The State of Hip Hop.

The music industry and the media have dramatically influenced the way that rap and hip hop music is viewed today in comparison to when it first emerged as a form of music. As an originating form hip hop was viewed as a music representing certain values and principals, but the industry and the media have deemphasized the importance of the origins of this music, and instead concentrate on music that takes little notice of the past values and what the real purpose of this art form was when it first emerged. The content of rap and hip hop music that was made in the past and the values it portrayed at the time, have drastically transformed compared to the content of the music today. The industry and media are responsible for exposing the more negative side of hip hop, although be it rap and hip hop music originated as a spoken word against violence and other negative issues, the industry and the media choose to focus on only that negative aspect of the music and disregard the purpose behind the content. This shows that the music industry is extremely unbalanced with their coverage of the art form. Today's hip hop has faced much controversy from the media through its critiques, which has shaped a different view of the music, and the industry is at fault for this because they choose to focus on artists that will portray these negative images and themes rather than the others that don't. Due to the fact that the music industry and the media focus on the negative aspects of hip hop, not only the art form, but society and consumers as well are consequentially suffering. Many hip hop entrepreneurs such as Afrika Bambaataa and Chuck D have spoken out on the present state of...