HIP HOP CULTURE: "The Life and Times of America's Youth"

HIP HOP CULTURE: "The Life and Times of America's Youth"

What is Hip-Hop, and why is it important to me?

Hip hop is a movement, a form of musical expression and artistic subculture that originated within the African-American and Hispanic-American communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically within the NYC borough, of the Bronx, which during the 1970's was impoverish, and was under extreme economic distress due to strategic planning and policies put in place concerning zoning and city planning. The term often refers to hip hop music, which consists of poetry that is spoken - rather than sung - over either original or sampled instrumental recordings mixed with new original sounds from drum machines(MPC, 8o8), and/or other instruments. However, the culture has expanded far beyond its original roots, and now is considered a worldwide subculture comprising rapping, DJing, hip hop dance, and graffiti art - known collectively as "Four Pillars" or "Four Elements" of Hip Hop.

These are questions that the educational establishment aka academia, should ask themselves right now. I, as a educator, have been beginning to realize how important that the music and cultural revolution that I grew up in (1980's) and with has permanently left an indelible mark on the ever expanding American Culture. Hip-Hop has become the voice of the voiceless, and the face of the under served. As the population of the lower middle economic class continues to grow at an alarming rate, more and more young people seek education as a solution for the growing poverty rate in America. Why not use the elements that the students are most familiar with to disseminate information.... HIP-HOP CULTURE. The part that usually is not expressed in the four elements is social engagement (revolutionary attitude) that can accompany the culture associated with HIP-HOP.

Why don't we have Hip-Hop Studies programs in all the major universities and colleges? Seriously... why hasn't academia taken that next step in researching (whether good or bad) effects hip-hop culture has on American society? Truly, I feel that the culture could be used in the realm of sociological, ethnographic, and/or anthropomorphic research ...through a sociology degree program. I believe, in order to progress the level of research... thus helping the cause, we need to try and move the study of hip-hop from out of the singular focus of literature or music into sociological. Hip-Hop is the umbrella that covers many of the social changes in the last three decades.

Let's start this dialogue and get some more ideas flushed out....

Sincerely, 
Jarritt Sheel