Hip Hop is not a culture...It's entertainment

[Harry B]

The culture of hip hop is from the people at large like you and me who may like to participate in the four elements in some way or have a deep appreciation for it.
Pointing to the entertainers who get paid to try and represent the culture is misguided. Once you get paid on a large scale to do it you are indeed compromised and it is no longer just about the love of what you are doing. But most people in the culture are doing it for free so let's point at them.

Even the ones who are paid, they might cheat but they are still involved.
But speaking of the ones who are "underpaid" or whatever, at sxsw they had all these forums, lectures, interviews in front of crowds, break dances, freestylers, somewhat intellectual performances, ignorant club performances for the night and on. All these people participating on all sides were brought together by the culture, people rocked the same type of brands, the hat in the same ways, speak the same slang, enjoy or create the same type of entertainment, the same type of art, understand the expressions of the dancers etc.. motherfukkers even walk the same way.

These are all traits of a culture.

But dude has 1 example and 1 quote from a website as his claim.
It might be enough to raise reasonable doubt, but faaaar from denouncing hiphop being a culture.

 

[smokeurobinson]

The problem is that's one use of the word culture. Culture can be used many different ways and have different definitions.

Go to websters dictionary online and you'd see for yourself that Hip Hop doesnt fall in any of the descriptions of culture.

i dont know what TS is talkin bout. hip hop is a culture and im living proof. fukk your definition homie, the rap part is entertainment. dont discredit ones way of life because you grew up in a different environment and got exposed to the shyt because of what was hot on the internet.

U obviously cant be talking to me......Up intil I was 11 I was raised in the Parkchester section of the bronx...from 89 - 92 I lived on 149th Betwen Broadway and Amsterdam in Harlem. From 14 - 17 I lived in the Morrisina section of the Bronx....156 and Prospect ave to be exact. My Grandma who's home was my second home since my birth till her death lived on 145th and 7th in Harlem. I was clubbing and attended numerous Hip Hop events way before I ever heard of the internet

 

[kingdizzy01]

U obviously cant be talking to me......Up intil I was 11 I was raised in the Parkchester section of the bronx...from 89 - 92 I lived on 149th Betwen Broadway and Amsterdam iHarlem. From 14 - 17 I lived in the Morrisina section of the Bronx....156 and Prospect ave to be exact. My Grandma who's home was my second home since my birth till her death lived on 145th and 7th in Harlem. I was clubbing and attended numerous Hip Hop events way before I ever heard of the internet

hiphop is a culture goddamnit.

 

[Tom Foolery]

The culture that is relative to Hip Hop is the "urban culture." With urban culture we acknowledge "issues" such as Black on Black violence, drug abuse and unhealthy sexual lifestyles. In Hip Hop, killing n*ggaz is normal, smoking weed and drinking is cool and passing around hoes is just the way things are. Issues aren't addressed in Hip Hop like they would be in a civilized society that is concerned with its culture. In the urban community you have groups who address said issues. In Hip Hop no one checks no one when they are being wreckless because anything goes. There is no moral base with Hip Hop.

This is completely wrong. Racist even. Hip-hop culture was never about killing, drugs and sex. The culture was not created and built around this. All of that non-sense existed separately from hip-hop.

You have been brainwashed by the Jew record label owners that exploited west coast gang-life and the crack epidemic.

 

[Tom Foolery]

Go to websters dictionary online and you'd see for yourself that Hip Hop doesnt fall in any of the descriptions of culture.

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/d.aspx?w=culture

The following seem to fit.

Culture

2.culture - the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group
3.culture - all the knowledge and values shared by a society
7.culture - the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization; "the developing drug culture"; "the reason that the agency is doomed to inaction has something to do with the FBI culture"

 

[smokeurobinson]

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/d.aspx?w=culture

The following seem to fit.

