Integrating Hip-Hop Into The Classroom

In “Azealia Banks” author James McNally analyzes arising rapper Azealia Banks in order to discuss post-racial politics where political elements of hip-hop and the systemic racial inequalities they address, have become gradually ostracized in favor of “color-blind” conceptions of United States society and pop culture. To do so McNally argues that Banks’ music video for “212” and her public rhetoric rearticulates ideas of the mainstream black female identity in hip-hop and confronts the white gaze. In “212” Azealia Banks raps about growing up in Manhattan and her reactions to the situations that she experienced and declares her dominance over all of her rival, while establishing her extensive “technical skill and stylistic versatility as a rapper (61).” Banks combines multiple hip-hop tropes, while infusing her own character in as well to

Hip hop has a message that reveals the social inequalities of our nations. In addition, McBride wants people to keep an open mind about hip hop and new thing that they may not be used to. In conclusion, he declares hip

Vanderbilt University Hip Hop in the Feminist Context An Analysis of Salt-N-Pepa’s Blacks’ Magic Gigi Bruns MUSL 1670 Professor Chase 6 April 2023 During the Golden Era, many prominent rappers utilized their music to convey powerful messages about events related to the Black experience. Whether this was related to police brutality, unemployment, racism, or beef with rappers from different coasts, rappers used their music to discuss issues that were important to them. With this type of music and popularity, artists were able to use their platforms to amplify their message to the masses. However, a common denominator for many of these artists was that they were male.

Hip Hop was the wildfire that started in the South Bronx and whose flames leapt up around the world crying out for change. James McBride’s Hip Hop Planet focuses on his personal interactions with the development of Hip Hop culture and his changing interpretations of the world wide movement. Many of his encounters and mentions in the text concern young black males and his writing follows an evolution in the representation of this specific social group. He initially portrays them as arrogant, poor, and uneducated but eventually develops their image to include the positive effects of their culture in an attempt to negate their historical misrepresentation.

In her essay “hip hop’s betrayal of black women,” Jennifer McLune implies that “(h)ip-hop owes its success to the ideology of women-hating” (193). She does not agree with Kevin Powell’s article that hip-hop does not mean to “offend” black women, but instead artists are only letting out their temper throughout their music. McLune feels infuriated that many artists in hip hop (including black men) rap about their community and downgrade their own women. In the hip-hop genre, sexism is mainly used, not only by black men but also by many other race hip-hop artists. Artists assume that women-hating in their rap songs will be accepted by women, but do not realize that it is affecting all women.

a. Throughout Tricia Rose’s work of the Hip Hop Wars, she goes back and forth between a couple different topics relating to the genre, such as the debate about hip hop causing violence, or reflecting a violent ghetto culture, along with if hip hop is sexist, or if people against the music or just anti-sex. She talks about how hip hop has made a positive impact on society as a whole, by giving people who may feel left out a voice and allowed those in working-class and poor communities a way to express their social and political beliefs. But she also describes the genre as a topic which has created tension among numerous different people, for promoting violence and other anti-feminist ideals. “Members of the hip hop generation are now facing

Since Hip-hop music was created in 1973 by Clive Campbell it has been a field most dominated by men and not women. Hip-hop music has displayed not only memos of what it is like to live in certain areas, but also the individuality of men and women. Pamela Hollander composes an academic essay concerning female identity and how the character of women in music has altered from decade to decade in the Hip-hop atmosphere. The theme of women identity is prevalent throughout the essay and the associations Hollander makes her points evident through her analysis of intimacy, nurturing, love and spiritual growth in Hip-Hop songs.

Hip Hop is seen as something inspiring, but most people see it as a way to speak out the truth about a problem. As in “Hip Hop planet” being able say the truth can sometimes worsen any situation because sometimes what we say can promote violence and whatever happens after is not in our control. The essay is about how hip hop has changed into speaking out the issues that need to be taken care of in order to maintain a proper society. McBride talked about how rappers use violent lyrics to degrade women and gays and because of this it shows how the music has evolved into something entirely different that no one would have ever expected to have changed. In James McBride's essay “Hip Hop Planet,” he argues that hip hop has a negative influence on American Culture despite people thinking of it as inspirational and how people live through different experiences in life despite of your race.

Along with the creation of music videos, hip-hop’s popularity has soared and changed in many ways. Men and women are depicted in distinct and vivid ways in the media – particularly music videos – that may subconsciously affect our views of the norms of today’s society. That is, catchy songs and glamorous music videos that society thinks are harmless entertainment actually shape our worldview and can cause people to accept false impressions of women (Shrum & Lee, 2012). For example, as Sarnavka (2003) posits, women are victims of violence in society, as well as victims of violence in media (as cited in Bretthauer, Zimmerman, and Banning, 2007).

To condemn hip-hop music, a form of self-expression and art, as the root cause of violent acts committed within society is unacceptable. While some may view the profound topics of sexual assault, misogyny, and substance abuse discussed within the lyrics as distasteful, others may find what hip-hop music discusses to be comforting. As a society, the violent lyrics in songs written by hip-hop artists depict their reality, merely reflecting society’s current state as opposed to being the motive for crimes committed.

¨If Hip Hop has the ability to corrupt minds, it also has the ability to uplift them.¨ Hip hop music, also called rap music, is a music genre developed in the United States by African Americans consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. Mainstream hip hop culture is also filled with misogyny and negative images of women. These artists are unaware that sexism has been forced onto them through the brainwashing from the media, which is controlled by a patriarchal society. Conversely, feminism is the belief that both genders should have equal power.

Hip hop critics believe that hip hop is a violent subculture and supports crime and violence, but research has shown that there is no direct correlation between the two. One hip-hop artist that goes against this stereotype is Kanye Omari West. Mr. West lyrics allows the listener to understand that you don’t have to rap about having money and cars to get someone’s attention. In Kanye West’s Homecoming, he said, “Reach for the stars, so if you fall you land on the clouds.” This is an influential quote that encourages the listener to reach for their goals, but if you happen to fail on the way it’ll be ok because you have a comfort system to be there for you.

“Beyond Beats and Rhymes” Summary This movie was a broad discussion about hip-hop music (or more specifically gangster rap) and what kind of social issues the music not only showcases but seems to promote. The producer of this film, Byron Hunt, interviewed people involved in all aspects of the hip-hop industry, including famous rappers, to try to get to the bottom of this. Some of the most prominent issues discussed in the film were the over-sexualization of women, gun violence, and anti- homophobic attitudes. Hunt would ask those involved in the industry about why they think these themes are so prevalent.

There have been many rap songs and albums that have been very meaningful, and have gained millions of fans that appreciate their music. For example, on Kendrick Lamar’s debut album Good Kid, m.A.A.d City, each song is a piece of his life story. He describes his struggles growing up in the ghettos of Compton, California. Kendrick addresses situations such as gang violence, peer pressure, and oppressed women. On the song “The Art of Peer Pressure”, Kendrick describes the inner conflict that he dealt with at a young age, trying to distinguish right from wrong in certain situations.

We ultimately decided that we could utilize Hip-hop music and culture to forge a common and critical discourse that was centered upon the lives of the students, yet transcended the racial divide and allowed us to tap into students’ lives in ways that promoted academic literacy and critical consciousness. Despite the success of these English teachers at a high school in northern California, and other accounts most people , mostly administrators and teachers are unwilling to incorporate hip hop in their classrooms. This could be because some people still don’t approve of hip hop music. Incorporating hip hop would mean that they would have to listen to hip hop music to understand it and correctly incorporate it in their classrooms.