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Hip hop music and hip hop music videos
Since the inception of hip hop music twenty-five years ago, rap and hip hop music has become increasingly popular and globalized. The popularity of music videos and production of rap and hip hop music videos has brought the lyrics and styles of hip hop music artists to life like never before.
Today, rap and hip hop music and hip hop music videos are being critically examined and evaluated, not because of the rap/ hip hop music style, but for certain elements like materialism and sexism that pervade many hip hop music videos.
Hip hop music videos: high controversy
The lyrics, personal creative expression, and choice of visual images in many rap and hip hop music videos are highly controversial. With the increasingly popularity of rap and hip hop music videos and hip hop music artists, more and more people are defending artists’ rights to lyrics and images they want depicted in rap and hip hop music videos.
When it comes to hip hop music videos, or anything else for that matter, no one wants to have his or her freedom of expression taken away – that’s what America’s about, after all, right?
But many are concerned with reclaiming the rich history of hip hop music and style and reducing some of the negative images found in rap and hip hop music videos.
Hailing hip hop music history
The history of hip hop music and style, grown out a combination of DJing, emceeing, break dancing and graffiti art in New York’s South Bronx in the seventies, is rich and powerful. Hip hop music was (and is) a venue for personal expression and creativity.
Many men and women today are looking to reclaim hip hop music, not automatically dissing hip hop music and hip hop music videos music videos for the style and expression, but really asking what the effects of certain sexist, material, and violent aspects of them are (or will be).
Men and women in media and entertainment industries are reclaiming hip hop music by writing articles on rap and hip hop music and hip hop music videos, developing web sites and discussions on artists’ portrayals and lyrics in hip hop music videos, and developing forms of expression that use rap hip hop music videos as tools for empowerment.
What’s your stance on hip hop music videos?
Checking out hip hop music videos and other music videos has never been easier. With the explosion of satellite TV and digital cable, you can find tons of channels playing music videos. There are also dozens of websites that offer free hip hop music videos clips or hip hop music videos to download and view.
There are a ton of talented rap and hip hop music artists and empowering hip hop music videos as well as those depicting elements of violence, sexism, and materialism. So before you decide what your stance is on hip hop music videos, check them out for yourself.
In addition to being a freelance journalist with PULSEMEDIA International, Ms. Finley is also a creative writer and a graduate student of English at Cleveland State University. She lives in Rome, Ohio with her husband and three young children.
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