Hip-Hop....started out in the heart.

I can say with all honesty that this was the blog I looked forward to writing the most since I found out that it would be a topic. Hip-Hop plays a huge part in my life, and I love that one of our assignments was dedicated to hip-hop. I know it might shock people to hear this, but it’s one of the most important aspects of my life.

Hip-hop is so much more than music. That is what most people don’t get. When they hear hip-hop, that’s what they think of; music. Hip-Hop is what you live. Rap is what you do. It’s easy to get the two confused. Often times, they are used interchangeably, but they aren’t synonyms. Historically, hip-hop is a subculture that is comprised of four basic elements:

1) M.C.’ing (Rapping)
2) DJ’ing
3) Breaking (Breakdancing)
4) Graffiti

This is a lifestyle more than anything, and those artists who consider themselves in the hip-hop genre are the reflection of their culture.

For this assignment, I listened to Power 103.5, Fresh Jamz 105.3 and Wild 104.9. I say I listened to them, but I hardly did. I don’t like 98 percent of mainstream rap nowadays. It’s horrendous, and I hate that to the casual listener, this is what hip-hop IS. It’s unfair, because true rap is storytelling. It’s about struggle, happiness, injustice and plight. It’s not big-booty hoes, makin’ it rain and Big Face Benny’s.

First off, I’d like to say that it was hard for me to find many American artists that I’ve never heard before because I really do listen to that much hip-hop. For this assignment, I chose to listen to international rap to see how their scene matches ours.

1. Goldie Lookin’ Chain (UK) - “Guns don’t kill people”
This video has people in their group riding around on scooters throughout the town. I didn’t like this song at all. You can tell their song is extremely commercial. This wasn’t a good way to start out this assignment!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv-2XYOtgCg

2. Kano (UK) –“Nite Nite”
This is absolutely your modern-day love rap song. Rapper needs girl. Persistent rapper will do anything to get girl. Sunsets. R&B artist sings the hook.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6xqf5l-qo

3. MC Reason (UK)- Cipher
This is a video of her ciphering outside. I wanted to look up some older British Rap, and I’m really surprised that it mirrors something that would’ve come out in the U.S. around the same time. She rhymes just like Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte or Rakim would have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEjrHyxeOOA

4. Wuhanhua (China)- “信了你的邪 (武汉话”
This was really weird to me since I obviously couldn’t understand it, but I looked at the images. It’s basically just an Asian woman walking around being gangsta. She obviously means business.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djBLYQhKr3M

5. VIP (Ghana)- “Meni Mi Joley”
This video was the most American mainstream-like as far as the crap like girl’s being used as objects, cars, clothes, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMdTj8VSaI8


Hip-hop is used to sell tons of products! Rap is a multi-billion dollar business itself, so it’s easy to see how it spills over to other arenas. For example, rappers endorse tons of alcoholic beverages (Ciroq Vodka= Diddy). Another example would be Pharrell saying he’s a PC in the Microsoft commercial. He was also in Pepsi commercials.

Hip-hop is part of mainstream culture in a number of ways. Just look how people dress. New Era hats didn’t just start selling out because people love their baseball/basketball/football teams. People didn’t buy rims that kept spinning when you stop because they serve an actual purpose.


My parents listened to a very diverse assortment of music. With my mom being white and my dad being black, I can tell you about Barry White or Barry Manilow. Yeah, that’s right. I can get down with “Mandy.” Bobby Womack or Bobby Darin. Take your pick! I love that I was brought up in a household like that because it allowed me to respect every kind of music, and it also taught me to keep an open mind. My dad listened to Soul, R&B and Funk. My mom listened to Rock and Pop.


Like I said earlier, I’m disgusted at the state of hip-hop right now. I say this because I consider myself a “hip-hop head.” Someone who has soaked all of this in their entire life and can’t get enough of it. I literally study the stuff. Since the turn of the century, most rap has gotten horrendous. It has gotten to the point where lyrics don’t mean anything. Just put a funky beat on the radio that people can shake their butts to in the club, and all is cool. That’s not good! The images reflect that, too. Girls, girls, girls. Cars, cars, cars. Money, money, money. This is a subject I’m passionate about, and it infuriates/saddens me. This isn’t the way it used to be, folks!

