Subculture

In the trends of the African- American society, the hip-hop culture has evolved into a society on its own. As with the older generation and society as a whole was in uproar of what is good and what is so destructive about it. Starting out in the early 70’s and late 60’s the African – American society was in an uproar about its youth. Introducing a new trend of style, art, and language to the forefront of America, the hip-hop nation was a movement all on its own. Introducing a new kind of music, that was not understood by the majority and mislead by most; rap was introduced along with the art of break dancing.

Young people crowded the corners with cardboard boxes that was used as mats to do their fluid like moves as they moved around to the bass of the radio, that was blaring out this new rap. Rapping was the new language and it came along with new ways of thought and expression from the streets of young black oppressed men who was tired of holding in their feelings and just wanted to have something of their own—A Freedom! A freedom to express their anger and pain to the world that did not care for them, to a world that had them caught up in a struggle and they could not understand why they were there. Hip-hop was their freedom; a trend that most thought that would only last for a minute, has taken the world by surprise and has caused more controversial attack upon itself than an electoral debate.

In the act of rebellion a new way of living was created and born, hip-hop became a living force; a lifestyle with all the toppings, from clothing to dancing, to rapping and of course the violence and mayhem that came along with it. Most would argue that the violence was the threat to society along with its abusive language, violent messages, and the influence it has over the youth, but being outside looking in, “Who wouldn’t argue the point against this Urban Hip-Hop society?” In the late 60’s you could here the words of the SugerHill Gang’s “Rappers Delight” blaring from some street corner with young people break dancing on that corner. Introducing the era of break dancing; moving your body fluidly to the voice of some person lyrics as music is played along, a time that some would call “The good ole days”. In those early times rap was innocent, it was all about the struggle and finding your own way of freedom. Hip-Hop gave the youth a way to express themselves in a way that would allow them to fully express themselves through the art that they knew as life, life without the struggle or the thought of life being so oppressing.