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Conscious hip hop

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Conscious hip hop is a subgenre of alternative hip hop which focuses on social issues. It differs from political hip hop in that it is not necessarily overtly political, but still focuses on social issues and conflicts. The main themes of conscious hip hop include religion, aversion to violence and the economy. Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" was the first political and conscious hip hop track, decrying the poverty, violence, and dead-end lives of the black youth of the time.

The audience for conscious rap is largely underground.[1] Most conscious hip hop artists have not attained the same level of commercial success as mainstream hip-hop [2], though some notable exceptions to this are Kanye West and Lauryn Hill.

Terminology

Some conscious artists have criticized the name. Mos Def criticizes the label, saying:

They keep trying to slip the 'conscious rapper' thing on me...I come from Roosevelt Projects, man. The ghetto. I drank the same sugar water, ate hard candy. And they try to get me because I'm supposed to be more articulate, I'm supposed to be not like the other Negroes, to get me to say something against my brothers. I'm not going out like that, man."[3]

The term "hip-hop heads" – often shortened to "heads" – is used by conscious hip hop fans to refer to those who embrace the culture of hip hop, including rapping, breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti[4]

Notable conscious hip hop artists


See also

References

  1. ^ Thompson, Amanda (2004-05-06). "Gender in Hip Hop: A Research Study" (PDF). Humboldt State University. Retrieved 2006-06-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ Brown, Roxanne L. "Todd Boyd's Lessons on the Rise of Hip Hop: Move Civil Rights and Historical Context Out of the Way" (PDF). The Center for Black Diaspora. Retrieved 2006-06-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ (why wouldnt you? you would only instigate other negroes to go against whites)"misnomer:Conscious Hip Hop vs Gangsta Rap?".
  4. ^ Haupt, Adam. "Bring da noise: Youth culture and freedom" (PDF). Rhodes Journalism Review. Retrieved 2006-06-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)


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