Hip Hop

Hip hop is a genre of music that I came to like later than I expected. Hip Hop originated in the South Bronx, New York City in the 1970s. My insight into the time and culture of the US in the early days of the genre came from reading Bill Clinton's autobiography, My Life. Reading his book gave me an insight into the cultural divide in the US at that time.

Growing up, Hip Hop was seen as a music genre with a bad influence and I guess this was due to the subgenre of Hip Hop that put the genre on the world stage and that is Gangster Rap. This was the type of rap that people like 2 Pac and Notorious B.I.G. were known for and it is a known fact that you cannot talk about Hip Hop without mentioning those two names.

I remember we had a preacher come to our school to warn us about the evil called Hip Hop. This gives you an idea of how society viewed Hip Hop and this in a way made me not interested in the genre, but I guess now with maturity I understand where the fear came from. I think Hip Hop is best enjoyed by a non-American when the context of the music is understood, at least that is my personal experience. Understanding the context helped me appreciate the early work of 2 Pac and Notorious B.I.G.

My favorite hip hop artist is Jay-Z. I like him because I love the theme that most of his music is centered around and that is wealth, ambition and fame and also relationships. I also just love the way he raps. He is one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Hip Hop has evolved and I think that is why it is loved by a wider audience now. I also love how it has become an industry and because of that you have to appreciate how many lives it has changed by making those involved rich and famous.

Thanks for stopping by.

JaySays