Hip-Hop

At times, I believe that Hip-Hop is an easy target for critics who easily ignore the ways that Hip-Hop is simply re-interpreting larger American themes.With that being said, I wonder, what is Hip-Hop's responsibility to all of us? Those who recognize the immense influence that artists could have in shifting the consciousness of younger generations away from materialism and individualism, need to hold the artists accountable. It is difficult to watch the ways in which artists highlight a destructive lifestyle that leads the masses down a path of ignorance and foolishness. Truthfully, if they are not leading the masses down a destructive path, they are complicit in the proliferation of the message that is mesmerizing young people. In many ways, Hip-Hop shapes young people's ideas of beauty, coolness and values. It is too easy to say that Hip-Hop should not have such a pivotal role in the lives of young people. It does, and we must deal with what is, as opposed to what we wish it would be. With that being said, I feel that Hip-Hop can still be a vital instrument for change. It has the ear of the young people and can choose to inspire young people to greater heights. Or it can simply continue to encourage the intense selfishness that characterizes so much of American life. Hip-Hop has a choice to make.