Over the last 40 years, hip-hop music has been at the center of the debate over the influence of music on society. Critics argue that hip-hop has corroded American culture, that its glorification of misbehavior and female promiscuity promoted perverse morals in young people. Fans of hip-hip say it depicts reality; that it tells the stories America would rather disregard, or that the music is another form of entertainment and shouldn”t be taken seriously. Both arguments ignore the connection between the evolution of hip-hop and the American decades of my generation.
Hip-hop was born during a transition in America history. The 1960s had been a decade of historic struggles: hard-fought victories for civil rights and violent clashes over the Vietnam War. The 1970s provided a moment to exhale from these tensions. The issues continued but pop culture was less political.
One of the changes in pop culture came from block parties in the Bronx. For these parties, disc jockeys invented unique beats by mixing and matching different genres of music. Soon, people begin speaking lyrically over the beats, a practice originally referred to as emceeing and later as rapping. New dances, like breaking and b-boying — dances characterized by moving distinctly to the beat — developed. These were the early days of hip-hop, before it had a name. The music, and the culture that sprung from it, focused on the necessary ingredients for a party.
Unfortunately, the crack epidemic crashed the party. In the 1980s, drug suppliers realized cocaine could be produced in a cheaper form that was also more potent. The combination of lower prices and instant highs made the new form of cocaine, referred to as crack, accessible and addictive on a large scale. This resulted in a dramatic rise in use, which had devastating consequences, such as significant increases in the crime and arrest rates for young black males. For instance, economists report that the homicide rate for black males aged 14 to 24 nearly doubled between 1984 and 1994 as a result of the distribution of crack.
The crack epidemic also changed the tone of hip-hop. In the 1980s, hip-hop started to reflect the outbreak of crack in the inner city. The lyrics glamorized the confrontational lifestyles of drug dealers and gangs. Artists used profanity to harshly criticized authority, particularly the police. This type of hip-hop, called “gangsta rap,” was more commercially successful and controversial than the previous music. These rappers claimed to be describing the realities of the inner city, but the music also popularized the drug trade and created a culture around it.
This culture pressured boys from towns, like Columbus, and from strong families, like mine, to replicate the negative behavior in the lyrics, which spread the epidemic.
Next, the commercial success of hip-hop created a new style. The success forced record labels to pay attention, but executives wanted to profit from hip-hop”s popularity without embracing its negativity. This became easier because the commercial success made popular rappers rich, and these rappers could afford expensive clothes, jewelry, and cars. As a result, rappers made songs highlighting this success, and the upscale parties and liaisons with multiple women that came with it. These songs didn”t promote violence, although many objectified women, so they were less controversial for the record labels but just as popular with fans.
This shift in hip-hop coincided with the historic economic gains of the 1990s. This period experienced the longest peacetime economic expansion in American history. Consequently, my generation thought the glamorous lifestyle described in hip-hop during this time was available to us. Of course, the recent recession revealed that this expansion included high consumer and mortgage debt. Now, my generation enters a workforce with high unemployment and weak economic growth.
However, unlike past decades, hip-hop hasn”t evolved to reflect this reality. Mainstream hip-hop still produces three types of music: dance songs identifiable with the birth of hip-hop; songs depicting the drug epidemic, or songs describing parties people can”t attend and luxuries people can”t afford. A huge vacuum exist, and, unless a sub-genres or underground movement emerges, hip-hop will lose a large part of its audience in my generation.
Scott Colom is a local attorney.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.