Rap/Hip Hop Culture - does it exist?

Several years ago a Grade 10 history student of mine wanted to do a research project on the history of Rap/Hip Hop (a good choice for a topic, as it happens). He told me that rap was 'his culture' (He was from Sierra Leone). I said that while Rap/Hip Hop did have a distinct and interesting history, I didn't think it could be called a 'culture' - it can't be compared with Chinese Culture, Muslim Culture, Ashante Culture etc... So my question(s) to you is (are): what IS a culture? Is Rap/Hip Hop a culture and if so, what makes it a culture? Or is it part of a larger culture - and if so, what are that culture's traditions and values? Thanks!

Rap/Hip Hop Culture - does it exist?
Hi,


yes, it is a culture.


A culture is a way of life. There are many cultures and sub cultures. I think hip-hoip culture comes under "youth culture"!
Reply:it is a culture by the way i see it;





simply because it has became their life style


altho its clear to see that rap and hiphop cn also conclude frm the sense of music yet how they delivers their music is basicly showing how their lifes are. its something tht ppl would do, in a society tht is. Report It

Reply:The culture of rap/hip-hop....





Saggy pants, tank-tops, boomboxes, bling... Is this not a definition of culture? There is a metal culture.





It's basically a way of life, shaped by the music that a person listens to. it's a culture, but not in the same sense as Muslim/Chinese etc culture.





Sometimes music can define the clothes a person wears, the language they use and the general way people lead their life.


That, for me, is a definition of the word culture.





So although I agree with you 100%, I disagree that it is not a culture. It's just a different form of culture. One that is not shaped by beliefs or geographic location.
Reply:Well... according to the legendary KRS1 Hip Hop is officially recognised as a culture by the United Nations. To me it is very much a part of inner city culture, a reflection of city life. To me culture is a way of life, the necessary thoughts and practices needed to form a group of people. Think of a plant from it is seed. All the nurturing it takes to grow it into a fully developed flower is culture.


There was a time when Hip Hop promoted the more cultural aspects of being a black community in a white mans world, however that has been shadowed by the more individualist capitalist idea as pushed by the likes of 50cent and Jay Z type m.c's. Your question should be a real thinking point for all these rappers 2day.
Reply:Does it exist?


Not at this white man's house.
Reply:come and live in Louisiana, and you will change your mind.
Reply:It is a culture.
Reply:What makes the Chinese or Muslim cultures? How would you define someone of the chinese culture? By their appearance? By their customs?





I know a B-Boy on sight. I know the "customs" of a battle. I believe that Hip Hop is a culture and I have been a part of it for over 20 years.





I'm not going to try to "explain" to you what being a part of this culture is because I don't think it's something that could be explained in a forum like this.
Reply:i dont know where happy gets his info from but, whatever


ignorance is bliss right happy ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ loser...





anyway in my opinion hiphop/rap culture can only fall under a larger culture





which is african-american culture





if you look back at the history of hiphop youd see.





granted it has a wide following of races now, it cant be denied that hiphop is a major part of african-american culture.








to the girl below me, HIPHOP is as much a part of black culture as gospel, R%26amp;b, jazz, and soul


it is celebrated as a part of african-american culture just watch BET....





just because it has a wider following more than one race listens in doesnt mean its any less of a part of black culture





just because there white buddists doesnt mean its any less of a asian culture





just because JAPAN has a baseball league doesnt mean baseball is any less part of american culture





and just because hiphop is celebrated world wide


doesnt erase the fact that it is a major part of our culture
Reply:Hip Hop is a culture (encompassing MC-ing, DJ-ing, break-dancing and artistic expression through graffiti). It shouldn't be confused with rap. Coming from one of the original pioneers Busy Bee, rap is just a medium of expression.





True Hip Hop is about peace, love, unity and having fun. All of the materialism, sexism and violence that present in today's "hip hop" (e.g. what artists like 50 Cent promote) has no real place there. It has skewed the original meaning of Hip Hop and why it was born (with Afrika Bambaataa in the Bronx).
Reply:Yes, it is a culture. Perhaps best stated as a sub-culture because it still has to blend itself with the main culture of the U.S. in order to work. One of the tell-tail signs that it is a culture is from the ethnocentrism that surrounds it. Ethnocentrism is an instinct that ALL humans have. It, basically, means that we think that our way of doing things is the best way --- period. If you stop for a moment and look at the answers that have been given, so far, you will see that ethnocentrism coming from both directions.


Rap or hip-hop cultures most likely arose from the isolation that came from being rejected to a certain degree as a race. All humans need culture and if they are not getting enough of it, they will invent their own.
Reply:^^^^^^ I'm black and I am not claiming that hip-hop is a part of "African-American" culture (and you shouldn't either). BUT hip-hop is a culture that has brought dance, urban fashion and music to mainstream society.
Reply:Have you looked up the definition of the word 'culture'? In an online dictionary, it's defined as "the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc."





While not always beneficial, hip hop has brought about 'qualities' within sub societies of mainstream civilisation. You think about how the lyricists of hip hop express themselves in such a huge variety of ways, from the highs and lows of everyday personal life, to their views of historical and current events, and man's progression to the current political and economical climate.





Think about how hip hop has its own genre of art in the form of graffiti. The language and mannerisms adopted by the members of this sub society that consider the words, views and art expressed to be great enough to be both revered and developed.





By looking at the definition of the word 'culture', it can very easily be shown that Hip hop can most definitely be viewed as a culture, far more so than 'Muslim' culture, which is actually the religion of Islam and not a culture at all!





I think a good question would concern whether or not anything should be defined in terms of culture at all. All it does is cause division (between 'cultures'), and can lead to outdated and potentially dangerous customs to be carried out simple for the sake of traditional values that lie within the confines of a culture. Just my opinion.
Reply:Dearly beloved





We are gathered here today to discuss some interesting sh!t! Is this hip hop thing of ours a culture. I’ll spit some of my opinion,….





Hip hop began as a reaction to the gang problems in NYC in the 60s. It was zip gun time and the art of the switch blade was in effect. Gang members (Bambatta most famously) decided to get into the whole deejaying thing as a positive outlet for their crews. Didn’t take long before the battling was on the turntables, break beat selection, fat laces (later to become phat laces!) and the break boys. Hip hop heads that waited to showcase their talents at the break of a soul or funk song where the instrumental break… well… broke down. It was the soul of the record and thus was born sampling (Kool Herc %26amp; FLASH).





So music enthused non-violent confrontation.


Clothing, beatboxin, breakin, slang, clothes, etc are all part of the ‘culture’ but the source of telling street stories, battling with the MIC and a showcasing talent vehicle (in a harsh white corporate world) was the original ethos of hip hop. You should be able to figure out where hip hop culture stands on the Rodney King beating, Iraq conflicts, poverty in the US, etc.





Hip hop is also about love %26amp; humour %26amp; bringing people together %26amp; ingenuity. Using obscure breaks, introducing a generation to Rick James or James Brown can only be done thru this culture.
Reply:a culture is refered to as an appreciation of literature,art,music and etc. hip hop is an appreciation of a type of music, it appreciates literature in the form of the lyrics and poems e.g tupacs poems..the art of dressin is also appreciated. hip hop has its leaders it has its own style and one can also say it has its own race but besides that there are also rules in hip hop...hip hop was once part of a larger culture but has grown and seperated from that larger culture.
Reply:the traditions of rap/hip-hop are to STEAL "samples" of GOOD rock-n-roll/metal music, twist their stupid words like "yo, biotches, mah n***as" to computer-generated drumbeats, with NO actual musical talent needed. values....? *scoff*