By Sandra Levkovich
What this article is about is how hip-hop has a significant social impact. Hip-hop is an industry that include television, movies, fashion, theater, dance and visual art. Hip-hop is a business that contributes to our U.S economy. Today, Hip-hop has turned into a political movement as well.
“Culture shapes the law, and law is a product of culture.” As Paul Butler says in Let’s Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice. With hip-hop, Butler describes is a “product of youth culture, and perhaps because it seems to celebrate outlaw conduct. I hope to demonstrate that the culture, while rebellious, can be used to inform a principled theory of criminal justice.” (page 126) He points out that hip-hop artistes are mirrored to the statistics about African American and Latino men. For example an African American man born in 1991 has 29 percent chance of being incarcerated then to a white man born in 1991 that has a 4 percent chance. He basically says that rap artist can be locked up because of their race.
Paul Butler describes that prison denounces the government. He points out that when “a large percentage of the people you know, respect and love get locked up, then being locked up seems to say more about the state than about the inmate.” (page 131) That being said, we are supposed to be disgusted with people who are criminals? Then that means we are disgusted in one in three black men which the hip-hop community consists of mostly these men. The fans of hip-hop learn to love them, example the rapper T.I. or Lil’ Wayne. Those who are fans are not disgusted by these incarcerated artists.
Even with the hip-hop industry being constantly suspicious of the artists for crimes because of what they rap about or about statistics, other rappers such as Jay-Z salute them in song lyrics as said on page 132 of Let’s Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice. Another example is a group run my Russel Simmons called the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, HSAN, serve to advocate for education and other societal concerns. Even our President Barack Obama is a fan of this genre of music. He even met with leading artists Jay-Z, Kanye West and many more. Even though some people scrutinize hip-hop music, the President said “of course his administration would explore how hip-hop could be used to address issues like incarceration…describe hip hop as “smart” and insightful” that rappers had the potential to “deliver a message of extraordinary power.”(page 129) Therefore, despite any racial judgments or statistics, the hip-hop industry actually does good to our society.
HSAN
Overall I agree with the article on how hip hop has alot to do with justice and the political movement. Rappers have tons of influence on young kids and adults. Eaxample I remember four years ago rappers like P Diddy started promting a political campaign called Rock The Vote. It was a campaign for young people to be encouraged on voting and making a difference. Yound adults voted in a record amount that year. Im not saying it was because of the rap industry but I know it had a little to do with it.
Rappers influence young americans on daily decisions in their lives from clothing wear to political views and family values. So should politicians warm up to rappers for campaign purposes well i sure would if I were a politician. Barack Obama was higly favored by the young vote and supported fully by the hip hop community.
On the percantage of minorities going to jail. I blame the communities these young individuals live in. It is sometimes a lose-lose situation for most of these youngsters. They grow up with a street mentality also that is taught by the rap community. So this is where hip hop has its downfall on young kids.
Despite some negativity the hip hop industry brings to the youth. Overall rappers have a choice to send a certain message to their fans. Usually a strong positive one,to stand up for what they believe in and not to lay down for no one. So yes hip hop has a strong control not only on our youth but on their political beliefs too.