A hip hop environment is described as intimidating

A hip hop environment is described as intimidating
 Hip hop is also known as a youth movement in a time where there was a large gap
between the older and younger generations’ views and feelings
o Wasn’t necessarily meant to spite parents like rock was
 Hip hop is political – the most political black music in the history of black music
because it is raw
o It has an uncensored nature – offers social and political commentary regarding
the hardships of black and Hispanics in the late 70’s and early 80’s – voice of
those that refused to be silenced by poverty, inequity, and injustice
 Many didn’t listen to what was being said and only saw rap and an act
 They didn’t interpret the message
 Hip hop was an outlet for ghetto people, for promoting and teaching knowledge, self-
wisdom, unity, love, etc…  was their outlet to the world
 Hip hop doesn’t change for you, but you adapt to it – it is uncompromising
 The music has spread itself internationally though fashion, movies, TV, etc… in a
relatively short amount of time
o Recognize hip hop as a specialist in communicating aspiration, frustration,
aggression, etc…
 Frustrations could be let out without violence, but instead through artistic expression
o There was an understanding in those days where if you wore the b-boy
uniform you chose to withstand violence and express through art
o Battling those that frustrated you was more rewarding than violence
 Graffiti is another form of expression
 Started by Blacks and Latinos in the Bronx but has expanded internationally where
race poses no boarders
 No other form of music has made the same impact as hip hop – it impacts world
trends and tastes and has its own language and style of dress
 Hip hop is a genre that is not afraid to offend others
 80% of hip hop’s target group are Caucasian and it appeals to people ages 13 to 35
in some way
Online Notes
 Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin founded Def Jam Records in a New York University
dorm room with a $5000 investment
 Hip hop CD sales hit $1 billion in 2003 thanks to Eminem and 50 Cent
 When rap music began it was distributed through cassette recordings
 Music on early rap records sounded like heavy funk or disco

 Basic function of rap music was to serve as dance music as did the Jamaican
“toasting” music from which it originated

Lecture 3 (Wednesday, May 8 th , 2014) – Monica’s Notes (Missed Class)
Genesis of Rap II
 DJ Kool Herc  image to the right
o Responsible for creating the blueprint of hip hop
o He used to see the instrumental parts of the music as boring, so
he would toast over them
o Media uses him as a reference point
o Seen as the grandfather of hip-hop
o He said there was a connection between hip hop and disco  hip-
hop was a response to disco
 Disco involved classism as you needed money to buy the
lavish costumes to get into the disco clubs
 Hip hop is hard core while disco is fun – opposite sides of the spectrum
o