Hip Hop Potency

The success of rap music as the main expression ofwoman as whores and liars. Sexist and violent
hip hop has elevated it beyond a cultural movementmainstream rap no longer holds the position as the
but to the status of financial powerhouse. Started inenlightened voice of a struggling generation coming to
the 70's by innovative DJ's, rap has become a worldgrips with the harsh realities of an unfair world.
wide phenomenon. The organic growth of the musicThe quality of the music itself has been diluted.
has established the identity of rap music as a politicalRappers who do make it tend not to produce great
tool for the underprivileged. It has been the voice of thealbums like we saw with the likes of Run DMC. Instead
oppressed and underrepresented. Today's rap,they focus on producing "hits" hoping to experience a
however, has changed. The forces behind hip hop arewindfall from the impulse buying public. Never mind
no longer focused on the art and message. Insteadabout elevating the art craft, let's get paid, now. The
rap has become a commercial boom to be used formarket is flooded with one hit wonders and fools
profit. The hyper commercialization of rap music haspandering to target audiences. Meanwhile, the public is
led directly to the degrading of its potency as a formleft with the bad taste of weak albums hurriedly
of pure art.slapped together in anticipation of advertising deadlines.
The rap industry posted revenues in excess of 1.5The revolution that was rap is now a business model
billion dollars in 2005. It's a far cry from the roots of rap,for hustlers.
perfected in east coast ghettos some 25 years ago.Rap is not dead, yet. There are some bright stars.
Today, the industry of hip hop is run with the efficiencyArtists like Kanye West and the more obscure
of major corporations. Potential rap stars are pluckedJurassic 5 have had success in the face of the
from obscurity with the public psychology in mind.emergence of commercialized rap. They represent a
Businesses pour millions of dollars of advertisingside of rap that can still be cutting edge but more
revenue into artists such as Nelly and Eminem to shillresponsible and socially aware of the consequences
for their clothes and shoes. Music industry corporationsof their actions. They are conscious rappers who are
have fully accepted and promoted gangsta rappersconcerned by more than their bottom line. Africa
like 50 cent, leaving violence and sexism in their wake.Bambaata was the first to identify hip hop as a cultural
The over commercialization of rap has spawned amovement. Rappers like Common have carried that
litany of pretenders hoping to strike gold. The use oftorch by not selling themselves through controversy or
controversy to garner attention is widespread.promoting violence. They use words to stimulate
Involvement with a shooting, being associated with athought, discussion and hopefully change. The
gang or getting arrested for weapons charges cancommercialized rapper will answer these charges by
add "street credibility" to your image. It follows that inpointing out that violence and sexism is reality and he is
order to gain millions of dollars many artists may stagejust testifying. There is truth to these comments. But
a shooting or purposefully get arrested. This misuse ofwhere is the responsibility to your community? Why
violence is matched with a high degree of sexualnot uplift the people with your music? The answer is
exploitation of women. Females are valued for theirnot up to him but rather to us to reverse our bad
physical attributes only. Video after video show ushabits with buying gangsta rap and establishing a
herds of women dressed in porous outfits dancingcommitment to our communities with our music
aimlessly. Rap lyrics reveal a general perception ofchoices.