Hip Hop America by Nelson George - Book Report/Review Example

Hip Hop America by Nelson George Introduction The story of hip hop is one which is often not looked into, specifically because of the continuous changes in culture and the expectations which are associated with this. However, there is a rich sense of culture and development behind the music as well as the approaches which have been taken in developing this particular format of music. In the book, Hip Hop America by Nelson George, there is an understanding of what hip hop stands for and means. This links not only to the cultural aspects but also to the economic, political and social changes which started in the late 1960s and which have continued to develop into a corporate culture that is developing and thriving today. While hip hop culture is one which has continued to grow and develop, there is also an understanding through the book that the business of hip hop has become more than the idea of carrying an artwork that represents the culture. The main theme in this book is to define the history of hip hop and how it has changed from the 1970s and into the present day. The author notes that the beginning of hip hop was filled with ideas of revolution and movements forward, specifically for the African – American community. As there was a movement towards civil rights and affiliations with having freedom, the music was able to reflect the segmented market. The book then questions why this has changed from the concepts of freedom and the rights of African – American communities and into a genre that is filled with fear, violence and crime as the central themes. The book examines the business, politics and cultural changes that have changed the themes. It also looks at the social and cultural changes that have led hip hop into the need to change the themes into one which attracts the youth culture and sells the items within the market. By defining these perspectives, the book is able to present the understanding of hip hop and the changes it has made into the popular culture. History of Hip Hop The beginning of hip hop America relates to the changes which occurred historically from the end of the 1960s and through the 1970s. During this time, hip hop was considered old school and included funk and R&B music. The format of the music was specific to the black community and was used to express and understand the living conditions and lifestyle of those in the situation. The messages which were given through the music were inclusive of overcoming the current conditions which many were in while incorporating the ideologies of lifestyle into the music. This was combined with the end of the Civil Rights movement and overcoming the black suppression that was associated with those in the culture. The leaders for hip hop music in this time associated the messages with peace, thriving within the community and working toward a different sense of leadership that was a part of the community. It was from these main messages that hip hop gained its identity, specifically through the culture that it catered to and developed with in terms of understanding what was important with hip hop (George, 22). The book points out that the cultural concepts of hip hop began to change in the 1980s because of the target that was placed within the community. When hip hop was first introduced, it moved outside of funk and soul and was developed for a community which was trying to live in a different manner while being subjected to inequalities, both economically and in society. However, the 1980s began to change this with the movement into more equal rights while changing the segmented culture that was introduced to hip hop. It was during this time that hip hop began to gain another name, specifically outside of the black culture. This moved into the youth market that was interested in popular culture and the different sense of identity that was associated with this. The idea of cultural affiliations with the African – American community than began to change into the youth culture that was interested in the message of looking at society from a specific perspective and understanding what the current conditions related to with the messages of hip hop. Not only did the sense of identity change during this time, but the sound of hip hop began to alter with stronger back beats, dance music and rap that were used to send the specific messages (George, 56). Business of Hip Hop When the market of hip hop began to be recognized, there was a direct movement into the business and economic fluctuations of the music. Instead of the message becoming one strictly for specific groups of individuals that held different experiences, hip hop began to transform into a business and corporate identity. This is an important change with hip hop, specifically because it is what is leading the music today. Instead of creativity and a message to a specific set of individuals, there is a message about the business and money of hip hop. This is reflected with the ‘bling’ which is worn by the artists as well as the changes which have occurred from the top artists through record distributors. In this book, there is an association with the directors, executives, attorneys and others that are working with the hip hop artists. As opposed to keeping the truth of the cultural music alive, there is a specific relationship to the business management that was expected to run the image and the style of the hip hop music. The idea of the permanent business that is mentioned in this book shows how the individuals behind the music from the 1990s began to change the image of the music, not for creative purposes, but instead for the concept of building the entertainment business (George, 78). Changing Cultures of Hip Hop The business that was associated with hip hop was followed by the expectations which were developed by individuals who were a part of the hip hop movements. The identity which followed from the 1980s was reflective of the business ideologies that were a part of society. This was combined with the changing