justhiphopthings-blog

[justhiphopthings-blog]

After reading this article by Patriot Post writer, Patrick Hampton, I was amazed by the interesting perspective he gave on Hip-Hop in America. This whole semester, we have been discussing hip hop and the history, purpose, and meaning of its culture. One of the key points we learned in class was that hip-hop is becoming more mainstream, if not THE mainstream. Because of the large impact this genre of music has had on today’s American society, Hampton questions the purpose and necessity of its existence.

The title of Hampton’s article is, “Hip-Hop: The Cancer of American Culture,” which already indicates his concern and distaste in the culture. He opens with a disclaimer, but not to Hip-Hop fans and artists, but to those who have been affected by cancer. His main argument is combining the similarities of how cancer cells kill their host and how hip-hop culture is destroying our nation (Hampton, 2019). He then begins giving examples of how hip-hop music and culture has been “antithetical,” to the values of Americans (Hampton, 2019).

In today’s hip-hop music, this genre has become seen as out of pocket and having no lines of morality. There is excessive use of violent, sexist, and anti-American ideas incorporated into the music, according to Hampton, so I can see how he is surprised at how the genre is only growing in numbers. In class we talked about religious teacher and philosopher, KRS-ONE, and how he views hip-hop culture. Similarly Hampton references him as well and even notes how the prophet once said, “Hip-Hop culture is a rebellious response to white American capitalism,” which is not wrong. In class we learned that a lot of hip-hop’s roots was expressing the ugly and the bad side of life, even if it was hard to accept and promote. It was real.

He also mentions how King of Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, raps in one of his songs, “Jesus can’t save you. Life begins when the Church ends,” which infuriated Hampton because he cannot accept these expressions as a form of art, which in his opinion, is a detriment to America (Hampton, 2019). He also mentions Nipsey Hussle’s gang affiliation being promoted because of his recent unfortunate death, which upset him as well.

While Hampton makes some valid points, I don’t think it’s fair to discredit any of these artists and their beliefs. If Jay-Z doesn’t believe in God, he is allowed to say so. Just because traditionally Americans had Christian values, does not mean the America we live in today doesn’t accept other religions. We are literally known as the land of the free! Free to believe and express as we feel. Although Hip-hop has made a heavy impact on society, that is up to the individual to accept and believe in their own values.

[justhiphopthings-blog]

https://www.faithwire.com/2019/01/09/i-am-a-christian-kanye-west-kim-kardashian-talk-about-praying-daily-for-their-children-who-are-a-gift-from-god/Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are one of the most famous celebrity couples right now and almost anyone in the world can identify these individuals. Kanye West is a Grammy Award winning hip hop artist and producer who is considered legendary and has been known to jumpstart man careers for other artists. His wife, Kim Kardashian, has been a television personality for almost 12 years now and the couple are both very interested in fashion and the industry.

Aside from their material lives that we all see everywhere online and on TV, the couple and their children hold strong values regarding their religious beliefs. Kanye West is known for his very outspoken tweets, thoughts, and beliefs. There has been several times where he even contradicts his beliefs, but simply tells his fans and followers he changes his mind. Not too long ago on Twitter, he posted a series of tweets saying, “God answers your prayer three ways. Yes not yet of I have a better plan for you,” and also mentioning that his favorite phone application is the bible app. On New Year’s Day he firmly confirmed his religious beliefs by tweeting, “We will change the world. God is on my side. I am a Christian. I am a tax payer. I am myself. God is with us,” which reiterates his faith.

I find this topic to be interesting because of the controversy. If Kanye West is a devout Christian, why does he say certain things and why does he think it is okay? West has been known to be a Trump supporter and earlier even said, “Slavery was a choice.” Fans and followers were extremely confused and even hurt that he could say such a thing. The rapper also got involved in some Twitter beef with Canadian rapper Drake and shared some unpleasant thoughts and responses. I also am very confused at times when West does certain things, but I can only respect him.

