I want your opinion on hip hop and it's impact on society and culture...?

I first want to say I love hip hop, it's one of my first love...at 25, I listen to other genre's other than hip hop, but it's still my fav to listen to.





The media always displays hip hop as having a negative impact on society. I think to an extent they have this correct. Too many young listeners can't seperate lyrics and reality. It use to be that you can only rap about something if it's true, but now rappers are just saying they did things to show they're tough.





Hip hop is so broad, I find that most listeners, especially young listeners are listening to the "wrong" kind of hip hop....they're more keen to 50 cent than Mos Def, or Common.





As a result I find society throws hip hop into a negative bunch even though artists like Talib Kweli conveys that real hip hop is about more than guns and hoes. But of course Talib and similar artists don't make it to MTV.





How can hip hop change it's image? Or for that matter does the majority of hip hop heads want it changed?

I want your opinion on hip hop and it's impact on society and culture...?
I think if a real musician who isn't spewing crappy lyrics doesn't want to be associated with garbage like 50cent or the others you listed, they should create a new genre and not put themselves in the same category.
Reply:I think the best rap music is the angry, deep, intricate, lyrical, without boundaries. But to me, it kind of feels like it's not time to be angry anymore. I just don't think there's much left to say that hasn't been said already. For rappers to last today, I think they really need to talk about what's actually going on today. Global warming, politics, religion, anything! Something they realize that maybe other people don't. It's about being the voice for the people. Saying what's on everybody's mind that they can't say themselves. I don't think rappers are doing that anymore. They're staying cliché. It's not working anymore.
Reply:I dunno if the rappers wud want to change anything now coz it's become a trend and it's sad yeah recently i saw this video by 50 cent xxx pimp something and the video was uncensored and bout the life of how a pimp is.....but just to take it lightly or on a funny note it's ok but if u think of it seriously ur more saddened then enjoy the fact....





I also like hip hop but it has to be real good i mean I liked the rap by eminem in his movie 8mile truly....it did say bbout the fact....but it's as far as it goes good hiphop stuff is hard to come by...and new rappers must feel compelled to compete with the ones who got famous with hoes and guns and drugs and wat not....so maybe a new artist who comes up with something sober will get sidelined due to the publicity they earn in the process...unless somebody makes it so much interesting the current scene is there to rule sadly.
Reply:Rap is just boring as well as Emo.
Reply:aww i wanna answer this question fully, but i got class in a minute, so i've starred it and hopefully i'll remember to come back.





In the meantime i'd like to say the internet has made it possible for younger people to realize that hip hop goes beyond the new 50 cent song. I'm 16 and i've been listening to hip hop for two years now, which is nothing, but i evolved from listening to 50 cent, and the like into listening to percee p, el-p, lord finesse etc through the internet. Which for me means that hip hop will live through the internet, even if it dies out in the mainstream because of MTV approved rappers.





Like i said i'll get back to this. Good question =)
Reply:first off i love "hip-hop" "rap" and any and all music for that matter ! i think one major impact it has had on society is bringing youth together. you have these rich white kids born with silver spoons riding around listening to hard core rap (lol)and i think it gives the two very different social groups almost a common ground...


I really dont like when people say "real hip-hop". music is music and its all an art ! i enjoy mos def and common but in my opinon the lyrics i hear from jay-z, 50 and 2pac (regardless of language and violence) they show young men born into poverty hustleing to survive.. one more thing (in my opinion) when ever a rapper starts out their usually raw and edgey, then once they get rich it seems to become so commercial.