Rap and hip hop culture by fernando orejuela

Indiana University Hip Hop Culture
Subject
Other

Course
hip hop philosophy

School
Indiana University

Question Description
Part 1: Read the following different pairs of definitions of “hip hop” from various sources (some definitions are intentionally provocative).

What is hip hop?

"Hip Hop is still fundamentally an art form that traffics in hyperbole, parody, kitsch, dramatic license, double entendres, signification, and other literary and artistic conventions to get its point across." Michael Eric Dyson, scholar (Dyson 2007: xvii)

"Hip-Hop does not make it exceptionally endearing to me by the attitude that the menfolk have towards the women. It’s very difficult to hold your head up with dignity when guys are looking at you like you just some b*tch or a hoe. It’s not exactly a fun kind of subculture for the women. It’s all good for the men that get to be machismo and posture and strut about, that’s all good. But the ladies…it’s very hard." Lady Pink, graffiti writer (quoted in Aqua)

"Hip-hop was born in New York City in the mid-1970s as a vehicle for inner-city youth to throw parties on their blocks and at area clubs, and for them to make money as DJs and promoters." Kevin Powell, writer (Powell)

"According to one ex-high Satanist, it is identical with the voodoo chants and rituals used within Satanism to summon up demons of lust and violence." Jack Chick, Battle Cry newspaper (Small 1992: 4)

"Hip and Hop is more than music
Hip is the knowledge
Hop is the movement
Hip and Hop is intelligent movement” KRS-One and Marley Marl lyrics to song “Hip Hop Lives”

"Hip-hop, everybody’s allowed to come in it, because it’s a street thing. I heard someone say, ‘Frank Ocean hip-hop artist.’ He is, hip-hop loves Frank Ocean, he’s our brother, but [he's not a hip-hop artist]. Miguel is not a hip-hop artist. Trey Songz is not a hip-hop artist. They’re singers.” Nas (Bené Viera)

" Hip Hop music is made from black, brown, yellow, red, white—whatever music that gives you the grunt, that funk, that groove or that beat. It's all part of hip hop.” Afrika Bambaataa, DJ (Davy D)

"Hip-hop is about youth and the young at heart.” Kool Herc, DJ (Mao 2013: 66)