The father of three, soon to be four, has recently started a worship service every Sunday called, “Sunday Service,” which has been shown throughout all of social media. It consists of Kanye and a bunch of musicians and a choir who sing gospel songs and worship all together alongside family and friends. Because this event has gotten so much attention, Kanye will be doing a Sunday Service for Easter Sunday at Coachella weekend two. I think it is very noble and pure of him to put on such an event for his friends and family every Sunday, while also raising his kids in such an environment. Kim and Kanye told sources that they believe each one of their children is a gift from God, whether through birth or via surrogate. Both parents come from religious backgrounds and plan on raising their children the same way.

So although Kanye and Kim do not necessarily live a conservative Christian lifestyle, I think the way they incorporate it within their lives says enough. They proclaim their faith proudly and even though Kanye is a hip hop artist who too has vulgar and sexual language within his music, that doesn’t mean that is the only side to him. While his hip hop expresses certain feelings, his gospel is a reflection of what he sees himself at the end of the day.

https://www.faithwire.com/2019/01/09/i-am-a-christian-kanye-west-kim-kardashian-talk-about-praying-daily-for-their-children-who-are-a-gift-from-god/

[justhiphopthings-blog]

If you follow hip-hop/rap news, then you know the recent internet beef between rapper Kodak Black and female rapper Young M.A. Kodak Black is a hip hop/mumble rap artist from Florida who is known for his countless albums and various legal issues. Kodak was accused of many cases of sexual assault along with possession of illegal substances. He spent about a year in prison and was released June, 2017.

Katorah Marrero, more famously known as, Young M.A. is a hip-hop artist from New York City. She is openly lesbian and makes it very clear in her music, which is very controversial, especially in the hip-hop community. Although there have been many cases of hip hop artists coming out and expressing their sexuality, it is still pretty recent that society and the community have been somewhat acceptive of it. Because homophobia is prevalent in many songs in this genre, it is hard for rappers like Young M.A. to gain all the respect and credit she deserves from others, including artists as well. This relates to a theme we talked about in class on inequality and LGBTQ in hip-hop.

Among Kodak Black’s many outrageous comments and accusations, his beef with Young M.A. has been the most recent outbreak. It all started when Black shooted his shot at the New York rapper via a comment on Instagram. It was on fellow New York rapper, Nicki Minaj’s Instagram. The two females were photographed together and Kodak left a comment saying, “Both Of Y’all a Get It,” which suggests a sexual advance towards the rappers (Preezy, 2019). Fans and followers found it a bit strange that a rapper like Kodak, who uses homophobic language in his music made that comment.

In class we talked about the four archetypes of female hip hop artists which include: Queen Mother, Fly Girl, Sistas With Attitude, and Lesbians. While Queen Mothers and Fly Girls tend to be more feminine and depict the traditional appearance of women, SWA and Lesbians take a more aggressive, arrogant, and defiant approach that rebels against the stereotypes of women. Young M.A. would identifies as a lesbian and Minaj a Sista With Attitude and we can definitely see these attitudes and approaches in their musical style and overall appearance as well.

Kodak then released his single, “Pimping Ain’t Eazy,” in February, in which he mentions Young M.A. on the track by saying, “I go Young M.A on these dumb bitches, Like a dyke man, you n***** can't f*** with me,” with a few more lines added here and there referencing the female artist. This insensitive use of M.A’s name in the single made fans and followers anxious to hear a response from her. She later went on Instagram live and peacefully said, “ Come on, obviously the n**** is weird, bro. Obviously, he on some s***, bro," (Preezy, 2019). Her positive attitude and response made her look very unbothered and carefree.

This recent news was brought to my attention because it still baffles me that people, especially artists like Kodak, are showing their homophobic tendencies in 2019. I think Young M.A. is a talented and amazing representation not only for the LGBTQ community, but for the lesbians in female hip hop culture as well. Her courage and bravery sets an example for all who struggle with expressing their sexuality and I think her story is a personable and relatable experience many can agree with.

