Hip-Hop Hold

John H. McWhorters essay How Hip-Hop Hold Blacks Back discusses the popular subculture phenomenon of blame and its effect on society. Recounting from have gots, McWhorther follows hip-hop as a counter-phenomenon which hinders the cultural and intellectual progress of the black community. Basing the development of hip-hop from the early 1960s to the 1970s, it emerged from the realism brought about by the oppression of the African-American community and how several ideologies, especially on activism, influenced the development of this genre.McWhorter argues on the effect of knap melody as a means of creating a retracted ideology it does not provide any room for any intellectual development as farthest as culture is concerned. As such, he mentions in the end that strike medicament creates nothing. Rap transmutation McWhorter states examples of historical implications of whack music. During the 1970s the idealism brought about by racial oppression, the black community raised c ontrary ideals towards apartheid and oppression, most notable of which were the ideals of African-American icons such as Malcolm X and Leroi Jones.The most famous of movements was the Black Panthers, a genial group that inspired ideological activism as well as employing harsh measures in hardening their claims. This gave rise to the sticking it to the man attitude, a kind of social behavior where authority does not apply and individuals bunk to view themselves above such authority and law. From these ideologies, it likewise implies an individualistic notion towards the essence of belt ammunition music, which concentrates much on the life of a gangsta in the alley, experiences on drugs, sex, and violence.According to McWhorter, rap music may be viewed as a cultural revolution of the society. That is, the message conveyed by these lyrics express a certain degree of the experiences of the bygone and conveying it as a detached attitude toward the status quo and authority. McWhor ter used several words to describe rap music, and from such usage, his writing style clearly presents his bias against it, labeling the music as nonsense and profane. He also states rap music and ideology revolves mainly on the persons apathetic stance toward authority.As depict by McWhorter, rap music retards black success since the music itself, according to him, only contains nonsense lyrics which celebrate street warfare, drugs, and promiscuity. McWhorter further mentions that violence, misogyny, and lawlessness are nothing to sing about. He also explains the idea of blaxploitation which celebrates the idea of a black criminal as a revolutionary figure. This blaxploitation led to the development of the gangsta style, deviating from the early forms of rap as a pop or bubble gum music.Rap music is then associated with a constant mindset in disobedience and being above the system. From this point on, rap music has become another form of self-expression, concentrating more than on the aforementioned themes. The lyrics found in these rap songs have become edgy and tantamount to real translation. As McWhorter mentions specific rap songs depicting these themes, he focuses more on the rappers individual experiences, as described by the life in the ghetto marred with hardships and suffering.The songs then further downplays into more explicit themes such as detailed depictions of violence and problems against authority such as the inclusion of policemen and its association with violence. As such, these songs then wager explicit choice of word use in the lyrics which directly imply the use of guns and violence and their encounters with authority. McWhorter also adds that the gangsta type of rap are interspersed with mysoginistic views, viewing women as mere objects and prone to obsscene defamation as verbalised in the lyrics.In this case, McWhorter states the use of these words adhere to sexual promiscuity and an apparent attack on the bod of women. This pres ents another land-view, according to McWhorter, as he sums up the gangsta hip-hop genre with Life aint nothin but bitches and money (McWhorter, 4). He then points out that his kind of rap music can go old quickly and the rap music that can truly sell are those that are edgy, political, and representing another view with authority and society. cultural influences From the aforementioned themes, rap music has then developed into an alternative culture, as it reinforces another kind of social behavior.The meaning implied by the lyrics used in rap songs produces another method of thinking, and from these implications, the behavior that the hip-hop world presents can be accepted as societal norms. The bind presents a semi-critique of the notion on rap music and society. McWhorter associates the evolution of the music during the oppressive state of the black community during the sixties and seventies. He implies that rap music is a regressed state of music. He argues that although the can remain revolutionary in essence, the themes rap music tries to espouse is somehow degrading to the advancement of the black culture.He mentions the gesticulations, speech mannerisms as influenced by rap music can hinder young black men in searching for careers because of this unruly behavior they aline in rap music. He also states that even as the media depict the successful African-American sight in the industry, rap music, he argues, still depicts black people are uncivilized. The article is a semi-critique, that in a sense, it only presents the cultural implications of rap music and its adverse effect on society. However, it merely acts as a pure critique rather than a practical critique of rap ideologies.In a way, the article only acts as a reminder of this existing subculture and it does not give any practical situations in which the culture of rap can be addressed. However, the problem also lies on raps history. Because of its uniqueness and the stick it to the man attit ude, it has permeated with the societal mindset and has transformed into another phenomenological event of human concept. The gangsta mindset is now deeply inherent through the consciousness of its audience and therefore can be hard for any critique to change. McWhorters notation and word used clearly portrays his bias against the nonsense of hip-hop.This nonsense is viewed both in the linguistic and ideal sense. Rap musics choice of words is often explicit and profane, and it uses such words with constant repetition as though it is a part of the gangsta vocabulary. There is even an implication from the examples given by McWhorter that profane words in rap is in itself a standard and to be without such words, it cannot be considered hip-hop or rap. The lingual problem is also associated with gesticulations and speech mannerisms, according to McWhorter, that is considered arrogant and irritating.According to the author, the theme that rap music revolves around is nonsense, since i t only concentrates on the experience of the individual in his/her conditions supported by a formative mindset from the past. Sex, alcohol, violence and drugs are commonplace themes in rap music, and these degrade the possibility of cultural advancement of a real society not hindered by any racial bias or oppression. Works Cited McWhorter, John H. How Hip-Hop Holds Black Back. The urban center Journal (Summer 2003).