Hip-Hop Hold

John H. McWhorters essay How Hip-Hop Hold Blacks Back discusses the popular subculture phenomenon of whang and its solvent on society. Recounting from experiences, McWhorther describes hip-hop as a counter-phenomenon which stops the heathenish and intellectual progress of the ghastly community. Basing the development of hip-hop from the early 1960s to the 1970s, it emerged from the realism brought rough by the oppression of the Afri faeces-American community and how several ideologies, specially on activism, influenced the development of this genre.McWhorter argues on the effect of belt ammunition symphony as a means of creating a backward ideology it does not offer up every room for any intellectual development as distant as culture is concerned. As such(prenominal), he mentions in the end that water tap melody creates nothing. Rap revolution McWhorter states examples of historical entailments of chip euphony. During the 1970s the idealism brought about by racial opp ression, the black community raised different ideals towards apartheid and oppression, most notable of which were the ideals of African-American icons such as Malcolm X and Leroi Jones.The most famed of movements was the Black Panthers, a social group that inspired ideological activism as well as employing harsh measures in solidifying their claims. This gave rise to the viscid it to the man attitude, a kind of social behaviour where authorisation does not consent and individuals tend to view themselves above such authority and law. From these ideologies, it besides implies an individualistic notion towards the essence of rap music, which concentrates more on the livelihood of a gangsta in the street, experiences on drugs, sex, and violence.According to McWhorter, rap music may be viewed as a cultural revolution of the society. That is, the message conveyed by these lyrics express a certain degree of the experiences of the past and conveying it as a quarantined attitude tow ard the status quo and authority. McWhorter utilise several newss to describe rap music, and from such usage, his writing style clear presents his bias against it, labeling the music as nonsense and profane. He also states rap music and ideology revolves in general on the persons apathetic stance toward authority.As described by McWhorter, rap music retards black success since the music itself, according to him, altogether contains nonsense lyrics which observe street warf are, drugs, and promiscuity. McWhorter further mentions that violence, misogyny, and lawlessness are nothing to sing about. He also explains the idea of blaxploitation which celebrates the idea of a black criminal as a revolutionary figure. This blaxploitation led to the development of the gangsta style, deviating from the early forms of rap as a pop or bubble gum music.Rap music is then associated with a constant lookout in disobedience and being above the system. From this lead on, rap music has become o ther form of self-expression, concentrating more on the aforementioned themes. The lyrics found in these rap songs have become jolting and tantamount to literal translation. As McWhorter mentions specific rap songs depicting these themes, he focuses more on the rappers individual experiences, as described by the life in the ghetto marred with hardships and suffering.The songs then further downplays into more explicit themes such as detailed depictions of violence and chores against authority such as the comprehension of policemen and its association with violence. As such, these songs then represent explicit woof of word use in the lyrics which directly imply the use of guns and violence and their encounters with authority. McWhorter also adds that the gangsta type of rap are interspersed with mysoginistic views, viewing women as mere objects and abandoned to obsscene defamation as expressed in the lyrics.In this case, McWhorter states the use of these words stay put to sexual promiscuity and an apparent attack on the image of women. This presents another orbit-view, according to McWhorter, as he sums up the gangsta hip-hop genre with emotional state aint nothin but bitches and money (McWhorter, 4). He then points out that his kind of rap music can go old quickly and the rap music that can truly sell are those that are edgy, political, and representing another view with authority and society. Cultural influences From the aforementioned themes, rap music has then developed into an pick culture, as it reinforces another kind of social behavior.The meaning implied by the lyrics used in rap songs produces another method of thinking, and from these implications, the behavior that the hip-hop world presents can be accepted as societal norms. The article presents a semi-critique of the notion on rap music and society. McWhorter associates the evolution of the music during the heavy state of the black community during the sixties and seventies. He implies th at rap music is a regressed state of music. He argues that although the can remain revolutionary in essence, the themes rap music tries to espouse is somehow degrading to the attainment of the black culture.He mentions the gesticulations, speech mannerisms as influenced by rap music can hinder young black men in searching for careers because of this unruly behavior they find in rap music. He also states that even as the media depict the successful African-American people in the industry, rap music, he argues, still depicts black people are uncivilized. The article is a semi-critique, that in a sense, it only presents the cultural implications of rap music and its adverse effect on society. However, it merely acts as a pure critique rather than a practical critique of rap ideologies.In a way, the article only acts as a reminder of this existing subculture and it does not give any practical situations in which the culture of rap can be addressed. However, the problem also lies on ra ps history. Because of its uniqueness and the stick it to the man attitude, it has permeated through the societal mindset and has transformed into another phenomenological event of human concept. The gangsta mindset is now deep ingrained through the consciousness of its audience and therefore can be hard for any critique to change. McWhorters tone and word used clearly portrays his bias against the nonsense of hip-hop.This nonsense is viewed both in the linguistic and ideal sense. Rap musics choice of words is often explicit and profane, and it uses such words with constant repetition as though it is a part of the gangsta vocabulary. There is even an implication from the examples given by McWhorter that profane words in rap is in itself a standard and to be without such words, it cannot be considered hip-hop or rap. The lingual problem is also associated with gesticulations and speech mannerisms, according to McWhorter, that is considered arrogant and irritating.According to the a uthor, the theme that rap music revolves around is nonsense, since it only concentrates on the experience of the individual in his/her conditions supported by a formative mindset from the past. Sex, alcohol, violence and drugs are common themes in rap music, and these degrade the possibility of cultural advancement of a real society not hindered by any racial bias or oppression. Works Cited McWhorter, John H. How Hip-Hop Holds Black Back. The metropolis Journal (Summer 2003).