Hip Hop as a Cultural Force

Paper Summary:

The paper attempts to show that hip hop is not merely a musical genre of the disempowered, but a fundamental aspect of contemporary discourse that plays a vital role in our globalized culture. The paper explains the lyrics and writing styles of hip hop and describes its production and recording. The paper also discusses the most famous and popular hip hop artists and concludes that hip hop has grown to become a fundamental expression of global youth culture.

Outline:
Introduction
History of Hip Hop
Lyrics & Writing Styles
Producing and Recording
Famous Artists
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The roots of hip hop can be traced back to the 1970s, when a Jamaican-born DJ by the name of Clive Campbell (also known as "Kool Herc") moved to New York. Herc came out of a dancehall tradition, and soon began integrating reggae sounds with the Jamaican tradition of toasting, or improvising poetry and spoken word over funk, reggae, and disco music during parties held in the parks of the Bronx in New York (Kenner 350-357). Herc and other DJs would tap into power lines in the parks in order to activate their equipment and perform. This equipment, according to Kenner, consisted of one or more microphones, turntables, and huge stacks of speakers (350-357). During this period, Herc also developed break-beat deejaying, in which the percussive breaks of funk songs were isolated and repeated on a loop so that people could dance all night."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Davey D. "The History of Hip Hop." N.D. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from: http://www.daveyd.com/raptitle.html.
• Kenner, Rob. "Dancehall." The Vibe History of Hip-hop, ed. Alan Light. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999.
• Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1994.

More papers on Hip Hop as a Cultural Force:

• Persuasive Essay # 121693 : "The Pied Piper of Hip-Hop"
• Research Paper # 60858 : "Hip Hop Culture and Identity"
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