What is your opinion on the Hip-Hop culture?

Question

Do you think it is good for today's kids that are listening to it, or do you think it glorifies bad things? I'm interested to hear your take...

Answer 1

good, yo-yo

Answer 2

I am from the era of the Beatles....and some of the other groups that started back in the 60's. I think today's hip hop, which I listen to every time my 13 yr old wants me to hear a new song, is a vague resemblance to back then. But much of it I have noticed relates to the issues kids are faced with today....just listen to the words. Simple plan has a song out about a kid asking his parents is he good enough. Eminem sings about his daughter, how he is mad at his wife, even wrote a very defined song about that, Puke. Benji and Joel Madden...actually some really neat young guys in my opinion, and I am 53, sings a song about how their father up and left them and their mother...that WAS a true story too! Those two amaze me how they overcame poverty, and never let their mother down. The bands today basically acknowledge what kids are going thru today. Some of them sing a negative resolution, others don't. I try to read their bio's to see where these people are coming from when they write their songs, and much of it is sadly about their own lives, or someone close to them. Christian music now has it's own hip hop artists, and they sound everybit as good as the nonchristian, and with a positive message. Just to name one group, Olivia....sounds a lot like Simple Plan.....(sorry pierre!)

Answer 3

I think the hip hop today is completly different that from the hip hop of the early 90s. Early hip hop gave people a glimpse into 3rd world America but now artists dont much care about the message and just want the money. But im not sure really how to answer your question.

Answer 4

I think it's pathetic! How could anyone possibly enjoy repeating crap over and over again while doing obscene movements? And even more pathetic- how can people enjoy that? I'm sorry to be so judgemental, but really... some people need to seriously realize what they're enjoying. That is, if they ARE enjoying; most do things out of pressure from the society to like the same things others seem to. Anyway, I just think all of this hip hop, rock (not all though), and rap (what's the difference with hip hop? They're both incessant and lame after all) is just for sad people who don't have much more than seeing and listening to people who are more or just as ridiculously shallow as they are.

Thanks for asking the question and reading my answer to it!

Answer 5

I grew up in the Run DMC, LL Cool J, GrandMaster Flash era. Back in the day (pre-jay z) rappers had socially concious things to say...whether it be about our communities, living conditions, poverty, and racisim.

Nowadays I can't even understand what these guys are saying with their "Grills" in their mouths. I believe REAL Hip Hop died in 1996-1997 with 2pac and Biggie...those were the last Pioneers of real hip hop. Since then all rappers can talk about is "Pu**y and Money".

With that said. I would not let my young child listen to most of this stuff out today. But what a lot of people forget is....the ones making this "mainstream" hiphop popular are the Suburban white kids. They seem to be facinated by the portral of a "gangster life" but what they don't understand is...it's all fake, thought up, and a big marketing scheme. Most of the rappers today don't give a **** about the communities they left or the children they left behind...There were very few who actually ACKNOWLEDGED Hurricane Katrina!

So I'm partial to that question. I think a lot of genres of music glorify some bad things...for instance Rock or Heavy Metal...they don't exactly write songs about Jesus lol. Hip Hop is a household name, so we've got to deal with it.

As far as the kids, It's really up to the PARENT to keep potentially harmfull things from the kids reach! Parents these days don't watch their kids! They just sit them in front of the Cable TV, so what would you expect them to watch, Friends?

Answer 6

It'd be fine if all they did is listen to it and not try to live it just to be hard core. There are a lot more serious problems out there effecting children than hip hop. Drugs, fatherless families, abuse, neglect, etc. are a few. A lot of the kids who listen to hip hop and get in trouble would've probably gotten into trouble any way, but they did it in a way that maybe immitated soemthing they heard or saw on tv. It's also important to note that not every kid who listens to hip hop gets in to trouble becuase of it or at all.

Answer 7

Hip Hop culture isn't entirely bad, but it does contain a lot of negative influence. Many of the songs and behaviors depict violence, disrespect, breaking the law, and other degenerate behavior. That portion of Hip Hop culture is a poor influence on today's youth. Some aspects of the culture and some songs are more tame, so it is difficult for me to shoot down an entire culture based on some of its seemingly predominant features.

Answer 8

I think to kids who listen cause he/she actually enjoys the beat or the lyrics, it's good. But to kids who want to be "cool" or fit in and try to be all gangster is pretty bad. Personally i do listen but because i enjoy it. And since no one will know why someone listens to hip-hop all i can say is it's a free country.

Answer 9

Hip-hop is suppose to be a music genre that tells us about all the social issues like poverty, drugs, and gangs. But ever since gangsta rap happen to Hip-hop, the some music has become very irrelevant and too materialistic.

Answer 10

Hip hop culture and mainstream hiphop music are two very different things. For one, the former is of black working class communities and the second is supported and maintained by white suburban kids and white corporate music execs.

But the music is no worse than other types of music-- rock, ska, punk, pop, etc etc.

Answer 11

It's self exploitation of a cultures own ills.
It's easier to try and glorify, than make it better
It's competing to be the best of the worst.
It's all about "Me"...and the rest don't matter