Narrative Essay on Hip-Hop free essay sample

Newly Jugular Growing up in the sasss and the asss I became a huge fan of Hip-Hop music. My friends and I used to sit around for hours listening to our favorite rappers on the radio and watching the videos on television. We would argue for hours about who was a better lyricist and why. Now as I have grown older and the music I have grown to love and still listen to has changed, I find myself asking a very good question. What has changed in Hip-Hop from the time I was started listening to now? The answer is as complex as it is simple, the music itself has changed.The Hip-Hop music of today seems to be more commercial as opposed to being artistic and message driven. In the late 1 cays Into the asss, Hip-Hop was starting to really take off and be recognized as a powerful voice for the young people of America. We will write a custom essay sample on Narrative Essay on Hip-Hop or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Public Enemy and various artists referred to the music as the CNN of the ghetto. There was a lot of diversity in the music in terms of artists and the message that was being delivered through the music. Artists like Public Enemy, Eric B. Amp; Racism, X-Clan and Boogie Down Productions rhyming about uplifting the African American race and the problems that faced an entire race.Public Enemys record, Fight the Power, symbolized the attitude of the young people living In the ghetto neighborhoods around the country. Hip-Hop at this time was the vehicle relaying the message that Black people were tired of being overlooked and treated like they were less than nothing. You had songs that spoke to the core of the anger of an entire race of people who not scared to say what was on their minds and were not concerned bout making money. Another song that spoke to being original and creative would be A Tribe Called Quests Scenario.This song featured verses from Busts Rhymes and The Leaders of The New School. The song was and still Is one of the favorites of people who grew up listening to Hip-Hop. Songs like this have been replaced by songs focusing solely on sex, money, drugs and violence. As the music of Hip-Hop shifted from underground to mainstream, the integrity and creativity began to suffer. Record labels began dictating to the artist what was to be considered Hip-Hop. Artists like Soul]a Boy Teller, Drake, and Ill Wayne are at the forefront of the Hip-Hop of today.The majority of the content In their music reflects the voice of the younger Hip-Hop generation, Songs Like Lollipop, Get Money, and No Hands only talk about money and sex. The overall criticism has been the lack of diversity in the music. Crank that Soul]a Boy was a big hit for Soul Boy Teller but to Hip-Hop purists, the song lacked creativity and lyrical content. Another difference between the eras would be in radio play. Leafy Daffy, by DEL, was another Eng that was a big hit commercially that several people use as an example for the radio and hear different records with a variation of styles and song content.Today, if you on the radio, you will hear what many would consider the same type of rap record being made by different artists. The reason behind the lack of creativity is believed to be because artists and record labels are more concerned about record sales and money. In closing I wanted to simply compare the two eras of music in regards to lyrical content and what has changed. Artists like Moms Deaf, Kenya West, Common and there strive to bring lyrical creativity and a message like the artists who came before them.The newer artists of today seem to not be too concerned with providing lyrical in their music. They seem more concerned with the money that Hip-Hop is generating and how many women they can sleep with, how much money they made, and how involved in the drug selling they are. The lack of creativity and diversity in the music has led to much criticism and album sales have suffered. There are several people hoping that the creativity returns to the music that began in the parks of New York City some thirty years ago.