HIP HOP BEYOND BEATS&RHYMES ESSAY

In Byron Hurt's documentary, "Hip Hop beyond Beats and Rhymes", the media blames Hip-Hop for its explicit language, violence, sexism, and masculinity towards today’s youth’s behavior. Hip Hop is more popular today than when it first evolved in the 1980s. There music was more about social politics rather than what the media calls, gangster rap. This is just one genre of music that has transformed over the years. It is constantly criticized for its impact on the youth, and it is sad to say that the impact is not as positive as we would like. The rappers should not be blamed for their lyrics in the videos, because their producers are the ones that are in charge of everything that go on. No matter the circumstance, it is the rapper's decision, because they know what rules are in the contact they are under. This is the lifestyle the rappers have chosen to be apart of and they have the control over what goes on, but does not how to use their power.

For male rappers, as seen in their music, in order to get respect, they have to portray themselves as a very masculine figure. If you go back in time to 3000bc, men have always been more dominant than women and had to play the role of a god, hero, or the strong man that had to provide for his family. We can not blame Hip Hop for its urge to show off its masculinity; instead it should be seen as a product of the world's culture. In Hip Hop, it is more of a competition about who has more power, respect, and who is the strongest. If you cannot keep up, you are referred to as having feminine characteristics as basically being worthless. At the same time, Hip Hop does not show all the positive sides of being a man. The videos show these men having a gun, many women, money, and power which does not justify man hood. Hip Hop does not promote masculinity it enhances masculinity.

The reason stated behind the sense of being a man is that "it is about manhood and staying in their box". It is of man's nature to have the need to Stand strong. For example, it is like a crime for male rappers to portray feminine characteristics such as to cry, show weakness, or show defeat. In Hip Hop it is more of a reputation, just like in sports or in the business world when a man has to be highly respected to satisfy their personal needs. Before they are rappers, they are men first. Men are in competition with themselves, because they never want to back down from competition or give up to any obstacle thrown their way such as a rap battle. Therefore, relating back to rappers in the Hip Hop world, they will continue to make music that sale, if it means that they are going to be able to provide for their family. When it comes to viewing an example of power, Hip Hop is considered a source for the youth to look at and follow. This may not be the choice for the youth, because power is something that is highly taken advantage of and misused. Rappers can also be referred to as actors, because they act is if they have all the cars, money, women, power, and entourage to make them feel in control. Having all the cars, money, women, power and entourages are metaphors for make up, to cover all their insecurities of being alone and powerless. Many, young men try to immaculate all of those different characteristics of the male rappers, usually if they have a male model absent in their life as a substitute figure. Now in reality, many rappers do realize the effects they have on the youth, because they can be easily influenced.


Many rappers do not take the time out to change the way that they dress for the better to show the youth better examples. In, various videos you will see the same scenarios repeatedly, such as, a man living a life full of fantasy that they wish as a child they could achieve and try to fulfill it when they get older. Power is like a mirage it looks like a piece of Art from a distance and once it is arm's reach it fades away, causing that person to become unhappy and greedy for more power. It is like a mirage because from a distance it looks good and when you get closer things began to fade away. Those who seek power, often knock down people underneath them to reach a powerful status "You got that big fame homie, And you just changed on me, You can ask big homie, man the top so lonely" says a rapper, Kanye West, showing how the reality of having power and fame. Fame often causes celebrities to become over obsessed with the money that they can loose who they really are. Rappers try to be these powerful godly man figures, to keep up an ego to show the world that they are powerful and not afraid of anything. Which, is just not reality, reality is that these guys do have feelings and are like everyday people with a job that happens to pay more.

Hip Hop is just a part of media that is over exposed and glamorized for it works of masculinity. Masculinity, was originated before Hip hop ever existed. In the documentary "Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes" by Byron Hurt, he brings the negative aspect of masculinity and brings it to light and show what needs to be changed. Byron discusses the reasons that Hip Hop can be blamed for its negative influence, but at the same time we can not as a cultural point the finger in one direction.

Bibliography:
Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Dir. Byron Hurt. DVD, ITVS, 2006
Kanye West, "I Put on for my City", 2008

Hip Hop Beyond Beats and
Rhymes..2/20/2007.9/28/08.www.pbs.org/independe