Hip Hop as a Culture

[Cyros]

Hello, this summer I'm taking a class over Intercultural/Marginalized Studies and one of our assignments is to propose a unit on a culture we didn't cover in class. I wanted to take a look at Hip Hop and I figured some of hip hop heads here on OS could help me break it down into three areas of the culture and possibly provide me with articles that talk about those aspects in depth.

Thanks for your time guys!

[Herbsinator]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

I think Hip-hop...at least historically could be broken down into these three areas:
Music
Graffiti
Breakdancing

There is lots of other stuff you could cover too, such as clothing/style and drug use/dealing and its relation to hip hop.

[NC State-31 UNC-27]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

hip hop as a culture, IMO, is a very overused and misused

There is no true definition of what it entails (and it's ever changing) so my advice is to be very open about it in whatever you talk about.

For three parts, go with what Herb said or include DJing in place of Graff.

I don't have any articles, but check Wikipedia and look for KRS-1's famous quote about how "hip hop isn't something you do, it's something you live"

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

I think Hip-hop...at least historically could be broken down into these three areas:
Music
Graffiti
Breakdancing

There is lots of other stuff you could cover too, such as clothing/style and drug use/dealing and its relation to hip hop.

Well said. You could focus on the music end of it or you could also focus on the outside life, such as gangs, drugs, dress, or even slang and their releation to hip hop. g

[3rdAnswer]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

There is lots of other stuff you could cover too........drug use/dealing and its relation to hip hop.

Seriously?

Because if you don't sell or use drugs, you're not a part of the hip hop community

[Herbsinator]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

Seriously?

Because if you don't sell or use drugs, you're not a part of the hip hop community

I'm not saying that at all....I'm just saying that historically they have been related. You think hip hop acts don't celebrate drug use/selling drugs?

[loccdogg26]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

Its broken down into four areas according to KRS-One:
MCing
DJing
Breakdancing
Graffiti


There are alot of different things you could elaborate on. Good Luck on the project and let us know how well you do.

[3rdAnswer]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

I'm not saying that at all....I'm just saying that historically they have been related. You think hip hop acts don't celebrate drug use/selling drugs?

They do, but they celebrate going to jail, guns and gangbanging too. It's not part of the culture though.

[Herbsinator]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

They do, but they celebrate going to jail, guns and gangbanging too. It's not part of the culture though.

Re-read my original post.

drug use/dealing and its relation to hip hop.

I never explicitly said that drugs are a part of hip hop, but it certainly is related to hip hop.

Would you not agree that drug use and the violence associated with it has not had an effect on hip hop and the people within the culture?

I'm not saying that people in hip hop are drug users and dealers. In fact, the people who are successful in hip hop are successful in part because they stayed away from drugs (no matter how much rappers tell you about how they "pushed weight" back in the day). But I think you would seriously miss out on a big part of hip hop if you didn't acknowledge that birth of hip hop coincided with the crack epidemic of the 80's. These are both two huge events that rocked the culture of the inner city and they happened at the same time.

[rockchisler]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

I'm not saying that at all....I'm just saying that historically they have been related. You think hip hop acts don't celebrate drug use/selling drugs?

We can have a compitition on who can name more drug related music/musicians Hip hop or Rock and Roll..I bet I know who will win those one...................

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

We can have a compitition on who can name more drug related music/musicians Hip hop or Rock and Roll..I bet I know who will win those one...................

I would go with rock stars on that one. For hip hop I'd say that gang affiliation is most popular. And if you want proof I have a link to a list of all known affiliated hip hop/rappers.

[gta95]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

I would go with rock stars on that one. For hip hop I'd say that gang affiliation is most popular. And if you want proof I have a link to a list of all known affiliated hip hop/rappers.

I'd love to see it if you don't mind

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

I'd love to see it if you don't mind

Here you go http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resour.../gangster_rap/

[gta95]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

Here you go http://www.knowgangs.com/gang_resour.../gangster_rap/

Thanks man, alot of interesting names on that list.

[Tomba]

Re: Hip Hop as a Culture

I think Hip-hop...at least historically could be broken down into these three areas:
Music
Graffiti
Breakdancing

There is lots of other stuff you could cover too, such as clothing/style and drug use/dealing and its relation to hip hop.

You meant

Music
Art
Dance


did you not?