by Nick Todd

Created on: June 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

I am sad to hear people think there is a big connection between graffiti and hip hop music. While there might be, do we not think there is a connection between rock music and graffiti? Have people only done graffiti in the last 10 years? Of course not! Graffiti can not be blamed on a certain genre of music. When there was jazz in the 40s, people 'attacked' buildings and walls and streets with graffiti. New styles of music have always influcenced the younger generation of people. Though the sounds of the music has changed, the connection between the music and art and vandalism has not changed. The spirit of the music and the youth has been the same and will never change unless something huge hits us that causes us to change in some type of reformation. As the Beatles started a 'Revolution' I guess one thing they didn't change was the youth. 'Soulja Boy' has the same ideas as Elvis and as Pink Floyd and Ray Charles.

People live in the streets today just as they did when the Beatles were around, as they did when we had the Carpenters at the top. As Lil Wayne is on top, he knows there are people living on the streets. People in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s did drugs. People in the 2000s do drugs. There were drunks in the 1800s, the 1500s, and in Jesus' time. There are drunks today. People gambled on street corners in the B.C.E.s! People gamble on the street corners today. The point I'm trying to make is that while you may think hip hop music condones graffiti, it didn't invent it! Just because the older group of people don't like the hip hop music and think they are all on drugs, were not the Beatles and Elvis and Johnny Cash in their time? When they owned the world and influenced the youth? Didn't they take part in what the young people today do?

All that changes is the sound. Hip hop brings in many different genres of music including rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, and even some bluegrass. You have the same beats. You have the same time signitures. You have the same loudness and softness (dynamics) you have the same themes to songs: love. The lyrics have many similarites. You have bass, you have treble. You have males singing, you have females singing. You have chords and chord progressions. You have tempo. You have crime. You have vandalism. You have parties! You have youth. You have dancing! You have clubs. You have graffiti!

Learn more about this author, Nick Todd.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.