Art tends to imitate life, so obviously if the living conditions are rough and depressing, the music will be too. Rap emerged at a time when the Bronx had undergone a significant socioeconomic change. This began in 1959, when Parks commissioner Robert Moses began to build an expressway through the middle of the Bronx. As a result, most of the middle class families, and businesses, moved away. In the 1960s, Moses built a large apartment complex, thus forcing many working-class residents out of their homes and breaking apart tight-knit communities. As a result, living conditions for many people deteriorated, and the rate of unemployment, drug addiction, and gang violence was increasing.
In the 1970's, when hip- hop culture began gaining popularity, disco music was the mainstream trend. Poor youths living in Harlem and the Bronx couldn't afford to get into clubs and dances, so they created their own scene. Also, the flamboyant, cheerful themes in disco music were hard for somebody living in South Bronx to relate to. Rap music, and hip-hop culture in general, rejected the flashy, extravagant style of disco music, in favour of something more hard-edged.
The purpose of rap music was to express the views of poor African-American urban youths, who were commonly misrepresented in the media. Rap music is often seen as being excessively violent, which may be because of the history of violence and subjugation of black people. There are many references to guns and gangs is because that is what people experienced in their daily lives, living in ghettos and housing projects. As Blanchard (1999) states '(Violence in rap) is an outcry to an already existing problem,from youths whose world views have been shaped by experiencing deep economic inequalities.'In other words, rap music doesn't instigate violence, it is a symptom of the violence which already exists.
One of the early protest raps was 'The message' by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Released in 1982, this song is about the struggles of everyday life in the ghetto. It talks about how people who grow up in these places emulate 'thugs, pimps and pushers' because they see these people succeeding and earning money. 'You admire all the number book takers/Thugs, pimps and pushers and the big money makers/Driving big cars, spending twenties and tens/And you wanna grow up to be just like them.'
They also talk about how it is for children in poor neighborhoods to be successful when their schools are unsupportive, and they grow up believing they are inferior.
Vid 3- Grandmaster Flash- the message
British Rap
Rap wasn't purely the domain of Americans, Britain also has a vibrant hip hop scene. In the late 1980s and early 1990's, the genre of Britcore emerged. English rap was faster than its American counterpart, and littered with British and slang, due to London's large Jamaican population. Unfortunately, Britcore's popularity was short-lived, and it was soon pushed aside in favor of rave and house music.
Vid 4- Always Remains Hardcore' a mix CD of early British rap music
Just like in the Bronx, the living conditions were poor for many English people. In 1985, the Broadwater farm riot broke out in Tottenham. This was instigated by the death of a black women, Cynthia Jarrett, who suffered a heart attack while the police were searching her home. Tottenham locals were enraged at the way Cynthia and her family had been treated by the police, who burst into their home without any warning or justification. That night, people from the Broadwater farm estate, where Cynthia was a resident, threw petrol bombs at the police, broke store windows and set fire to buildings. However, this riot was not solely about Cynthia Jarrett, but was a product of a sense of social unrest and anger about living conditions. Rap music gave youths a chance to voice their displeasure with the police, and other social institutions, which they felt were inherently racist.
No comments:
Post a Comment