Tired of the Bullshit

The state of hip-hop has been an ongoing topic in the African-American community within the last decade. Hip Hop heavy hitters have produced hundreds of symposiums, conventions, conferences, lectures, panels, interviews, and whatever other types of discussion groups one can think of to initiate the conversation on “the state of hip-hop.” The most current consensus from those who are directly involved in the industry (the artists) is that maybe, for some individuals, art is more important than commerce. The Village Voice’s Tom Breihan, in an article on December 3, 2007, entitled Why Do Rappers Keep Quitting, presents the argument that many rappers, such as Saigon, feel freedom of speech and expression far outweigh the “bullshit” of the music industry. By “bullshit” Saigon—and Breihan as well, are referring to the censorship, judgment, and criticism that almost all rappers receive if their music contains political, social or cultural ideas that stand oppositional to mainstream America’s popular agenda. Breihan seems intent on reproaching rappers who are considering making an exit out of the rap game such as: Saigon and Lupe Fiasco. However, when individuals who, according to Breihan, haven’t produced enough music to become accessible or knowledgeable to the majority of their potential fans, start to second guess their validity and influence in an industry that they feel is against them, then maybe it’s a clear sign that something is wrong. How can a rich and influential form of expression such as rap continue to survive by admonishing its most promising and pure creators? It appears that Breihan represents the very essence of why these artists are quitting the rap game. When artists express discontent or frustration with the status quo of hip-hop, the industry quickly silences them, or presents them as disrespectful of the sources of their fame and success. They lack any sort of moral support from the hip-hop community if their opinions and sentiments fail to represent the traditional practices of the form. Ultimately, Breihan questions that if the hip-ness of the rapper in hip-hop has passed and the music industry has no room or tolerance for them, then what’s the point? The point is that artists have the right to voice their grievances, and they equally have the right to choose to not participate in a system that is ambiguous and propagandistic.

Identity Through Language

If communication is considered an exchange of information between individuals through some sort of medium then, next to appearance and dress, language could very well be the most important and descriptive quality of an individual’s personality and character. In everyday realistic interaction, we use language as a primary source for communicating our thoughts and ideas. Thus language can play a critical role in how others form perceptions about us. More importantly, others can form both positive and negative stereotypes about individuals by evaluating their linguistic sophistication. After reading Paul Beatty’s novel Tuff, the language and linguistic choices compelled me to question what ideas and goals Beatty was attempting to achieve. The book also incited questions about what type of image (whether true or not) that hip-hop language affords the African-American culture. How are African-Americans perceived through language on a national level? And, if there are works of art including: paintings, sculptures, music and literature that perpetuate the negative stereotypes of a particular culturally specific linguistic choice, how should one go about evaluating these works? Are they merely representative of the culture itself or are they as much of a problem as we consider negative digital images or photographs—or any demeaning cultural depiction?

Redefining Iconic

Throughout American history, blacks have always taken mainstream dress and style and changed it to fit their own interpretations of “American-ness.” Generally, blacks have often been left out of the equation when America has defined itself. However, dress and cultural aesthetic seems to be one of the many social aspects of American society where African-Americans feel they are allowed—though with some opposition—to express themselves culturally. The hip-hop style of dress has very unique qualities which seem to be rooted in a type of oppositional or antagonistic expression. There are many “American” classics or “icons” that African Americans have reformulated and styled to reflect their own cultural values. For instance, consider the American icon: the baseball cap. Introduced in 1954 by the New Era Company, the baseball cap, as a practical solution, was worn with the bill turned forward intending to protect baseball players from the glare of the sun. The cap was far from the American fashion icon that is instantaneously recognized in contemporary popular culture. Within thirty years (the early 1980’s) America’s very on democratic fashion accessory had been adopted on a popular scale to express not only the love for baseball as an American past time, but to also express a national quality of democracy and collectivity. Contemporarily, we see baseball camps on individuals of all ages and ethnicities. More noticeable than any other cultural group, hip-hop or African-American culture has largely adopted the baseball cap as a staple accessory in its style vocabulary. Rather than wear the hat as its American counterparts have, the hip-hop culture has created its own definition of style. As a sort of improvisational gesture, hip hoppers wear their hats turned backwards, and generally leave the bill flattened. This look is distinctly different from the way the baseball cap was intended to be worn or how others had traditionally styled the accessory. More interestingly, hip hop dressers seem to embody the true essence of American-ness by suggesting one of the nation’s most valued principles—capitalism. In styling the baseball cap by leaving the manufacturer tags and stickers on, these individuals seem to be commenting on the idea of authenticity and legitimacy which have been at the core of hip-hop dress and expression since its inception, and which are also concepts that appear significantly American. Yet, the hip hop style of dress seems to have found a way to incorporate inherent American ideas into its aesthetic while at the simultaneously rejecting any substantial ties with mainstream American dress and style, making the national icon a powerful tool in communicating a national cultural identity that seems both contradictory and inclusive.

Through the baseball cap the hip hop culture has exemplified the true characteristic of improvisation and appropriation. These ideas have been beneficial to both American culture and economics. Popular culture, being largely interested in hip-hop dress, has began to adopt not only the hip hop way of wearing the iconic baseball cap, but it has become more inclusive in the idea of who influences American popular culture.