Hip-Hop: It Won't Stop

Hip-hop is a genre of music that has seen drastic changes over the last few years. Dating back to its origins, and through the 1990's, hip-hop was considered a desirable and likeable type of music. It has been only in recent years that hip-hop music and especially its counterpart, rap, have taken a turn for the worse. In its better days, many Americans had no problems with, and even enjoyed, listening to hip-hop music. Today's new style of dirty rap has single-handedly given the hip-hop genre a bad name. There is more cursing, stereotyping, and degrading statements heard in this style of music than any other genre of the past. It may also be said that rap/hip-hop music is giving today's America a bad image: an image of vulgarity, insensitivity, and ignorance. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. Due to this negative image, many Americans, currently believe that hip-hop has become less enjoyable to listen to. However, even though rap music is considered 'less enjoyable,' it is more prominent than ever.

Hip-hop music was born in the gritty, downtown sanctions of New York City at the close of the disco era. This new-aged sound was capable of calling attention to those individuals, 'MCs', who were able to lyrically paint tapestries of stylized autobiographies and witty anecdotes. A hip-hop prodigy was usually accompanied by a gifted disc-jockey (DJ) who produced a unique sound to compliment the lyrical flow. Hip-hop music's humble beginnings date back to a time when MC's simply introduced a DJ and tried to keep the crowd excited about the next DJ who would be performing. Before long this practice had developed into MCs performing with a particular DJ, one famous example is Will "The Fresh Prince" Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. By 1979, hip-hop music had gained an increased following of fans and newcomers alike, securing its hold on the popular music industry. During the 1990s a sub-genre of hip-hop was developed called 'gangsta rap.' This form of hip-hop caused significant upset and controversy concerning lyrics that were possibly promoting violence, promiscuity, and drug use. Regardless to rap's shaky start it is currently a driving force in the global musical arena.

The dictionary defines rap in terms of rap meaning 'to hit.' It first showed up in the early 1900s with the extended meaning "to express orally," as used by so notable a figure as Winston Churchill in 1933. Over the next few decades it came to mean "to discuss or debate informally" or "say something quickly," a meaning that was well established in the African-American community by the late 1960s. A decade later the word was applied to an evolving style of music characterized by, among other things, beat-driven rhymes of an often improvisatory nature. This shows that rap came through the hip-hop culture and has used its own ways to express how the artist is feeling or what the artist going through. Rap is the more "hardcore" version of hip-hop, if you want to think of the two as cousins in the African American Culture. Rap music deals with the harsher issues and this is why people can become so easily offended by what is stated.

With the topic being about the content of rap and hip-hop music, it was decided that it would be a good idea to interview three DJs from three different radio stations in Palm Beach and Broward counties in South Florida. Each was asked the same four questions: 1) As a disc jockey, how do you feel about the content of rap/hip-hop music? Why? 2) What percentage of the music played during your rotation are rap/hip-hop songs? 3) Do you have opinions about radio censorship? 4) What are the top three rap songs in heavy rotation today? Responses were not received to all of these questions, but the outcome was very interesting.

The first DJ, who wished to remain anonymous, was from a station that plays about twenty-five percent rap/hip-hop. He said (about rap music): "it is what it is, some of it is edgy, but there is some of it that is not." He proceeded to say that this question came up on him as a surprise and he needed time to think. He added: "it really depends on the person if they like rap music or not, and that it doesn't matter if I'm a DJ or not, because I'm still just a person." Even though he was told that it was only his opinion that was wanted, he continued to give vague and round-about answers. The anonymous DJ gave a reference to a sister station based in Orlando that could be of more help, and didn't answer any further questions.

It is believed that these responses were given from him due to fear of incrimination, and it probably had to do with the company and political reasons. However, he did say that rap music "is what it is." Meaning, some people like it, and some people do not. Furthermore, there is no sense in trying to fight the rap music industry because it has become big enough to a point that there is surely no end in sight. The publicity of trying to limit or take rap off the air would only make it more popular.

The second interview was from a very opinionated woman, from a station that plays 100% hip-hop, rap, and R&B, who also wanted her and her station to remain anonymous. When asked how she felt about the content in today's rap/hip-hop music she said: "There is no content: that is the problem. It is different today then what it used to be back in the '80s, and early 1990s. Then, it was true hip-hop music, it had a meaning to it and it had soul, and jokes. Today they talk about sex, and shooting cops."

This woman was extremely opinionated, which was a relief after the interview with the first DJ. She seemed really passionate about the meaningful and soulful side of hip-hop music. When talking about rap and the hard lyrics, such as those about "shooting cops" and "having sex with women," she seemed very opposed to them, which was particularly interesting, coming from a radio personality of a station that is predominantly, if not solely devoted to rap, hip-hop, and R&B music.

According to her, there is "no meaning in music anymore". When asked about radio censorship she said "music is a means to express you." However, she said she would not want her kids to listen to it, even though she knows that one day they will be exposed to that music.

The third interviewee was very different from the first two. Her name was Monti and she worked at WILD 95.5 in West Palm Beach, Florida, a station that plays about 30% rap/hip-hop, mostly at night. She said she "likes the music on her radio station, and that a lot of people misunderstand it, they take it too seriously." She does, however, agree that there is some