Hip-Hop is.................

Five hip-songs that I have never listened to or heard of until this assignment:

1. Straight Outta Compton- NWA
2. Just Get Up and Dance- Afrika Bambaataa
3. Suckas Need Body Guards- Gang Starr
4. EPMD- You Gots To Chill
5. UTFO- Leader of the Pack


Five Hip-Hop videos I have not scene before this assignment:

1. Master P- I Miss My Homies; Focus of the video is about the death of close friends and coping with the grief of death.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggNymSJ52Fw

2. Eminem- We Made You; The focus is a parody of many celebrities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15L7I2ExAJY

3. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg- Lil Ghetto Boy; Focus of this video is about a black man in prison and how he is surviving in the slammer and what is he going to do when he gets out and tries to start his life fresh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULYE3xmR2kg&feature=PlayList&p=BDBCC4EF7F6E7FE6&index=0

4. Ice Cube- Today Was a Good Day; Focus is about having a day in the hood that nothing goes wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4RY-eJgHHs

5. Big Tymers- Get Your Roll On; Focus is about partying and looking fly by having the best cars, watches, clothes and women.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cknX36Gurj0

Two hip-Hop radio stations:

1. K104 (104.5)- Dallas, TX
2. 97.9 The Beat- Dallas, TX

Two corporations that have utilized Hip-Hop:

1. NBA (National Basketball Association)
2. Rock The Vote

I think that Hip-Hop has done a lot to and for society. I think the recent hip-hop/gangster rap has put out a bad image for all African Americans. In many of these songs they degrade women, talk of drug and alcohol abuse and put out a gangster persona. I think that this has developed into a media chaos, where it puts all African Americans into this light. I think that this is a disservice because not all African Americans are gangsters and they sure do not believe or live their lives along the words of these artists. I think that society needs to get out of their head that just because the majority of hip-hop/rap artists are African American that all African American men and women act like these songs portray. On the other hand I think that the hip-hop community is a uniting force through the African American community. It is the music of the times. There was once blues and funk, and today we have rap and hip-hop. I think the more and more the genre matures and grows it has begun to change. I think that artists such as Kanye are moving away from the traditional gangster image that has been the face of the hip-hop/rap genre for the past decade. Although the messages in some of these gangster rap songs can paint a true picture some of the lyrics and remarks used in the songs are just down right degrading to both men and women. The vocabulary that ahs derived from this genre of music is huge. Although I grew up in a very white community, we all listened to rap. I think we listened to it more than any genre of music so I believe it is safe to say that the listeners of hip-hop and rap have no color. We still use terms such as "homie", "Dawg", "Whip" (car), and "Dougie".

As for my mom, she listened to all of the 1960's rockers. Some of her favorites were The Doors, and The Beatles. She also listened to Marvin Gaye. As for my dad he doesn't really listen to much music from that time today. He is more contemporary when it comes to music, although he is a big Johnny Cash fan.

Parents Examples:

1. Johnny Cash: Country
2. The Doors: Rock N' Roll
3. Marvin Gaye: Soul

To conclude on my earlier comments, I think that hip-hop and rap are headed in the right direction. I think that there are an important part of the culture in America and will continue to be.