Monday, November 30, 2009
As everything in life requires balance in order to sustain its own existence, the genre of hip-hop music is no different. Emerging as a revolutionary brand of music in the late 1970s, hip-hop has since branched off into two sub-genres that every artist, righteously or not, is allocated to and associated with. The balance these sub-genres achieve with one another is what allows hip-hop to remain appealing to so many people and continue to be successful.
Rappers are generally classified as either “gangster,” referring to the majority of highly publicized artists featured on MTV and BET, or “conscious,” those generally associated with the underground hip-hop movement.
Typically, gangster hip-hop artists produce “trap rap,” referring to the work of rappers who spit mostly about hustling, gangbanging and material possessions.
“Conscious” artists, on the other hand, generally tend to rap about real life for the rest of us, the state of society as a whole and their own lyrical ability.
Though all hip-hop fans like most kinds of rap (as long as it has tight lyrics over a dope beat), hip-hop heads almost always have a personal preference for one genre of hip-hop over another.
One fan may listen to Young Jeezy and T.I., while another might like Little Brother and De La Soul. This can cause rifts between hip-hop enthusiasts because one may respect the other’s brand of hip-hop less than their own as they often value drastically different ideals. For this reason, some fans tend to neglect the opposing sub-genre of hip-hop and stick exclusively with the style and artists they are familiar with. This is a grave mistake.
Though hip-hop is essentially divided into gangster and conscious rap, it is also a melting pot boiling with thousands of voices, each one unique and impressionable regardless of its designation as a gangster voice or a conscious one. Each of hip-hop’s sub-genres has so much to offer that it’s foolish not to explore the many other realms of the hip-hop universe.
There are many gangster songs that incorporate thoughtful lyrics and outstanding production on par with any underground artist. There are conscious rappers that release songs the biggest Rick Ross fan would agree “go hard.” It’s the balance of contrasting influences inherent in different breeds of hip-hop that make the genre and culture as a whole so intriguing and fascinating to follow.
The two primary sub-genres hip-hop has created have contributed an equal amount to the hip-hop movement in its rise to popularity and the international influence it enjoys today.
Gangster and conscious, mainstream and underground, all offer a different voice and appeal to different hip-hop fans. Hip-hop accommodates fans seeking violence and fans seeking guidance and knowledge of self. As a result, it psychologically appeals to a wide variety of fans.
Hip-hop is a versatile genre with ideals that are sometimes drastically different from one another. But, such as our own world, it is the balance of these ideals that enables hip-hop to maintain its existence and remain so popular.
— Coldham is a Chicago senior in journalism.
Coldham: Hip-hop grows up
The era of southern gangster rap is being replaced with more modest ...
Coldham: Best rappers achieve longevity
Consistent respect is an accomplishment attempted by many, fulfilled by very few ...
Coldham: Hip-hop versus rap
Thoughts straight from the hip-hop head.
Coldham: Too much R&B in hip-hop
Lengthy R&B chorus' shouldn't have a place in hip-hop.
Rhyming in the far east
On a study abroad trip to Japan, KU student Travis Tewes took ...
Lawrence’s local hip-hop scene
With an increasing number of local hip-hop shows, local artists and hip-hop ...
Rap music sales decline
The hip-hop and rap industries are losing fans and sales. Sales dropped ...
Coldham: Hip-hop may sell, but fans hope ...
Corporations and hip-hop enjoy a lucrative, if tense, relationship.
Forget what you heard
The Kansan's four part series showcasing hip hop's impact on a mix ...
Coldham: Hip-hop has a friend in the ...
President Obama brings urban edge to politics.
Coldham: Artists such as Kweli keep hip ...
Not your average "Soulja Boy"
Coldham: Lost art of album making
Coldham discusses the fall of the album and rise of the mixtape.
Coldham: Lil Wayne takes wrong turn with ...
The rapper should stick to what made him famous in the first ...
Coldham: Hip-hop must retain its roots
Corporatism has leeched the soul out of hip-hop.
Coldham: Lawrence has potential to attract more ...
Lawrence allows up-close exposure to hip-hop artists that's rare anywhere else.
Lysen: Being proud of your roots
The rapper XV shows us that there is no shame in loving ...
Roesler: Quality hip-hop isn’t far from home
New artists playing at local bars show a different side of the ...
Music guy
Your guide to music utopia
Top Album: Therapy At 3
This release by Eligh & Amp Live topped the Hip Hop charts ...
El Pus
Music Review: 'The Last Kiss' by Jadakiss
2 1/2 out of 4 stars
Preparing for the hip-hop season
Ramping up the season of rap and hip hop.
Coldham: Internet dominates hip-hop
Hip-hop and the internet are linked through blogs and hype.
Q&A: Cisco Adler
Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.
Question & Answer with Chuck D, rapper ...
Chuck D is known for his 20 years as frontman for the ...
Hip-hop forum comes to Multicultural Resource Center
Debate about misogynistic rap lyrics and their epithets arise during Women's History ...
Lysen: Auto tune technology ruins the integrity ...
The old saying goes: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned ...
B.o.B stirs up excitement on campus
The rap artist will perform tonight at the Lied Center.
Author makes a case for hip-hop and ...
Author Adam Bradley delivered a message that rap should be considered a ...
Simmermon: Lyrics degrading to female listeners
Rappers are crossing the line between the art of expression and offensiveness.
Marsaglia: ‘Odd Future’ testing the limits of ...
While their lyrics have understandably disengaged some, an exponentially growing Internet following ...
Israeli funk group to play in Lawrence
Hadag Nachash will kick off KU Hillel’s celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary ...
Review: “Chemical Warfare” by the Alchemist
The Alchemist’s newest album lets the guest MC’s shine.
Review: Mos Def album
‘The Ecstatic’ offers ‘patchwork of infectious beats and rhymes.’
Music review: Kid Cudi
KJHK’s weekly guide to sonic consumption.
Boultinghouse: Remedies for iPod idleness
Playlist-worthy music found outside the mainstream market.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID