In order for me to get a clear understanding of the relationship Spoken Word and Hip-hop has with one another I needed to research the history of the Hip-hop culture and where it came from. I found that Hip-hop was "founded in the mid 1970's [as] an artistic and cultural movement based on three distinct elements: rapping, breakdancing and graffiti art" (“Beats”). In the 70's Hip Hop artists wrote lyrics that were based off of the realities of urban life in the Bronx. Both Hip Hop and Spoken Word embody a postmodern aesthetic meaning they reach a wide range of audiences at national and international levels, regardless of race, culture and ethnicity. From a cultural standpoint, both use powerful language to articulate the experiences and marginality …show more content…
Hip-Hop was founded by African Americans and within their culture Spoken Word highlights the importance of oral storytelling. As described by professor and music writer Robert Cataliotti, "these oral traditions serve not merely as pieces of history; rather they have provided a way of remembering, a way of enduring, a way of mourning, a way of celebrating, a way of protesting and subverting, and, ultimately, a way of triumphing." From trying to trace the history of this genre I came to the conclusion that it is important to know that this art form has deeper roots, and that those who take part are continuing a much older cultural practice. Even though Spoken Word is very often characterized as a new, underground artistic movement, it's imperative to know that Spoken Word has been around for as long as language has. It is one of the oldest artistic practices that we have. The griot, the storyteller, the person responsible for orally passing down information from generation to generation: every culture on earth has some kind of equivalent to …show more content…
He was born in the early 1970's in East Harlem, New York and tragically died 25 years later in Las Vegas. During an NPR interview about Tupac's legacy, writer Kevin Powell describes him as, "an artist who came from the people and decided that his work was going to reflect the conditions that were going on in America during his lifetime — his short 25 years on this planet" (Powell). Just like most Spoken Word poets Tupac used his life experiences and background to elevate his music career. Tupac shows a level of maturity in his some of his music where he talks about his mistakes in life. Tupac and Spoken Word poets show vulnerability and honesty in their work while avoiding mainstream lyrics and topics involving pop culture. Tupac was also recognized for his effort to spread a positive influential movement to young people. He acknowledged his rough background but did not let it define him. He gave credit to the streets teaching him how to become a better man. His albums content varied from topics of trust to social discrimination. He struggled with the society he was trapped in and the moral obligations he felt inclined to. In one song he talked about being a player and in another called "Keep Ya Head Up" Tupac wrote lyrics centered around women empowerment. He raps," And since we all came from a woman. Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman. I wonder why we take from our women" (Tupac).
Tupac grew up in New York city. Tupac had to overcome many obstacles but a major obstacle he had to face was being arrested with sexual harassment t charges. He also spent time in jail because he was accused of assaulting a director. Instead of people inspiring him, tupac’s lyrics was actually inspired by the hard lifestyle he grew up on. Many people would look up to him because of his very real music.Many people
Rap music, also known as hip-hop, is a popular art form. Having risen from humble origins on the streets of New York City during the mid-1970s, hip-hop has since become a multifaceted cultural force. Indeed, observers say, hip-hop is more than just music. The culture that has blossomed around rap music in recent decades has influenced fashion, dance, television, film and—perhaps what has become the most controversially—the attitudes of American youth. For many rappers and rap fans during it’s early time, hip-hop provided an accurate, honest depiction of city life that had been considered conspicuously absent from other media sources, such as television. With a growing number of rap artists within this period, using hip-hop as a platform to call for social progress and impart positive messages to listeners, the genre entered a so-called Golden Age
I enjoyed Rebecca Walker’s descriptions of the hip hop culture when she was younger. I did enjoy the author’s style, she explains how she discovered what hip-hop “was”, and how it didn’t only change her but, and how it has changed the way people think about hip-hop too. Walker states, “That desire to come together irrespective of superficial differences and sometimes in celebration of them, was what gave hip-hop authenticity that was what kept it honest.” (From the story Before Hip-Hop Was Hip-Hop). If you asked someone today what they think hip-hop is, they wouldn’t actually know. "
The author was categorical on various issues related to Hip-Hop music and other genres such as Jazz and Rap. The major assertion was that Hip-Hop has grown and attracted attention of many black Americans and media. Maybe, this was the only way that they could have expressed their discontent and tribulations they were facing especially from a political perspective. The author asserts that Hip-Hop was mainly an avenue to show resistance and the call for deliverance of black Americans.
Tupac Amaru Shakur. Tupac was a famous American rapper and had a lot of songs that he wrote.He was also a actor. He sold over 75 million records worldwide. Tupac was born in Lesane Parish Crooks June 16, 1971 East harlem, New York, U.S. On September 13, 1996 Tupac was shot a lot of times and died from gun shot wounds at the age of 25 in Las Vegas. He was a singer from 1987 to 1996. In his career he was a Rapper, Activist, Poet, Actor, Record producer, and a song writer, Also he played an instrument called the Vocals. He was listed one of the greatest Artists of all time. He began his career as a roadie, Backup dancer, and MC for the alternate hip hop group Digital Underground. Most of his songs where about violence, hardship, and racism.
Tupac Shakur was an iconic artist, actor, and poet in the 20th century. He was born on June 16, 1971, in Manhattan, New York, and raised by his mother, Afeni Shakur. Tupac supported violence and impacted the gang culture tremendously. Most of the songs were about having a successful life and not letting other conflicts harm you. Despite the music, his films were also astonishing as it was part of his legacy. Like West Coast rappers, Tupac faces problems with other East Coast rappers such as Jay-Z and Dr. Dre. On September 13, 1996, he died after mysteriously killed in his vehicle the previous
Today, rap music is an ever growing genre of music that is often centered on hedonistic pursuits such as wealth, cars, drinks, and fame. About forty years ago, however, rap music focused on an entirely different subject matter. During the 1970s, African Americans sung rap songs to express the need for Black empowerment in society; though their form of singing was not called rapping back then, it was called spoken word poetry, a form of song in which verses of poetry were performed with a fixed beat before an audience. African Americans used this style of singing to express the discontent with the economics and politics during the 1970s. The black population was still economically and politically powerless
This chapter is about the birth of hip-hop in the south Bronx and how African and African American culture greatly influenced rap/hip-hop. The evolution of rap evolved from spoken word, which sprung from African American tradition. However, many fail to realize Afro-Caribbean culture’s emergence on the evolution of hip-hop. Younger generations admire their favorite rappers and artist because they embody the same struggles they face in their life. Tiongson later goes on to stress the enormous impact hip hop had on an African American culture that poets and artist do not realize. Although artist may not see it, their work has become a positive light for young kids in the black community.
When thinking of the Hip-Hop industry, one of the first names that comes to mind is Tupac Shakur. Shakur was born in the Bronx on June 16, 1971. He was reared by his mother Afeni Shakur who was an active member of the Black Panthers. Tupac's family later relocated to Oakland, California, where he spent much of his time on the street. As a kid, he was always getting himself into trouble, and he was very lonely. He started writing songs to keep himself out of trouble. An article from VIBE magazine "Troubled Times for Tupac Shakur" quotes Tupac. "'I was lonely, I didn't have no big brothers, no big cousins until later. I could remember writing songs.... I remember writing poetry.' " 1 Tupac was talented in the areas of
In the 1970s the shockwave that would be known as hip hop rose from the economic situation of New York City, especially the black and Latino neighborhoods. However, while hip hop music was born in the Bronx, it both is part of and speaks to a long line of black American and African cultural traditions. Many observers also make a connection between rap and West African griot tradition, the art of wandering storytellers known for their knowledge of local settings and superior vocal skills. Additionally, rhymed verses are an important part of African American culture in both the public and private realms.
In order to understand hip-hop dance, it is important to recognize hip-hop music and where it came from. Many scholars of rap music relate the founding of rap to African and African American oral and musical traditions, specifically African griots and storytellers. They link the rhythm of rap to the use of drums in Africa and to African American music in the United States, from slave songs and spirituals to jazz and R&B. Scholars have found very interesting connections between rap music and Black nationalist traditions (traditions historically practiced by black people that serve as part of their racial identity). Rap is similar to the “call and response of the black church, the joy and pain of the blues, the jive talk and slang of the hipsters and jazz musicians, the boasting of street talk, the sidesplitting humor of comedians, and the articulateness of black activists.” All of these African American oral traditions, including rap, can be traced back to West African oral traditions. In traditional African societies, the spoken word and oral culture included poetry, storytelling, and speaking to drumbeats. The links between rap music and African American oral and musical traditions demonstrate that hip-hop music represents more than just sound. It represents history. This aspect of it, in my opinion, makes this type of music very unique and makes it carry more value.
Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that emerged from the dilapidated South Bronx, New York in the early 1970’s. The area’s mostly African American and Puerto Rican residents originated this uniquely American musical genre and culture that over the past four decades has developed into a global sensation impacting the formation of youth culture around the world. The South Bronx was a whirlpool of political, social, and economic upheaval in the years leading up to the inception of Hip-Hop. The early part of the 1970’s found many African American and Hispanic communities desperately seeking relief from the poverty, drug, and crime epidemics engulfing the gang dominated neighborhoods. Hip-Hop proved to be successful as both a creative outlet for
If we look back at the origins of hip hop it is clear that rap began as a form of expression that allowed black people to stand up to prejudice. The soul that hip hop music communicates is rooted in oppression and marginalization from white people as far back as slavery, to the long time fight for freedom and equality. Hip hop is a
In the early 70's, a Jamaican, DJ known as Kool Herc attempted to combine his Jamaican style of disk jockey, that involved reciting improvised rhymes over the dub versions of his reggae records (Davey 1). He also invented turntables, which kept the music going, with the occasional voice on the top of records, which started the roots of rap music. Over time, the culture broke into mainstream, spread around the world, and young people who did not have much to do, created not only multi-million industry, but have also created a way we can speak to each other all around the world. Hip hop is linked to other music such as rap which is embraced by urban black population. It is raw self-expression, sometimes features expletive lyrics, and violence. “Hip hop artists spoke to despair and pain of urban youth and the poor who were often without a voice. The rappers themselves were, the product of that reality, and it was conveyed through their lyrics” (Muhammad 1).
As thorough and rewarding as Bradley’s close reading can be, it is this sole focus that becomes problematic in Book of Rhymes. He stays on the surface, privileging the discussion of linguistic elements over cultural impact. He begins his wordplay chapter with an anecdote about a friend who disapproves of the misogynistic and violent elements of the Notorious B.I.G.’s lyrics, a qualm addressed by Bradley in a customary manner: “It’s not what he’s saying, it’s how he’s saying it” (86). Bradley is partially correct; how he’s saying it is the aesthetically appealing aspect of hip hop, the reason millions of people around the world enjoy the music. But what he’s saying is the more compelling aspect. The environment that produced the attitudes reflected in hip hop, the source of Biggie’s misogyny and violent imagery, must be given its proper treatment in order to understand rap music on deeper levels than the beauty and complexity of its poetic structures.