"le o e&press #eir selves and someimes #eir alen
#roug# #e elemens o% #ip-#op. Anyone .#o #in0s #ip-#op represens violence is
"linded "y #eir ignorance and is no lisening o relia"le sources. I .ould "e ignoran o
rely on #e radio or #e elevision o %eel #e underlying ar o% #ip-#op a is mos poen.
)"servers end o %orge #a #ip-#op is also enerainmen "u #as "ecome
manipulaed "y #e mainsream media. 5reedy la"els sign violen and cac#y rappers o
"e pu on #e radio %or #e lisener3s ineres. I% #ere is "lame o "e poined i a, i .ould
"e o.ards #e endorsers, #e radio saions, and mos imporanly7 #e consumer. I is #e
passive consumer3s %aul o suppor and promoe suc# music #a degrades #ip-#op on #e
radio. /#e radio plays suc# cac#y "u violen songs, #a more and more people are
in%luenced o "e more maerialisic and aggressive. /#e lisener is guily %or allo.ing
suc# violen in%luence, and is especially guilier o %ollo. suc# acs "ecause a rapper #a
is on #e radio only rying o ma0e money s#ouldn3 "e a0en seriously any.ay. I is one
#ing o ma0e #ip-#op music, "u i is ano#er o generally represen #ip-#op isel%. Hip-
#op songs on #e radio end o no incorporae #e elemen o% 0no.ledge, .#ic# is li0e a
#eard o% lisening s#eep %ollo.ing an unpro%essional and narcissisic s#ep#erd. 8us li0e
any#ing, mainsream #ip-#op music .ill only ge "eer i% you allo. i. ?e are all apar
o% #e ar o% #ip-#op "ecause .e all a%%ec #ip-#op .i# all o% our o.n opinions7 .#e#er
i is #e connoisseurs, liseners, and anyone .#o doesn3 suppor #e ar a all.