During the month of November I was fortunate enough to visit Recife, Brazil with my family to become a Godfather to my nephew and celebrate my brother’s wedding. Leading up to the trip I looked at it as a great way to take a break and “re-charge” my battery. The day before I left Massachusetts, the weather had dipped below 20 degrees in New England, and if I knew one thing about Brazil, I knew it would be warm and sunny. Needless to say, I was excited for the trip.

Having never been to Brazil I was eager to step out of my comfort zone. Most of the people that I would be staying with spoke only Portuguese. This meant I would have to rely on my limited ability to speak in Spanish and the similarities between the two languages to communicate as best as I could with my new extended family.

Upon arriving, I noticed several differences in the culture that I was not aware of before my trip. For example, motorcycles ride through the streets between cars, almost invisible to the traffic – similar to bikes in America. Lunch, not dinner is the main meal of the day. We were served large portions of delicious Brazilian fare in the middle of the day and only snacked on soup and sandwiches for dinner. I also almost learned the hard way that pedestrians do NOT have the right of way in Brazil.

Another part of the culture that came as a shock to me was that hip-hop has very little influence on pop culture in Recife. American bands such as the Foo Fighters and the Red Hot Chili Peppers seemed to be very popular amongst 20 and 30 year olds. Furthermore, many American songs such as “All About That Bass” and “Titanium” played on the radio as often as they do in the States. However, mainstream hip-hop names in America such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Wiz Khalifa, and Kanye West meant nothing to the people I talked to. In fact, the only hip-hop artists that rang a bell were Jay-Z and Eminem. Even then, they only knew a few songs by either artist.  The only element of hip-hop culture that seemed to be prevalent was articulated by the graffiti painted on many of the outside walls in the city.

I continued to ask questions about hip-hop artists in Brazil. I figured there must be some well-known artists that they listened to. Surprisingly, the answer was, “not really”. I was told that hip-hop music in Brazil is more of an underground entity that discusses political issues and addresses “the pain that lives in Brazil”. I was very intrigued by this because this is the type of message that hip-hop in America was founded on. Early rappers in America spoke out against black oppression that made them feel powerless, vulnerable, and underrepresented. They challenged the police, the government, and media, as well as all forms of discrimination. The plight of African-Americans was a recurring theme in early hip-hop songs (Rose, 1994). This was the type of hip-hop music that spoke for the people who had been left behind and forgotten.

Naturally, I asked to hear an example of what they were referring to. The first song that they played me was by a group called the Racionais called “Negrodrama”. I translated the lyrics and pulled some of the following quotes from the song:

"For those who live in war, peace never existed/In a warm climate, my people, they're cold"

"Rap made me what I am"
 
"Your car is beautiful/I do not know internet or VCR”

"And every generation is rapping/The generation that revolutionized/The generation that will revolutionize"

"It's black drama/I have not read, I did not watch/I live the black drama, I'm the black drama/I am the fruit of black drama"

At first listen, one could easily conclude that Brazilian hip-hop today is much different than hip-hop that the masses have grown accustomed to in America. They played me a handful of other songs that were accompanied by videos showing images of life in the favelas, which are similar to what Americans refer to as “slums”. Favelas formed as a place where former African slaves in Brazil with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many former black slaves moved in. Most of the modern favelas appeared in the 1970s due to rural exodus, when many people left rural areas of Brazil and moved to cities. Unable to find a place to live, many people ended up in a favela (Ribeiro, 1995). In 2010, about 6% (down from much higher numbers in the 1980s and 1990s) of the population lived in favelas in Brazil (IBGE, 2010). This means that 11.4 million of the 190 million people that lived in the country resided in areas of “irregular occupation definable by lack of public services or urbanization”. Conditions in favelas are so poor that they have become a tourist attraction for people visiting the country. Visits to the most disadvantaged parts of the city are essential features of this form of tourism. It is mainly composed of guided tours, marketed and operated by professional companies, through these disadvantaged areas (Manfred, 2009). 

Hip-hop in Brazil represents the unheard voice of those living in favelas today, much like the early days of hip-hop in America when acts such as Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash spoke out against racial discrimination, inequality, and police brutality in America. Similar to what artists such as KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, and more recently Immortal Technique, Common, and Nas focus on in their work. Some examples of lyrics from these artists include:

“Gotta give us what we want/Gotta give us what we need/Our freedom of speech is freedom or death/We gotta fight the powers that be” – Public Enemy

“Vote for who now? You're red, white and blue?/I'm American too, but I ain't with the president's crew/What you peddlin' and who you peddlin' to?/You ain't got the ghetto with you” – Nas

“From Englewood to a single hood in Botswana/I see the I in We, my n----, yours is my drama/Standing in front of the judge with no honor/My raps ignite the people like Obama” – Common

