BUSINESS, PUNK AND HIP-HOP: RISE OF

YOUTH CULTURE AND ITS CONNECTION TO

THE MAINSTREAM

Even though fashion and music which is related to young people is

unquestionably one of the important sides of western world, it wasn’t like
this in the past. Let’s give a look at clothes, as an example, for the most
of history, youth could only pick up from mainstream adult fashion
because that was all they had.

Notable economic improvements after 1945, caused youth to have

their own decisions about their taste and style understandings. Mainly
there was a massive demand for labor so there been a promotion in
salary levels. Especially for young people, who has uncountable money
which they can please their lives in the time between school and
marriage.

This increase in consumption caused young people to be seen as a

new consumer market, and industries such as television, fashion, music
has began to offer products and services directly to young people. With
other words, industry and trade also played a role in shaping the youth
culture with special products for young people.

But even though the majority of youth culture is a result of

commercial activities, it is not completely developed in this way. There
are stylistically innovative and undoubtedly smaller sub-cultures created
by the youth themselves. While punk and hip-hop culture shows us this,
it also reveals other connections between mainstream society and youth
culture.

The British punk culture of the 1970s can be seen as a direct

reaction by young people to the massive commercialization of youth
fashion and music. This sub-culture was created independently by young
people, not by the direction of the industry for their commercial goals. But
when the punk culture was adopted by the punk style fashion industry, it
continued to make a different connection with mainstream culture, such
as models' green hair, ripped clothes, and cosmetics companies selling
makeup in vibrant colors.

Also, in the historical flow of hip-hop culture there is an adoption

between innovative sub-culture and mainstream culture. Rap music and
the landscape of baggy jeans, sneakers and baseball caps are emerged
in young black culture inland of North America. Which means it appeared
in a particular place and society. But somehow this sub-culture spread to
the world and all races. From Boston to Beijing and is as much suburban
as it urban. This has been caused by the fact that hip-hop culture is
offered directly to the wider youth markets by global companies and
significantly increases their profits. For example, in 1992, MTV launched
a music show entitled 'Yo! MTV raps', and, by 1993, 80 percent of
teenagers 'favoured the [hip-hop] style'.

Although the relationship between youth culture and consumption

culture is not as simple as it was initially thought, it can be directly related
to each other.