Living Up to the Hype: Hip Hop's Unwritten Obligation

In today’s society, hip hop artists are called to be much more than just musicians. They are called to be role models, activists and even political catalysts. Many argue that to demand this much of an artist is unreasonable and excessive. However, in a world where the voices of underprivileged people often go unheard, hip hop artists, whether they like it or not, serve as a medium between the destitute and affluent members of society. The task of conveying the grimy reality of a tacit generation to the masses was one that early hip hop artists seemed to embrace with passion. Today, however, it seems most rappers lack either the ability or the motivation to speak up about the societal problems that are evident in communities today. In light of many rappers’ failure to take action, as long as problems such as poverty, discrimination, violence, and exploitation continue to plague neighborhoods, rappers have an obligation to serve as ambassadors for helpless victims around the world. A rap artist’s social responsibility, regardless of race, therefore, lies in bringing to light the cultural issues that many reject as unworthy of attention.

In hip hop’s earliest years, rappers expressed a great concern for the overall well being and conditions of the communities they came from. As Michael Eric Dyson states “even rappers known primarily for fun and partying in rap’s golden age embraced racial and political consciousness” (72). In the song “It’s Like That” by Run DMC, issues such as joblessness and hopelessness were tackled in lines like “unemployment at a record high. People coming, people going, people born to die.”  In modern day hip hop, these types of messages are missing from popular songs. Trendy songs, in today’s hip hop music, tend to focus primarily on party lifestyles and extravagant ways of living that do not mirror the majority of the consumers’ lifestyles. Artists such as Run DMC and Kurtis Blow used to reflect in their music what people experienced in their daily lives. The difference in today’s hip hop culture is that rather than artists reflecting what people experience, people are trying to replicate the lifestyles that artists portray. This paradigm shift in the way people view hip hop is due largely to artists’ denial of social obligation to issues such as poverty and racism that should take higher precedence.

With the arrival of Hip Hop as America’s new popular music, rappers have been given an unprecedented opportunity to become active voices in the political arena. Barack Obama’s successful election as the first black President, helped to solidify hip hop’s presence in politics.  During Obama’s campaign for presidency, rapper’s such as Jay-Z and Kanye West were recruited to help bridge the gap between hip hop culture and politics. As a result, issues in the hip hop community, for the first time, had become primary concerns for political candidates (Huguenin 14). Campaign vows such as the promise to sign the “Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act” signified attention towards a major problem that is prevalent in the hip hop community –father figures walking out on families. For a long time, many people believed that voting did not matter and that their voice could not make a difference (Harrington F6). Because of hip hop artists realizing their social responsibility, they were able to raise awareness about the importance of voting, arguably resulting in the election of Barack Obama.

With the advent of websites such as YouTube and Twitter, technology has given hip hop artists the biggest platform ever to voice their opinions and raise awareness. What rappers say in front of a camera becomes projected to the entire world. When Kanye West made his infamous remark that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people'' it was then amplified by sites such as YouTube to a greater extent than previous generation’s artist’s comments had the ability to reach. With the increased exposure of hip hop artists today comes an even greater responsibility to their culture. Kanye West brought light to a cultural issue that many people viewed as unworthy of attention, and although he received harsh criticism for his actions, he lived up to his social obligation and acted as an ambassador for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Although there are some artists that do take on their obligation to the community, many artists continue to remain quiet on social issues and injustices around the world. In order for hip hop to continue to grow as a cultural force, hip hop artists must be willing to speak out against the inequalities that persist in everyday life. They must be willing to sacrifice their image, like Kanye West did, in order to expose disparities around the world and within their own communities. Hip hop artists must realize that their responsibility to humanity is greater than themselves. They must realize that with fame and money comes an unwritten obligation to liberate and educate people. Most of all, they must realize that whether they like it or not, they serve as role models for millions of parentless and hopeless children around the world.

Works Cited

Dyson, Michael Eric. Know What I Mean?: Reflections on Hip-hop. New York: Basic Civitas,       2007. Print.

Run DMC. "It's Like That." Run DMC. Arista/Legacy/Profile, 2005. CD.

Huguenin, Patrick. “Rewriting the Text. The Dems Found A Way To Connect With The Hip        Hop Generation.” Sports Final Edition. (2008):  14. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 5 November 2010.

Harrington, Richard. “Hip-hop Artists Push Politics: Rappers say young voters can make big         difference.” The Gazette. (1996) : F6. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 8 November 2010.