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Hip Hop

THE HIP HOP CULTURE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS
The "hip hop culture" has permeated popular culture in an unprecedented fashion. Because of its enormous crossover appeal, the hip-hop culture is a potentially great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the street, hip-hop's influence has become worldwide. Approximately 75% of the rap and hip-hop audience is nonblack. It has gone from the ghetto, to the suburbs, and into the corporate boardrooms. Indeed, McDonald's, Coca Cola, Sprite, Nike, and other corporate giants have capitalized on this phenomenon. Although critics of rap music and the hip hop culture seemed to be fixated on the messages of sex, violence, and harsh language, this genre offers us an example of what can be. The potential of this art form to mend ethnic relations is substantial. In the 1950s and 1960s the "Beat Culture" challenged the status quo in ways that unified liberals and prompted change. In the same vein, the hip-hop culture has challenged the system in ways that have unified individuals (particularly youth) across a rich ethnic spectrum. This paper will discuss the development of the hip-hop culture, the crossover appeal of hip-hop, and the potential of this culture to mend ethnic cleavages in our society.
Today, hip and rap is the fastest growing music category in the U.S., accounting for more than 10 percent of the $12.3 billion music sales in 1998. Rap music has become the element of the hip hop culture. The overall hip-hop culture has been established by this musical art form. The language (street slang), dress (baggy pants, caps worn backwards, expensive sneakers), and style of the hip-hop culture have all evolved from rap music.
To illustrate raps widespread popularity, according to Soundscan, a company in Hartsdale, N.Y. that monitors music sales, at the end of 1998, 9 of the 15 albums on the pop chart were rap. At the end of 1998, three of the top selling albums was rap acts: Jay Z, Outkast, and A...