¶ … Fortune Affect Grand Master Flash's Political Message?
Music is one of the most powerful forms of communication. It utilizes different types of information networks to cut across linguistic and social boundaries. In several occasions music has the potential to relate to politics and power. From the songs of sorrow sung by slaves in the south, to the revolutionary nature of jazz, blues, and rhythym and blues (R&B) during the activist days of the Civil Rights Movements, music has been an important part of many social and political changes. In the recent past the power of music has definitely been amplified by increasingly globalized communications such as social media. Nowadays more rapidly than ever, music links and influences people from all over the world (Malone and Martinez).
Hip-hop is considered by some to be one of the most important genres of music. It originated in the Bronx, New York in the early seventies and has grown rapidly beyond the confines of music to become a cultural movement. It is based on poetry, dance moves, visual art, and the cultural and political heritage of African-American, Latino, Caribbean and African communities in the U.S. It started as an independent expression of music and culture with no commercial interests. No one ever imagined that hip-hop would make money; it was more about having fun (Independent Lens).
Compared to all other modern music genres, hip-hop has profited from the use of cultural artifacts to become the most significant artistic force in the whole world. From its humble beginnings expressing urban struggles in the Bronx, hip hop has grown to become a global phenomenon. However, despite its global reach, hip-hop remains what some refer to as the organic stabilizer - meaning that despite its global reach it remains a grassroots occurrence. Hip-hop features a natural space that allows for expression of social and political matters at a community level. In contrast, its global reach offers fascinating possibilities that go beyond geographical and cultural barriers (Malone and Martinez).
Frequently the word "rap" has been used as a synonym for hip-hop. However rap more fittingly describes hip-hop tracks or albums that are released, played, and sold on websites and commercial radio stations by huge record labels. Many artistes do however agree that the word "rap" appropriately describes the action of speaking of hip-hop lyrics. It could have several sub-genres for instance alternative, mainstream, or underground; while hip-hop is an appropriate descriptor for the actual music genre under which rap falls (Independent Lens).
A defining moment in the origin of hip-hop occurred in 1973 when Kool Herc, a disc jockey (DJ) from Jamaica, brought a new sound to a house party in the Bronx. He mixed the prose delivered in the background of reggae tracks with the modern American music of that time. The audience responded positively when he spoke over the heavy beats of popular soul, funk, and R&B tracks. This act made the songs longer and maintained the high energy throughout the party. A DJ friend of Herc's, Grandmaster Flash, quickly adopted this technique and made it bigger by making the combinations of the lyrics and beats audible and a bit more playful, courtesy of a highly entertaining and more performance-centered approach (Independent Lens).
This paper shall examine the influence of the Hip-hop artiste Grandmaster Flash (GMF) on hip-hop, the phases of his growth in the genre, the impact his music had on people, his style of music, the political undertones in his lyrics and different aspects of hip-hop. A conclusion is given at the end.
2. Stages of Hip Hop development and Grandmaster Flash's Musical Climb
The growth of hip hop over the last four decades in the United States involves three unique phases.
2.1 Cultural awareness
The inherent power of this genre of music is based on the skills and capabilities to express culture, daily struggles, and experiences thus bringing about new and interesting forms of music. Hip-hop originated during the post-civil rights era in the New York ghettos as political and economic transformations brought racial and social tensions to the forefront. In terms of its origins, the genre was just an artistic and cultural expression of life in the ghetto in both positive and negative aspects. The strong summer heat drew people out of their houses and closer to one another. Poor social amenities and limited economic opportunities forced individuals to rely on the support of the community in addition to their own creativity.
Hip-hop has been influenced since its inception by American jazz, R&B, soul and funk artistes; writers such as Iceberg Slim; and community...
Sadly, what began as a means of artistic expression has evolved into a phenomenon that has centered on exploiting women and glamorizing crime and violence, leading listeners to believe that this is not only the acceptable way of treating women, but also that the crime and violence are socially accepted norms. Works Cited Alridge, D. & Stewart, J. "Introduction: Hip Hop in History: Past, Present, and Future." Journal of African-American History. 90(3) Summer
(Hip-hop History) Graffiti is also known as writing, and is not dance. It originated as an underground urban art which was boldly being displayed in public places, generally on the sides of buildings or walls. This was an avenue for citizens to make political and social commentary, and even for gangs to mark their territory. Folks would mark their areas with "tags" like FRANK 207, TAKI 183 and several
" (Blow, Kurtis) The entire movement revolved around a new way to dress, dance, talk and even walk. "The way they danced, dressed, walked, and talked was unique, as opposed to most of the disco artists and fans of the time, which were not as in touch with the urban streets of America." (Blow, Kurtis) Hip-hop represented the new generation of blacks suffering in urban poverty. The passion and truth generated
Rap Music - a Soundtrack of Revolution Soundtrack of Revolution for the Generations of Rap Artists Since 1980s Hip hop is a culture that encompasses a vast corporation of artistic forms, which originated from marginalized subcultures within the South Bronx in New York City during the 1970s. This culture encloses four distinct elements, representing diverse manifestations of its founding reasons: the rap music (oral), disc jockey (turntablism), graffiti art (visual), and break-dancing
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