culture within hip hop that began to alter. Instead of the hip hop being based on the black community an alternative culture began to form. This was based on a sense of violence, fashion and crime that centered on the stories of hip hop artists. The violence began to be noted not only from the hip hop artists, who used this to display stories and to gather the attention of the public. The music videos, words of the music and the development of different pieces of music created the same sense of violence and crime as a supported aspect of the music. This development of the culture turned into a specific type of reflection within the youth community that was a part of the performance and lifestyle while creating a different culture that was associated with the hip hop music (George, 113). The concept of hip hop as a culture of violence and crime is what continues to reflect the music and the different aspects of what it means to belong to this culture. The business and cultural aspects have combined to attract the youth culture to the different concepts. Violence and crime has led into the drug scene as well as sexual promiscuity that is within the musical culture. This has led even more into the idea of carrying a large amount of money through bling and displaying this through different concepts. The reflection from hip hop culture with the music, video and the displays both on and off stage are creating specific reactions from youth while continuing to create different cultural aspects which many of the youth are responding to. The culture is working as a capitalist tool to change the culture and to guide and mislead youth into one that is based on the violence, crime and problems with the current cultures, all which continue to be reflected with the music that highlights this for the main profits within the business (George, 117). Reflection of Hip Hop Culture The theme of Hip Hop America is one which is defined specifically by the economic, business and cultural changes which have led the ideas of the culture. The strength of this book is in defining the different perspectives of the culture and how it has changed from its inception into the present day needs. This is combined with the ability to tie this into the specific artists and the philosophies which each has. The sounds which have been used, lyrics, musical tools, videos and the pressure and expectations from recording companies are all pointed out. As these are highlighted, there is the ability to understand why the hip hop culture has turned into one that is based on drugs, violence, crime and other innuendos for the current youth culture. Combining this with the expectations that hip hop will continue to have these particular themes as a part of the culture are continuing to arise with the cultural affiliations that are a part of the examinations of hip hop. The strengths of this book are furthered by defining the specific actions and pivotal points that are associated with hip hop artists and recording companies. This gives insight into the current status from the internal works and how this has led to the current culture. Instead of one carrying the belief that this is the lifestyle of the artist, there is the understanding that this is directly affiliated with the pressure and expectations from the business, economic and cultural affiliations of the time. The idea which began from associating with those living in the African – American and ghetto culture transformed into one which was based on building a popular culture which was expected to have a different association with the changes of the time. Highlighting artists that connected to different movements and developing this particular argument to show how the idea of hip hop culture arose from the various internal and external pressures then develops more insight into why the hip hop culture thrives with youth and popular demands while creating a link to the cultural changes for the time frame. While the strengths of the book have shown a different perspective and level of insight to the world of hip hop, there are also missing elements that may have influenced the growth of the music. The book shows how hip hop has transformed as rights have been given to African – Americans and how the message has changed. However, there is not a movement into the depth of hip hop to when this change was made and what occurred. While there is an observation that is noticed that this did occur and that the music has moved into the violence and crime as well as away from the main messages, there is not an understanding of why or how this has happened. The evolution of hip hop music into today’s standards has then become limited by the understanding that this is the dominant force in the music. There is also not an incorporation of other forms of hip hop that were a part of the 1970s and which continue to move forward today and which do not send this message. Instead, the book reveals the popular music, as opposed to the marginalized events which have led to other formats of music and changes which are associated with the music. By adding in more perspective to the book, there is the ability to incorporate a deeper understanding of the ideas of hip hop music. Conclusion The ideologies of hip hop music have altered and changed by the various movements from the social and cultural changes in society. In the book Hip Hop America, there is an understanding that this is associated directly with the social developments and reflections as well as expressions which come from the music. There is also a link to the economic and political changes which have happened in record companies and with those that are working within the field of hip hop music. Through this book, there is the ability to understand the turn that occurred from hip hop music and into present day popular music as well as how this has developed into a cultural and business link for the youth culture to continue gaining interest in the ideologies of the music. References George, Nelson. Hip Hop America. Penguin Books: New York, 1998. Read More