the hip-hop subculture

Essay by leahleahCollege, Undergraduate November 2014

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The hip hop subculture is a way of life tethered to and popularized by the widespread practice of rap music. It originates from the African American community. It is expressed through flashy modes of dressing, graffiti art forms, break dancing, and slang. However, with the passage of time, the culture has traversed racial and cultural lines and has become one of the most practiced genres of music throughout the world, with an equally daunting culture to match.

Due to its African American roots, the hip hop culture was, for a long period, a reserve of the black community. Rap music is largely expressive; its lyrics emotive and sourced from the experiences of its artists. Due to its urban origins, a large number of rap records and graffiti artwork featured the predominant themes of violence, police brutality, and gang affiliation. Some of the lyrics glorified 'thug life', which drew more negativity to the subculture.

As such, the subculture was viewed by a nugatory eye by members of the white community, an opinion that was fueled by majority of rap lyrics.

However, due to the popularity and commercialization of rap, these artists became very successful and transformed into beacons of hope among the youth. Rap was used as a platform to discuss social issues and preached survival above the worst of adversities as publicized by the pioneers of the genres. It slowly became widely accepted by all and percolated beyond cultural barriers. The subculture slowly became a culture of excess, characterized by expensive clothing, flashy cars, beautiful women, colossal mansions and never-ending parties, dubbed the 'fast life'. Most argue that the emphasis on materialism has diluted the subculture's content, but the practice of sampling and 'flipping' continue to embody the original value system...