"Say It Loud 'I'm Black and I'm Proud' "- Hip Hop's Original Purpose
In the beginning it was primarily used as a tool by artists who attempted to unite the Black community and give African-Americans of the tiime a sense of pride in being Black during times of many social issues. There are 4 elements of hip hop culture being breakdancing, DJing, graffiti art, and rap. All of these elements had their place, but rap music or hip hop music, was the voice of the culture and in many ways developed into being the voice of the people. Hip hop culture became intertwined with Black culture in America with artists like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Public Enemy giving voice to social issues, and artists like Run-DMC and LL Cool J defining the style of the culture. Rap became recognized for its social impact on African Americans, and for its mostly positive impact on the image of Black people in America.
The shift in mainstream hip hop content is wonderfully phrased by Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R"
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Hip hop has a powerful, positive, and uplifting history in the Black community that shouldn’t be dismissed. It’s important to recognize hip hop for the positive tool that it’s been and in some cases, continues to be. However, the impact it has on normalizing degradation of the image and value of the Black woman is something that not only can’t be overlooked, but should be actively addressed.