Culture

2.culture - the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group
3.culture - all the knowledge and values shared by a society
7.culture - the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization; "the developing drug culture"; "the reason that the agency is doomed to inaction has something to do with the FBI culture"

Thanx for proving my point


2. (as I have already pointed out) I as well as myself do not favor the low moral standards in rap music so this defintion doesnt apply


3. the values that once existed in Hip Hop don't exist anymore ..again thats why I pointed out the acceptance of medioce lyricism in todays Hip Hop..This definition doesnt apply either.

7. I dont share the attitude that its cool to sell crack and kill other Black men nor do I accept that as being part of my social group so this defintion dosnt apply.

This is completely wrong. Racist even. Hip-hop culture was never about killing, drugs and sex. The culture was not created and built around this. All of that non-sense existed separately for hip-hop.

You have been brainwashed by the Jew record label owners that exploited west coast gang-life and the crack epidemic.

U are right that the culture was not built around this. But you are wrong about there being a seperation of said problems from Hip Hop as a whole......I'll prove this right now...Bambatta said Hip Hop was a way for gangs to deviate from their lifestyles..yet in the 2000's Hip Hop started promoting the gang lifestyle as cool. Examples: Dipset as Bloods, Game as a Blood, Lil Wayne a a Blood, Young Jeezy associated with Crips, Snoop having his blue rag on the left side and I can keep going. Yet what commitee in Hip Hop actualy stood up and pointed out that the promotion of gang culture in Hip Hop was bad? Only ones I can think of were Saigon and Tru Life and they were a small voice. If the collective majority aren't speaking against an issue like promoting gangs within the culture as well as others parading as if its a cool thing to be in a gang then the colletive whole has accepted it which is wrong.

 

[AnonymityX1000]

Thanx for proving my point


2. (as I have already pointed out) I as well as myself do not favor the low moral standards in rap music so this defintion doesnt apply


3. the values that once existed in Hip Hop don't exist anymore ..again thats why I pointed out the acceptance of medioce lyricism in todays Hip Hop..This definition doesnt apply either.

7. I dont share the attitude that its cool to sell crack and kill other Black men nor do I accept that as being part of my social group so this defintion dosnt apply.





U are right that the culture was not built around this. But you are wrong about there being a seperation of said problems from Hip Hop as a whole......I'll prove this right now...Bambatta said Hip Hop was a way for gangs to deviate from their lifestyles..yet in the 2000's Hip Hop started promoting the gang lifestyle as cool. Examples: Dipset as Bloods, Game as a Blood, Lil Wayne a a Blood, Young Jeezy associated with Crips, Snoop having his blue rag on the left side and I can keep going. Yet what commitee in Hip Hop actualy stood up and pointed out that the promotion of gang culture in Hip Hop was bad? Only ones I can think of were Saigon and Tru Life and they were a small voice. If the collective majority aren't speaking against an issue like promoting gangs within the culture as well as others parading as if its a cool thing to be in a gang then the colletive whole has accepted it which is wrong.

hip hop is not monolithic. for every gang promoting/drug dealing rapper you also have someone saying the opposite. Now one might be marketed more aggressively than another but that has to do with American society/culture and our obsession with sex and violence in general.
And really you are just caught up in the commercial rhetoric. Most people involved in the culture ARE NOT in any sort of gang. Just a small minority are but they do get a lot of the best marketing and promotion.

 

[Tom Foolery]

duplicate

 

[smokeurobinson]

hip hop is not monolithic. for every gang promoting/drug dealing rapper you also have someone saying the opposite. Now one might be marketed more aggressively than another but that has to do with American society/culture and our obsession with sex and violence in general.
And really you are just caught up in the commercial rhetoric. Most people involved in the culture ARE NOT in any sort of gang. Just a small minority are but they do get a lot of the best marketing and promotion.

well put. But its not just the commercial rhetoric, I'm also focusing on how this so called "culture" called Hip Hop is relative to the urban community. We live in a society where you can hear vulgar rap music being blasted out of car systems while children are within earshot..and that has become the norm. I see Blackmen in their 30's with their underwear showing when I walk down the street just like Rick Ross was doing on the BET awards last year. Smoking weed is cool in Hip Hop but then there are the many untold stories of how the average joe has lost great oportunities due to pissing hot in a urinalysis. Wether they were applying for a job or already had the job. Where is the uproar that their is a serious drug problem within the urban community? It was reported that Ciroc has increased 71% courtesy of P Diddy, One has to ask "how much of that increase has contributed to further alcohol abuse within the urban community?" What does the urban community have to show for Diddy and Jay Z being moguls? Expensive Brooklyn Nets tickets and berry flavored Ciroc? Thats it? Is that all the community can get from all the hype? I refuse to acknowledge Hip Hop as a culture if thats all Hip Hop has to offer...But I accept it as entertainment that is a great manifestation of life imitating art.