“The overseer rode around the plantation/The officer is off, patrolling all the nation/The overseer could stop you what you're doing/The officer will pull you over just when he's pursuing” – KRS-One

“Ways and means from the trade of human beings/A slave labor force provides wealth to the machine/And helps the new regime establish and expand/Using manifest destiny to siphon off the land” – Lupe Fiasco

Through this lens we can see a clear distinction between hip-hop and what some refer to as hip-pop in America. Hip-hop that has achieved mainstream status rarely contains lyrics with such substance in favor of lyrics that degrade women, promote drug use, and glorify African-American males as hyper-violent criminals. So how did this happen? How did we get to a point in America where hip-hop artists rarely speak on racial discrimination, inequality, or police brutality in favor of messages glorifying misogyny, drug use, and hyper-violence – messages that necessarily deteriorate and minimize the political influence of a culture that arose from a political movement?

The major difference between hip-hop music in America and hip-hop music in Brazil stems from the introduction of hip-hop music into mainstream America, and thus, the potential for massive amounts of profit. This transition is a landmark in hip-hop music’s history that has pulled it far away from its roots. In the late 1980s – early 1990s, six major record labels (CBS, Polygram, Warner, BMG, Capitol-EMI, and MCA) began purchasing independent labels that were distributing hip-hop music when they saw the widespread commercial success of a song called “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugarhill Gang. Once this happened, the power to steer the direction and influence of hip-hop no longer rested in the artists who were creating it. Record executives who were disconnected from the streets and had dollar signs in their eyes were now calling the shots. There was a noticeable shift in the lyrical content of hip-hop at this time. Lyrics focusing on social, political, and cultural issues were becoming more hyper-violent and hyper-masculine. Hip-hop rose in popularity and sales during this time, while being heavily promoted by the major labels (Hurt, 2006).

The messages and images that are prominently featured in hip-hop today are chosen to cater to its consumers in order to increase profits. Whites in America consume more hip-hop today than any other group – mostly because there are more white people than any other race in America – making it economically viable to advertise hip-hop more to whites than to the black community that it originally derived from (Hurt, 2006). Studies have shown that whites admit being attracted to the hyper-violent and sexual themes presented in many modern rap songs, thus contributing to the continuation of these themes. In fact, in Byron Hurt’s documentary, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, a group of white hip-hop consumers were asked what attracted them to rap and hip-hop. They responded by saying that they felt they were experiencing a different culture by listening to hip-hop; a culture rooted in black American history (Hurt, 2006). Depending on which type of hip-hop they were referring to, this could be very troubling. While authentic hip-hop does provide insight on black history and culture in America, mainstream hip-hop does little more than reinforce false historical stereotypes about African-Americans. If white consumers of hip-hop believe that they are learning about black culture and history through the lyrics of 2 Chainz or Lil Wayne, then hip-hop is actually doing a disservice to black culture and history. Unfortunately, this is the type hip-hop that is most heavily promoted by major record labels.

Today, we are continuing to see this troubling trend; however, more and more artists are speaking out against the appropriation of hip-hop music and culture. With the proliferation of music sharing on the internet, these artists are able to reach more consumers without the help of big record labels. This has led several artists to explore an independent path to releasing music, maintaining their own creative control without the influence of disconnected record executives. In the Boston area alone artists like Natural Born Spitters, Dagha and most recently Akrobatik have released projects independently. Akrobatik’s newest project, Built to Last, was recently listed as one of the top 40 hip-hop albums of 2014 by SPIN while Natural Born Spitters and Dagha continue to see success overseas with both album releases and tours. Many artists have also taken a stance against the appropriation of hip-hop in their lyrics. The following is an example of a few:

“Like these MC's, gotta give 'em the rules/Lie to the youth, Uncle Tom you confused/Might as well give the Hip-Hop community a noose” – Nas

“That’s why my sounds and sermons are so full of wrath/Baptize your mind, let your brain take a bath/Swim inside the river get delivered from the craft/Of the witches in this business that be living off your sad” – Lupe Fiasco

“But it's not about black and white right/I mean good music is good music regardless of what you look like/But when you don't give them props isn't that selfish?/That's like saying rock was actually started by Elvis” – Macklemore

“Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly/Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception/Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the looking glass/Walking the street, wondering who they be looking past/Lookin gassed with them imported designer shades on/Stars shine bright, but the light — rarely stays on/Same song, just remixed, different arrangement/Put you on a yacht but they won’t call it a slave ship” – Mos Def

“What’s the difference between record deals and a student loan?/At least with education you capture something to fall back on” – E’Flash of N.B.S.