[justhiphopthings-blog]

One of the main subgenres of hip-hop that we discuss in class is, “Gangster rap,” which is also known as west coast hip hop. This genre highlights themes like afrocentricity, self empowerment, and reclaiming identity. With hip hop only getting more popular and mainstream, it gets a little difficult to not only categorize these subgenres, but also justify whether they are religiously accepted.

North Carolina Central University student, Kyrie Mason, is a heavy reader of theology, philosophy, and social sciences, who has brought up the controversy between hip-hop and religion. Throughout this article, Mason gives examples of how hip hop music or “trap” can be translated and can have so much more hidden meaning when taking a closer look. Although gangster rap dominated hip-hop culture for a long time, Mason believes trap music is taking over. We learned in class that Hip-Hop began in the 1970’s, in Harlem, New York, and then the west coast developed a subgenre of their own. Now, the south has their own subgenre of hip hop as well, known as trap, which originated in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the beginning of the semester, we were given a chart and we had to identify certain characteristics of hip hop and describe how they can and cannot relate to religion. It was hard at first, but when we started to think more deeply about things and their multiple meanings, it came easy. Similarly, Mason, who is a devout christian, emphasizes how the spirit of Jesus is in trap music. He mentioned how although this genre depicts profanity, money, sex, and violence, it also shows the great desire people have of getting more out of this world (Mason, 2019).

Mason talked about artist Vince Staples, who released a track called, “Lift Me Up,” in which he mentions himself praying to Jehovah. This track not only inspired many young black people at the time, but Mason’s philosophy as well. He then talked about artist Future and his song, “Trap N****s,” which the artist claimed to be, “Motivational.” Future also describes the term “trap” as the place where you make money or wherever your hustle is (Mason, 2019). This allowed Mason to view the meaning of trap differently.

In class we also discussed the recurring theme of Nihilism, which is the idea that life is meaningless and all religions and beliefs are disregarded. I thought it was interesting how he connected artist Juice Wrld’s music with this theme. In his song, “Empty,” Juice Wrld expresses the loneliness and nihilism that people face in society. This is important because just as some cry to God for help, others do the opposite and cry to their lack of fulfillment. It is important to African American culture because it creates a form of expression for a culture of people who faced and still face a world of inequality (Mason, 2019).  

So although a lot of hip hop music may be vulgar or inappropriate, basically what Mason is trying to say is, that it is all about how you interpret it. Even if a song seems explicit from the first encounter, there is a deeper, more important underlying message within it.

[justhiphopthings-blog]

Noah Shufutinsky is a college student, rapper, and artist who is passionate about expressing not only his ethnic background, but his view on stereotypes and today’s society as well. Shufutinsky is a sophomore majoring in Judaic studies, but enjoys  writing, recording, and producing hip-hop and rap music when he’s not busy studying. He goes by the stage name, Young Gravy and has been making music for almost his entire life.

The rapper is of black and Jewish descent and in his music he shares the controversies and struggles he faces within society because of his race. Because of this ongoing theme in his art, his execution consists of a lot of in-your-face attitude as we learned in class. Although he is currently a student at George Washington University, Gravy is originally from San Diego and never fails to mention it throughout his music, showing great pride and appreciation for his roots. In this article, he also mentions he was inspired by infamous west coast rapper, Tupac, whom we all know is a legendary urban prophet.

The artist uses a storytelling technique like a vast majority of hip-hop artists, but what I find interesting about his style, is the fact that he is so young, well-rounded, and passionate about his career in not only music, but life as well. He also addresses many issues in hip-hop culture itself like gender discrimination, colorism, and drug abuse. Because the artist is a Judaic studies major, he truly takes everything he learns and puts it into his music. Shufutinsky applies his studies to his passion, which is the best blend when creating art.

