At most social events I’ve been to, whether it’s a wild party or chill night with friends, I tend to engage in the inevitable discussion of modern day hip-hop music. As I sit and share my opinions, there’s always the guy or girl that fires back, “This generation of rap music sucks. They all talk about the same shit!”
Whoa there. Lets take a step back and evaluate this.
But first, we need to discuss the elephant in the room; “What about all the bad stuff rappers say in hip hop?” Many hip-hop songs do indeed focus on “bitches,” money and weed. Additionally, many hip-hop lyrics contain a great deal of objectification of women.
Not too long ago, Rick Ross glorified date raping a woman in one of his songs.
He clearly states, “Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it, I took her and enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it.”
Lyrics such as these have no place in modern hip-hop, and quite frankly, anywhere.
Ross isn’t the only culprit of promoting violence against females. Rap legend Eminem has a long history of using lyrics that blatantly pertain to the abuse of women.
While modern rap has exemplified deplorable qualities, to only focus on these aspects would be close-minded. There are many songs, albums and artists who illustrate the positivity the genre brings.
Regardless of your race, social class, gender or place of birth, modern day hip-hop brings everyone together. Last year, while having a kick-back with two of my roommates and their friends, we broke out Super Smash Bros. while we listened to music. In a room where no one looked like me, or may not have come from the same social class as me, I spent a good hour and a half arguing about rap music. We attempted to decipher lyrics, and argued about the top five artists of today. Regardless of where anyone was from or who they were, we had a kick-ass time debating today’s rap music.
Our generation’s hip-hop is a lot more diverse than many people realize. Whatever the type of music you listen to, there’s something for everyone. Within hip-hop, there are subcategories that fall under the umbrella of rap. If you’re into a more mellow and relaxed style of music, artists such as Drake, A$AP Rocky and Action Bronson fit this mold quite well. For someone who enjoys a lot of bass, artists that may interest them include Future or Meek Mill. Hell, even if you enjoy southern music, artists such as Yelawolf and Big K.R.I.T. incorporate southern sounds into their work. Basically, our generation has music everyone can enjoy. I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like at least one rap song.
Many people don’t realize that our generation’s hip-hop music serves as a tool of empowerment. The artists of our generation are not afraid to discuss political issues. Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, To Pimp a Butterfly, is a perfect testament to that. Fan favorite songs such as “Institutionalized,” “the Blacker the Berry ” and “Alright” are songs that speak directly to the tensions between African Americans and white supremacists in America. Recently, at Cleveland State University, students began to sing “Alright” in order to address police brutality. Similarly, in his album, 2014 Forest Hill Drive, J. Cole also illustrates he isn’t afraid to be an advocate for the black community. On my personal favorite track, “January 28,” J. Cole rhymes “What’s the price for a black man life? I check the toe tag, not one zero in sight.” Here, he not only addresses the recent breakout of police brutality incidents, but also the blatant disregard for African-American lives in our society.
Although we don’t have legends such as Tupac Shakur or Biggie Smalls, to say our generation of hip-hop is nothing but substance-less noise is overkill. We can’t go back and be a part of an earlier generation. The negative perceptions of our generation’s rap music have clouded our ability to think about the positive results. So the next time you turn on your Spotify, be open minded and consider the positive effects of today’s rap music.
Thornton: The positive effects of modern hip-hop
Kaneemt Thornton
October 8, 2015
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