Hip Hop Forum: Katherine Lung
The Hip Hop forum with Alex Pate and Melisa Riviera was an eye opening discussion because I have never studied the history or investigated the subject matter deeply and have a light knowledge of this area. I wasn’t even aware there was a course on Anthropology of Hip-Hop. Or Rap for that matter. Through the media I was used to hearing how Hip-Hop is a degenerated music on the youth culture, but listening to the professors speak about how hip-hop was born from the Bronx of African Americans and Hispanic Americans as a reaction towards oppression of society and frustration changed my opinion about it. I didn’t grow up in America so I’m not aware of the earlier hip hop artists that are truer to the intentions of the art form. Hip Hop these days seem to have lyrics on the most superficial matters or degrading comments on female, which makes the art form even more unfortunate that conscious hip hop has been much less popular than the “popular� ones. Hearing about the politics of getting conscious hip hop music on the “playlist� radio stations was unbelievable for me, and further shows how capitalistic America is and genuine intentions for the best is pushed aside. I was skeptical when I read several articles on how the government distributed alcohol and drugs to control the rebellious groups but hearing it directly from the professors and how major record labels do not support real hiphop artists because of the nature of their content I find that upsetting. The forum definitely changed my perspective on hip hop and sparked my interest in listening to the old school hip-hop artists, and more respect for the art form and music.