This piece impacted me personally because just like Noah, I take pride in my ethnicity and culture as well. My parents are immigrants from Ukraine who came to America for the freedom and liberty desired by all and to give their children a better life. Learning about my parents and their struggles made me appreciate not only them, but recognize the trials and tribulations many other people of different backgrounds face as well. In his song, ”American Dream,” he talks about how his father is an immigrant and how his parents worked very hard for his future, which I found relatable. Even though we come from different backgrounds, Noah and his music enlightened me and reminded me that even though we have different backgrounds, we can still relate. It also reminded me about rising above circumstances, which we learned in class. Because life is unfair, we must rise above and play the cards we are dealt with in life.

[justhiphopthings-blog]

In this video of hip hop artist, A$AP Rocky on the red carpet at Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Gala, he talked a little about the motives of his music. As we learned in class, hip hop originated in 1973, in New York. Rocky is in fact from Harlem, New York and this definitely makes a strong impact in his art, as well of his pride in representing hip hop culture. A$AP Rocky’s real name is Rakim Mayers, but like most hip hop artists, he renamed himself and adopted a stage name. When artists rename themselves, usually it is to represent how they see or want to see themselves. In this case, Rocky was formerly in the A$AP Mob crew; A$AP standing for: Always Strive and Prosper and his mom always called him “Rocky,” for a nickname, so the stage name was naturally thought up. This also reminded me of Tupac’s tattoo across his chest that said, “Thug Life,” which stood for "The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody."

At the end of the interview, Rocky was asked to give his opinion of the representation of hip-hop at this year’s Grammys. He said, “I’m glad that hip-hop is actually getting the credit it deserves and a lot of the hip-hop artists are being nominated for a lot of awards because hip-hop has now transcended and grown bigger than pop and now we are the pop genre. We’re bigger than that. We sell more records and everything. We're more popular,” (Schiller, 2019). This reminded me of when guest speaker, Parker Edison, came to speak to the class and emphasized the shift of hip hop becoming mainstream. Because it is such a popularly-growing genre, it has started to take over on all music streaming platforms. It is crazy to see how a genre that started completely underground is mainstream in today’s society.

A$AP Rocky goes on to mention how upset he is that his video productions do not get the credit/attention they deserve. All his music videos are designed and directed by the artist himself, and he feels that he is Grammy worthy. He described his videos as, “...so eclectic, they're so futuristic, and most of the time conceptual to the point where it takes a lot of intel and intellect to kinda grasp what I mean,” (Schiller, 2019). Like most hip hop artists, Rocky is inspired from his rough early-life and childhood, especially growing up in Harlem; the capital city of hip-hop. He hopes to leave a legacy to his fans and his culture. He ended the interview by highlighting the efforts that go into his work and that he wants his fans to remember him as an innovator.

Additional Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASAP_Rocky

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/1555884/20-stories-behind-rappers-stage-names-waka-flocka-jay-z-more

[justhiphopthings-blog]

Michael Santiago Render, more commonly known as Killer Mike, is an African American activist, rapper, singer, record producer, and actor. Recently, he spoke at his barber shop in Atlanta, by the name of The Swag Shop that he co-owns with his wife Shay Bigga. In honor of black history month, the Run the Jewels member did a story with Rolling Out Magazine and talked about several controversial topics including: sports, music, politics, music, education, crime, capitalism, and religion. Although he strongly advocates his beliefs, especially with the platform his barber shop, he still allows all and everyone’s opinion to be apart of his discussions.

