hip hop

Richard Thomlinson
Mrs. Difabio
English 12
28 December 2007

“What is this trash your listening to?” My mom constantly screams at me as my favorite hip-hop song blasts from my computer stereo. “It is not trash, mom. It is music!” I yell back. She actually used a less flattering adjective to describe my beloved hip-hop music, but she was expressing her beliefs on what hip-hop music culture represents. Hip-hop culture stereotypically is considered a thug and gangster lifestyle, but does hip-hop culture actually have a positive effect on some of the weak financial areas in the America?
When one sees a person dressed in hip-hop clothing, with a flat-brimmed baseball cap, a baggy t-shirt, baggy jeans, complete with matching “fresh” shoes multiple ideals jump into their mind. Right away the person is considered a “thug” and a “player” with the opposite sex. The idea of the person actually being an intellectual is instantly thrown out the window, and the person is guilty until proven innocent. Is this really, what society has become; an entire culture, categorized into one mind state?
One of my favorite hip-hop artists, Joe Budden, described hip-hop culture in a verse from his song “My Life”:
I Love Hip Hop culture./Helps me get through my Fans./We buy clothes too big./ It made us feel little for years./Yeah, they tried to underhand us./We speak in our own slang/So only our friends can understand us/And nah, I ain't pulling my pants up./Don't cross the street when you see me, man up./We trying to do everything they said we couldn't/Wear my hat to the side cause society say I shouldn't
I took the liberty of bolding various aspects of his verse (Joe Budden.org). Clearly, Budden feels that hip-hop culture is a way to express himself. American society is built so that the average citizen is not a robot, and thinks for him/herself. In some societies hip-hop is a way for a person to express themselves, whether it be in a positive or a negative manner. Fact is, hip-hop helps the youth think for themselves.
While it is true that hip-hop does cause many problems in lower class neighborhoods, it is also true that many prominent figures are working to change the negatives in their “hoods”. For example, hip-hop underground artist, Saigon, has begun the “In Arms Reach/Abandoned Nation ‘The Movement’”. The movement encourages positive actions, a program that nurtures self-confidence and creative skills. They hope to prepare each child for college so that they can lead productive, crime-free lives. They encourage prison officials and parents to volunteer to explain the effect incarceration has on children. Saigon, who was placed in jail at age 15, would have no power in his community if it wasn’t for his music, and hip-hop culture. Although it could be argued that without hip-hop culture in the ghetto’s no problems would exist to begin with; such an argument is invalid because the people would still be poor. When a large number of citizens struggle to earn a living, they will rebel, it just happens to be that they rebel via hip-hop. However, since America has embraced hip-hop it leads for rappers like Saigon to have a positive impact on society.
The unique part about Saigon is that by simply learning his story people can become motivated to better themselves. As aforementioned Saigon, age 30, was in jail by age 15, after two charges of attempted murder. Clearly, the negative aspects of hip-hop molded Saigon, who became mixed with gangs, who felt that the glamorized gangster lifestyle was worth living. In jail, Saigon began to rap, but he was without a stage name. The influential Vietnam War novel, Bloods, by Wallace Terry, inspired Saigon to create his stage name after the city in Vietnam. When an underprivileged person hears how Saigon earned his stage name, they will become motivated to go to a library, or bookstore, and read books. After all, if a book can change a person’s life to the point where they name themselves after a part of the book than perhaps other books can help change an underprivileged child’s life.
Saigon not only promotes change throughout his actions, but he also has multiple songs where he preaches for people to stop gang fights. Most notably, in his song “The Color Purple” he begs for the popular gangs “The Bloods (Blue)” and “The Crips (Red)” to stop their fighting and to mix together for good (blue and red make purple). Saigon raps “sweep that s*** under the rug, and give each other a hug/red and blue make purple, the color of love.” Clearly, Saigon is trying to help society. However, he is not the only one fighting for the cause. A more notable name, Snoop Dogg, known for his P.I.M.P lifestyle, started a youth football league to help promote teamwork and to keep children out of the streets. Others, like Diddy, promoted people to go out and vote during the 2004 election, even creating the cheer of “Vote or Die”.
Obviously hip-hop culture creates many negatives, but it is not without many positive affects. The artists I mentioned are only a few of the many musicians who give back to their communities. Hip-hop culture as a whole needs to change it’s reputation, and the handful of artists who try and create a better society are recognized for their contributions. In conclusion, what my mom calls trash, helps many survive, and pulls them out of their everyday struggles. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.