Today in class much discussion surrounded the topic of who is hip hop? Many people chose to answer the question given “Are you hip hop?” Many of the female students in the class answered that they felt as though they are not hip hop. I was one of the students who felt and feels as though they are not hip hop. Though I have a new found respect and understanding of hip hop I do not think that a three week course on the subject automatically makes me hip hop. I agree that hip hop does not have to have an exact definition. All of our class controversy has surrounded the definition of hip hop. Is hip hop being real? Is hip hop a culture? Is hip hop a life style? I agree with all those things and that is why I feel that I can not call myself hip hop. I think if I were to label myself as hip hop I would not be real. I am not a part of the culture. I am a part of the generation but not the culture. I feel that though I know more about hip hop now than I ever have that does not give me the right to call myself hip hop. When I think of someone who is hip hop I imagine someone who is knowledgeable on the artists and songs of hip hop. I picture the stereotypical image of a person in baggy clothes and the rest of the stereotypes. I understand the common idea of the stereotype is not always the case but I cannot help but think of that when I imagine someone who is hip hop. I know that sounds terribly ignorant and I know hip hop reaches a wide range of people but I think it is that strong stereotype that keeps me from calling myself hip hop. Also I just don’t feel that I am hip hop. Yeah I listen and can relate to some of the music but that does not make a person hip hop. It makes a person literate in the subject of hip hop. I feel that I can sympathize with hip hop but I do not know if I can empathize because the struggles I have faced are not the same that hip hop heads have. I think just because I see a Broadway musical and enjoy it does not make me Bernadette Peters. I have respect for hip hop and say that I am not hip hop, but who knows maybe I will be in the future.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_music
http://www.bernadettepeters.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6oBjrMi5Ww
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2 comments:
One of the comments suggested that hip hop has not influenced the way this generation lives, and that is really debatable. Respect for someone's choices - though not your own choices is a great way to balance. so you are not hip hop:)))
I think some people were more concerned about the rationale that "I don't wear baggy pants so I must not be hip-hop". That is totally unreasonable and based on largely untrue stereotypes (as I'm sure you know). To me, if hip-hop doesn't mean anything to you, regardless of how much you know or what style of dress you've adopted......you must not be a part of the culture.
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