by Simon Gangadeen

Created on: May 13, 2008

Hip Hop Music: Negative Music?

Throughout my adolescent years, I have enjoyed listening to Hip Hop music; primarily it was the beat' and the flow' which caught my attention rather than the words itself. But as the years went on, Hip Hop was becoming a cultural phenomenon and was branching out into the fashion market as well as becoming recognised world-wide today. Arguably, some say Hip Hop was becoming more popular due to the mergence of the gangster rap sub-genre.

Rappers such as Tupac Shakur and B.I.G led the front line for gangsta rap, basing their lyrics on their past personal experiences. Those who knew where they came from were the ones who were their biggest fans; however those outside their culture scrutinized their lyrics and the people who listened to them.

Many anti-Hip Hop say the real concern was for adolescents of today listening to their music and becoming engrossed in the rappers lifestyle, believing that they must live the "gangsta life" to be like their role model i.e. the way they dress, talk and treat women. Gangsta rap also became under great criticism from the law, not only did the music promote a lack of respect for women (b*tches or whores), drug usage, guns but also viewing the police as victimising, racist "pigs".

Yet it was the bitter rivalry which caused more animosity amongst Hip Hops loyal fans The East Coast- West Coast rivalry. Some say the media caused the rivalry between the two coasts even though the rappers 2pac and Biggie were good friends at the time. But as more news reports were pouring through stating who was the best rapper they begun to divide causing a rift between the two coasts.

As the rift became bigger, the media spot light was on Hip Hop, giving it more of a world wide name but for the wrong reasons. More listeners, primarily male, were adopting the gangsta lifestyle even though they were not from the same town or culture as the rapper. Without the right sanctions from parents and TV watershed, young adolescents are listening to the music and also adopting their traits and police are arresting any gangsta-like activities.

So is Hip Hop music as negative as the media might suggest? Who fault is it as to why child are listening to Hip Hop or gangster rap - The rappers or the parents? Is Hip Hop or Gangsta to blame for why Hollywood depicts black people as "gangsta's" and not anything else? Is Hip Hop Music Negative music?

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