Hip-Hop: Medium for Positive Change
Hip-Hop is distinctive. It resembles no other genre. While it does take its roots from blues, rhythm and blues as well as old school ska, the phenomenon that the world is witnessing is unnatural in nature. While every other school of music such as rock and jazz are known for its distinctive use of a sound or the use of similar sounds, our genre sees its only unifying concept being the lyrical content. That's why I've seen people who have completely discredited the musical attributes of the sound and still fall in love with Lin Manuel-Miranda's Hamilton soundtrack. Our culture has accepted to use of sampling, which permits every single genre to be a part of the experience. Therefore, are we just a tapestry of different musical genres and ideas?
The saying goes that there is nothing new under the sun; everything has been already done, all we are doing now is innovating on a simple principle. Hip-Hop, therefore, is a subject to that idiom. However, the lyrical content, a thing that many rap purists could tell us has diminished in the last few years, is what sets us apart and brings out the best in people. We are able to make something out of something else and bring forth a sound and a medium for positive change.
I've never taken the time to be vocal in my overall displeasure with the way that Hip-Hop has glorified the use of drugs. While I'm not on the side of banning artists from talking about it, I stand on the side of caution in a world that is in the middle of an opioid epidemic. We've lost Lil Peep and Mac Miller this year, so why are we still talking about drinking lean and being happy about it? In a recent interview between Juice Wrld and Vulture, Wrld takes the time to talk about being sober and how Future apologized for being the catalyst to his drug use. We've seen artists such as Joyner Lucas and J. Cole on KOD promote a life where the use of prescription drug use isn't aspired. Drug use shouldn't be popularized, nor demonized. Marijuana is alright due to it being medically and scientifically proven to have medicinal usage, but dirty sprite isn't.
As well, the entire community has been openly vocal on the mistreatment of minorities in our communities at the hands of police. From classics such as "99 Problems" from Jay-Z and "Fuck Tha Police" by NWA lesser known or liked calls to action such as "Untouchable" by Eminem and Black Thought's "Rest In Paradise", artists have been vocal in their displeasure. While some of the songs have led to a little more intensity between the parties, it has also led to the growing movement to responsibilize police officers and the government. Today, we get to see the positive and negative consequences from these songs from major artists, but more importantly, we've seen a change in the way that things are done. Hip-Hop has helped lead many people to social activism, may that be through the interim of The Roots, Common or the immortal 2Pac.
There is a real difference when one looks at the impact that Hip-Hop has had and can have when put into the right hands. Because of programs such as Soundcloud and Spotify, it is easier today to go listen to an artist or to make a playlist for a specific subject matter. Today's journalists are the rappers and MC's who decide to use their medium and platform for positive change in their community and in the world. I'm putting the call out to all rappers to use their platform to help the generation that looks up to them to make the right choices through their music.