Race and Gender in Advertising

1. Newsweek April 6, 2009 edition-Magazine
Bank of America-Actually has two black males sitting at a table eating. Father and teenage son. The quote on the ad says,

“Save Smart. You never know when you may need your savings.”

Okay, I guess. Seems harmless, huh? But the more I thought about it, the more it got to me. See, in the ad, the son is holding a basketball looking at his dad. Oh, ya know what would work? Let’s put a basketball in the homeboy’s hands. Because that’s more realistic for him to be doing as he’s sitting at a table eating pizza. WHAT? No, it’s not, Bank of America. And maybe, juuuust maybe I’m reaching a little bit for something that’s not there, but deep down I get this feeling that the message: “You never know when you might need your savings” is referring to the scene as father lecturing son: “See, Raheem, even you, future filthy-rich NBA balller, have to watch your spending.”

Call me crazy

2. Newsweek April 6, 2009 edition-Magazine
Crystalens eye contact surgery.
This ad was on the insider cover of the Newsweek. I thought it was funny because I never see ads for surgeries in any essence, ebony or JET. Hmmm. Interesting to me. I guess you can’t really get mad, though. As an advertiser, you have to know your audience. I guess you really don’t see Spam ads in Forbes magazine, either.

3. NCAA NIT-Baylor vs. Penn State-TV (Sports)
Navy commercial. “The Navy got me enough money, so I could go to college.” First off, it’s no secret that this commercial is targeting. MINORITIES. Why? Because they more often than not don’t go to college. The two people talking in the advertisement are African American and Hispanic. While it first it kind of took me by surprise by only using people of color, I kind of like that the Navy did put at least one on the commercial.

4. NBA- Cavs vs. Wizards- TV (Sports)
Popeye’s- The 2009 mammy-like character called “Annie the chicken queen.” Mammy 2.0. The sassy southern black lady is played out in Hollywood. Stop trying to throw her in everywhere. Let her be. There’s only one Della Reese. This ad kind of makes me mad because to me, I think it tries too hard to portray this black woman as what white people who go to Popeye’s want their cook to look and sound like. In the commercial, she says, “They’re practically givin’ my chicken away! *frown*”

5. MTV “Taking the Stage”-Reality TV
Taco Bell commercial where guy in drag smuggles nachos into the game. Puts nachos in a case around his/her belly to make it look like a pregnant woman’s baby.

6. Blender-Magazine
Bud Light Party Cruise Ad
Two men surrounded by women only. Tons of women. Of course they are hovering over the men. One of the men is a minority. One of the women is a minority. One thing that I think was interesting was that both minorities were very light-skinned. The light-skinned girl had her hair straightened, I believe. Both of these aspects cater to the white beauty theory.

7. Blender-Magazine
Verizon-Black girl full page ad

8. MTV “Real World”-Reality TV
Burger King commercial where girls were all over a guy because he had cute, little burger shots.

9. The Oklahoman April 1, 2009-Newspaper
Dillard Ad selling women’s business suits. Three women are portrayed, none of them being anything but white.

10. Food & Wine-Magazine
An Asian couple drinking some fancy wine in a full-page ad.

Personal Reflection:

I know that on some of these, like number one, it may seem like I’m reaching. Some people tell me, “Adam, you could find something about race in everything.” This isn’t at all a compliment on their part, but I take it as one. They usually just want me to shut up already about all how everything is centered about race.

This really got me thinking. Is it better to see race in everything, sometimes probably looking into things too far or to not look for race in things as all? I’d definitely choose the former. If you don’t even acknowledge how race plays a role in everyday activities, you’re just being naive. Oppositely, if you look for it in everything, people might consider you an “angry black man” or “always pulling the race card.”