 

[AnonymityX1000]

well put. But its not just the commercial rhetoric, I'm also focusing on how this so called "culture" called Hip Hop is relative to the urban community. We live in a society where you can hear vulgar rap music being blasted out of car systems while children are within earshot..and that has become the norm. I see Blackmen in their 30's with their underwear showing when I walk down the street just like Rick Ross was doing on the BET awards last year. Smoking weed is cool in Hip Hop but then there are the many untold stories of how the average joe has lost great oportunities due to pissing hot in a urinalysis. Wether they were applying for a job or already had the job. Where is the uproar that their is a serious drug problem within the urban community? It was reported that Ciroc has increased 71% courtesy of P Diddy, One has to ask "how much of that increase has contributed to further alcohol abuse within the urban community?" What does the urban community have to show for Diddy and Jay Z being moguls? Expensive Brooklyn Nets tickets and berry flavored Ciroc? Thats it? Is that all the community can get from all the hype? I refuse to acknowledge Hip Hop as a culture if thats all Hip Hop has to offer...But I accept it as entertainment that is a great manifestation of life imitating art.

Do what you want man. But saying 'you refuse to acknowledge' is insinuating just how prominently and generally it has been accepted as a culture.
Drinking and drugging has been going on in the urban community before there ever was Hip Hop you really can't blame it for its continuation. And there is nothing inherently wrong with showing your underwear in public. You may not like it but I think the general idea of such a fashion statement is "so what"? Hip Hop is a subversive culture that is trying to change the norms of society not adhere to them.

 

[mozichrome]

 

[smokeurobinson]

Do what you want man. But saying 'you refuse to acknowledge' is insinuating just how prominently and generally it has been accepted as a culture.
Drinking and drugging has been going on in the urban community before there ever was Hip Hop you really can't blame it for its continuation. And there is nothing inherently wrong with showing your underwear in public. You may not like it but I think the general idea of such a fashion statement is "so what"? Hip Hop is a subversive culture that is trying to change the norms of society not adhere to them.

I refuse to accept the Hip Hop being a culture because its not and I'm not going with the crowd when the crowd is wrong. The same way I dont accept the argument that smoking marijuana is an ok thing when smoke doesn't belong in human lungs.



do u think Malcolm X and all that he represented would co sign u saying there is nothing wrong with a 30 year old man showing his underwear? Fuk a fashion statement...Butt injections is a trend and its an unhealthy trend.....But nowadays its oconsidered the norm.....Just because the curent crowd is lost doen't mean I have to go with the crowd and be lost as well and turn a blind eye to whats really in front of me. Hip Hop is a genre of music with a history. A history that has been dictated by those who outside of the genre itself. If Lables execs who dont have the background of its own audience have been dictating what your culture for years and you just accept it then your culture is really just a dicatated byproduct of capitalists. You are defending a product placement as if its really a culture. You acept it but I dont.

 

[Rice N Beans]

Rap is entertainment. Hip-Hop is still culture.

 

[FeloniousMonk]

Hip hop culture is prevalent, just not televised.

Sex, drugs and violence is promoted and glorified throughout the industry in a form of machismo that the record execs know and reinforce due to the power of media.

No longer will company's promote unity and consciousness upon which the culture was founded.

So now you have generations of kids who are adults that where deprogramed and reprogrammed and the generations now who have to IDENTIFY with the current CULTURE that is promoted which, like it or not, dictates behavior.

 

[CrimsonTider]

wow, this is a new low for the booth