Killer Mike identifies his music as alternative hip hop and conscious hip hop. Conscious hip hop is a subgenera of hip hop the emphasizes the struggles in social issues and conflicts among society. In class we talked about themes in hip hop and within conscious hip hop there are themes including: religion, Afrocentricity, aversion to crime and violence, culture, the economy, and the struggles of ordinary people. Although Mike’s music is more southern and mainstream, he shares some similar qualities in his music to west coast, in-your-face, gangsta rap/hip hop. In fact, in his song, “Ghetto Gospel,” he uses many religious/testimonial themes in the song. The hook being, “Oh Lord, Jesus, glory, Oh Lord.” He is expressing his struggle with his faith. He tells the Lord he prays, but asks him if he is even listening. Render’s music highlights the struggles of his childhood and family life growing up in Atlanta. In the music video, it depicts him going to church, as well as doing stereotypical rebellious acts. This shows his battle with his faith and how he feels as if his prayers are unheard.

In an episode of his Netflix series, Trigger Warning, he discusses religion and faith and  shares his view on the idea of the White Jesus Christ. He believes that Blacks will have a hard time loving themselves when their God is White (Shaw, 2019). Mike finds the idea of worshipping a deity that resembles the oppressor as a challenge in his faith. He further explains this belief by explaining his view,

“How can you see divinity in yourself if you don’t see yourself,” Killer Mike said. “If you’re looking at an image that looks like the image of the oppressor and you’re told that this person is the image of God, then you are being told to subconsciously think your oppression is ordained by God. You subconsciously believe that in order to get to God, you have to participate or cooperate with your oppressor and you don’t see divinity in yourself. And because you think you need an intermediary between you and God, you disconnect what you’re already connected to. I don’t participate in any of the big three religions. I don’t think it’s good for Black people to period, to be honest” (Shaw, 2019).

His opinion on challenges of faith within the African American culture also reminded me of the concept of nihilism, which we learned about in class a week or two ago. Nihilism is the idea that life is meaningless and anyone who identifies themselves as a nihilist, disregards all ideas of religion/beliefs. Although we learned about Nihilism in West coast hip hop, it can be found is other forms of hip hop as well.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_Mike#Solo_albums

https://rollingout.com/2019/02/14/killer-mike-takes-on-education-religion-and-the-reality-of-trigger-warning/

[justhiphopthings-blog]

Although he does not identify himself as a “Christian rapper”, Lecrae Devaughn Moore truly emphasizes his beliefs throughout his music. The hip hop artist, mononymously known as Lecrae, was born in Houston, Texas and was raised in a Christian household growing up. When he was only about 5 or 6-years-old, he started getting more into music, specifically hip hop because of his older cousins. Because he grew up always going to his grandmother’s house, Lecrae and his family became very close. This is why family is and always will be a very important aspect in his career and life. “I don't think you can understand your purpose or what you're here for without guidance, without community, without people around you to tell you what your potential is and to help you maximize that” (Witte, 2019). One of the many factors that sets Lecrae apart from other hip hop artists are his motives. While many performers rap and sing about securing a bag, chasing a check, and having bentleys, Lecrae dismisses all those things and strives to make all his music more meaningful. He raps about his faith and tells stories in order to inspire and send a message to his listeners. Although many hip hop artists rename themselves to give their audience a better representation of who they truly are, Lecrae kept his iconic name and has made major impacts on his fans. He is well aware that the youth is influenced by music, especially hip hop, and with the platform that he has for himself, “Lecrae not only accepts his position as a role model, he embraces it” (Witte, 2019).

One of his biggest inspirations was Tupac Shakur because he told a story when he rapped. Before Lecrae became his own artist, he would try to copy other artists and would write down everything he thought they might say. Eventually, he began having his own experiences and developed the sound and style that makes him the artist he is today. Because he was moved by the way Tupac’s music taught us lessons, similarly, Lecrae’s music does the same. This idea of teaching others and enlightening one another with valuable life lessons is Lecrae’s main goal when it comes to spreading the word. Ultimately, Lecrae strives to be the voice and mentor for those who need it. In the past few years, he has partnered up with Peace Preparatory Academy (a school and resource center in Atlanta, Georgia) and is continuing to make an impact with children that need a family/community foundation in their lives. With a successful rap career and strong faith in his beliefs, Lecrae has become a valuable aspect of the hip hop culture.