The record executives know exactly what they are doing. Many of the mainstream hip-hop artists know that this is happening, as well. But what else is it going to take to make substantive changes to the hip-hop music that dominates the airwaves, and thus the image of hip-hop culture? Will there be a strike from some of the bigger name artists in the industry? Not likely, based on the amount of money that they are making and their unwillingness to do so up to this point. Will record executives develop a conscience and put more resources into promoting hip-hop that is an authentic and genuine representation of the culture and history? Again, this is highly doubtful. Even if artists strike or record executives change their tactics, there will always be someone else with greedy eyes that will be willing to capitalize on the ignorance of the mainstream consumer. And this is where the problem and solution currently lies – with the consumer.

As I previously pointed out, mainstream hip-hop music is created to cater to its consumer-base of mostly white fans that crave hyper-violence and hyper-masculine messages who take that as an accurate representation of black culture and history in America. What hip-hop culture needs is a fan base that is aware of the tricks of the trade that they continually fall for. Members of the hip-hop community must hold record labels and artists who distribute negative messages about black culture in America accountable for their actions. We need to celebrate and praise those who refuse to compromise or water down the power of hip-hop by sticking to their roots and making music they believe in. We need to work with and educate the youth – the future consumers of hip-hop – so they grow up with a different understanding of what hip-hop is and what it isn’t. We need to make authentic hip-hop “cool” among teenagers because it’s the teenagers who determine what is popular in our society.

How do we do this? Through hip-hop education that teaches the values and history of hip-hop – a form of education that holds the art of hip-hop in the same esteem as visual arts, ballet, poetry, and playing a musical instrument. This type of education can teach the accurate history of hip-hop to help children learn and understand more about the history of race relations in our country. This type of education can minimize the impact of record labels promoting hip-hop that is less than genuine. At The Hip Hop Transformation (THHT) in Cambridge, MA we create and promote authentic hip-hop music out of respect for the culture. We teach our participants not to let hip-hop be disrespected by mainstream forces that water it down. We take offense to an artist or record executive who puts out music that degrades hip-hop culture and authentic hip-hop artists. Finally, we spread this message out of our unconditional love for hip-hop.

References:

1.      Darcy Ribeiro, O Povo Brasileiro. Colegiosaofrancisco.com.br. 1995

2.     Subnormal Agglomerates 2010 Census: 11.4 Million Brazilians (6.0%) Live in Subnormal Agglomerates – Article at IBGE

3.     Manfred, R. Poverty Tourism: Theoretical Reflections and Empirical Findings Regarding an Extraordinary Form of Tourism. September 2009.

4.     Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1994.

5.     Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Dir. Byron Hurt, 2006.

From its inception, hip hop music and culture has represented the voice of a movement. The descendant of spirituals, jazz, blues, and rock, hip hop has evolved through constant innovation to become arguably the most passionate art form in our society today. While many people only think of rap music when they think of hip hop, hip hop culture takes the form of many different genres such as dance, graffiti, DJaying, and fashion. At its core, hip hop still carries this history and message of unity with it. However, due to many outside forces and influences, hip hop has developed an image as being hyper violent, misogynistic, and anti social leading many to believe that hip hop is a negative influence on the youth who consume it.

The appropriation of hip hop culture has been a history of exploitation and degradation. From the moment people realized that there was money to be made from hip hop, its sole purpose switched to just that – profits. The voice of the movement was watered down and replaced by images that aligned with the stereotypes associated with the hip hop generation that already existed in mainstream culture. Hip hop had become something that negatively impacted the public’s perspective of inner city, minority populations. Middle class America now had a carefully constructed, yet inaccurate idea of what hip hop was all about.

The Hip Hop Transformation is a program that seeks to reverse this troubling trend by teaching youth the true history and spirit of hip hop culture that arose in the early 1970’s. Through this process the youth are able to see through the glitz and glamour that is so often pushed to the forefront. They learn about the impact that high powered investors had when they took control of the direction of hip hop in the early 1990s and steered it down a detrimental path. They confront how hip hop culture has impacted their own upbringing and how it influences their current perspectives. Instead of defining hip hop as a negative influence, we flip the script and define hip hop as a culture of positivity and community. We challenge the teens to question the messages delivered through mainstream hip hop and we challenge them to spread the message of positivity to their peers outside of the program.

The good news is that the potential for hip hop to have a positive impact on the lives of youth has never been greater. More youth consume hip hop music and culture today than they ever have before. This makes hip hop an ideal avenue to engage teens in something positive and constructive. They are connected with positive role models in hip hop as opposed to the rappers that they are encouraged to emulate through the radio every day. I have seen firsthand the impact that a program like ours can have on the youth that it serves, and it is incredible. It’s amazing what kids can do when they find something that they are truly passionate about.