Hip-hop that helps kids stay out of trouble
By Gabe Ramirez, CNN
Los Angeles (CNN) - For a few hours a week in a community center in downtown's Rampart area, high school kids are learning to make music without any of the instruments in the typical school orchestra. Instead, they generate beats on computers and tunes they can use live shows at the center, or maybe on an album.
This is Sessions LA, an after-school activity guided by Patrick Huang, a 30-year-old Chinese-American man also known as DJ Phatrick.
He was raised in an upscale Houston suburb with nurturing parents and access to a great education, but when Huang got to the University of California at Berkeley, a career in business or science didn’t appeal to him. He'd always loved music; the most important things in his bedroom at home were his turntables. At Berkeley, he immersed himself in ethnic studies and applied his DJ skills to campus activism and made music as a tool for justice.
“I had learned about hip-hop culture and the power of hip-hop as a cultural art form,” Huang said.
Huang eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he began to volunteer with Sessions LA, which uses hip-hop to draw kids in and keep them from trouble. Huang helped to develop the program's curriculum, and helped it grow. It currently serves about 15 kids, most of them Latino, black and Asian. They're often the children of immigrants, and many have experienced trauma or abuse.
These are the kind of at-risk students, Huang said, who don't usually have much to keep them busy.
“The very worst that they would be doing is nothing,” he said.
Sessions LA staff uses the popularity of hip-hop and DJ culture to lure them in. It doesn't have the money or space to buy classical instruments or teach traditional music, so they focus on digital beatmaking.
“That’s the most accessible and cheapest and most efficient ways to run a program like this right now,” Huang said.
Sessions LA needs about $20,000 a year to keep the doors open, maintain equipment, produce live shows and pay instructor stipends. It is trying to raise $100,000 so organizers can upgrade equipment, hire a part-time grant writer and move into a bigger venue that can serve more students.
But they're also teaching students to work with what they have. It's part of the DNA of hip-hop – in its earliest days, young people, most of them poor with few resources, used whatever was on hand to produce the sound they wanted. Today, technology is the democratizer – anybody with access to a phone or computer can produce music.
“Literally what I tell kids is that if you have a lunch table and some folks ciphering, that’s hip-hop. It might not be music in the eyes of a closed-minded musician but it is energy, it is rhythm and it is community,” Huang said. “All we do is help the youth bring out the creativity that’s already in them.”
And while creative pursuits are important, there’s a bigger goal for the program.
“We really aim to develop the youth into critical thinkers, into, maybe, community leaders, and also, more responsible young folks,” Huang said.
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Great post, I have no words to say..
hip hop music
All of these negative comments really go to show how much mainstream media has brainwashed the public. What is seen on television and heard on the radio is 99% of time NOT real hip hop. It is merely what record executives, often white males, force artists to produce because it brings in profit. Mainstream hip hop is a business, not an art. Anyone who knows anything about DJ Phatrick understands that he is teaching these kids something meaningful.
For those who have been brainwashed, here's a list of artists who exemplify the Hip Hop artform:
Talib Kweli
Mos Def
Blue Scholars
Common Market
Collective Efforts
Common
Atmosphere
Cyne
Jay Electronica
Macklemore
Panacea
Restoring Poetry in Music
The Roots
Shad
I'm skeptical of the program in general
Great job, mad respect for being involved in your community. F*** the haters, for they have nothing better to do!
I LOVE Sessions LA, its music, its cause! I live in the OC CA now but grew up in Detroit where Eminem walked the same high school floors as I did (just many years later 🙂 Never big on hip hop, our daughter has grown tolerance in our household of music foreign to our classically trained ears. Music, its beat, its formation, regardless of its delivery instrument brings people and cultures together. Go for it Sessions LA! Teach us all something and grow a generation of new talent!
Seems these hiphop/crap lovers are calling everybody ignorant just because they dislike hiphop/crap. They also say to "educate yourselves on the subject". Now WHY would myself or any hiphop/crap hater want to do that? Hahaha, spend time learning about music I dislike...thats just DUMB. And it's not gonna suddenly change peoples minds. I'd rather spend time learning about the music I like, instead of the ghetto garbage.
You come off sounding pretty ignorant. Music is subjective, in case that's not obvious to you. Different strokes for different folks...So instead of coming on here and whining about a genre of music you don't like. Go start a program that promotes music you like. Find people to invest in instruments for the kids and get people to show kids how to play said instruments. Also the programs and equipment they are being shown how to use, makes all different types of music. Not just Hip Hop. Liberate your brain from ignorance...
I agree with not wanting to learn about music I don't agree with. I love rap, hard rock, classic rock, reggae, r&b etc... Everything but garbage like death metal where the singer just yells and the guitar players can't even keep a tune so the listener gets a headache. The same goes for country I think it is incredibly depressing and annoying as hell. I'd rather hear something that puts me in a good mood not wanting to commit suicide.
If you dislike it then why are you responding. Apparently you like it because if you didn't you would be on some rock and roll, heavy metal piece of crap reading but you are not are you? I don't like heavy metal or all that trailer park trash so I don't bother to read it or respond to it. So keep showing your support... Love ya Guy!!!! LOL.
Hip Hop is the moral equivalent of child abuse or in many cases parental neglect.
U. R. Ignorant.
Hip Hop is garbage...
But I see ya head bobbin!
Sounds like the next iteration of M.C.Safety and the Caution Crew!
Yo Yo Yo Yo,
I'm feelin' cautious,
I say a crosswalk a crossity walk and you don't stop crossing till you're on the next block,
First you look both ways and you walk not run,
Obeying safety rules is acceptable fun.
Break it down now!
Walk don't run,
Drink juice.
Yum Yum
That's nice!!!! now pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time....
The effectiveness of online education such as High Speed Universities depends on the learner. If you want to learn, you learn. If you don't, you can cram or cheat
To all you cRap/Hip Hop lovers, just face it that not everybody is gonna like this sort of music or culture. So what...get over it. Heck, I don't care if people dont like the music I like. Reading some of these newer posts, I get the impression that it's sort of a taboo to express negative opinions against cRap/Hip hop "music" and it's stupid culture. I guess if a white youth isn't copying black culture, sagging his pants, wearing a baseball cap sideways, and "jammin' with his peeps" in a souped up Honda Civic, he's considered socially unexceptable. Lol, yup, that's dumb 2012 America....seems everybody has to embrace and looove the "brothas". Lol, I guess I'm a playa hater.
It's more that many of the people leaving comments appear to be thoroughly disgusted by a version of hip-hop that disregards everything decent about it. I could make a pretty good argument against heavy metal too if I carefully cherry-picked the worst things about it, like long-haired suburban kids who just discovered Cannibal Corpse, and based the entirety of my opinion on that.
I never said you had to like it, but it'd be nice if you had valid reasons to dislike it.
"Reading some of these newer posts, I get the impression that it's sort of a taboo to express negative opinions against cRap/Hip hop "music" and it's stupid culture"
Incorrect. It's ignorant and hateful to demonize and vilify a culture, lifestyle, genre, (ANYTHING) that you know nothing about, or have perspective comparable to a fly trying to philosophize about human nature. It has always been that way, and that will not change just because the subject happens to be about hip-hop. You are free to speak ill of anything you wish...just know that people more educated on the subject simply look at you and shake their heads, because ignorance is not something to brag about.
Carry on, sir! 😀
No one cares if you like or embrace hip hop culture. What the advocates are fighting against is morons who have no idea what the culture is about commenting and denouncing something that's completely foreign to them. Why are you making it so racial? You sound a bit insecure. I've seen no one suggest that any white person needs to emulate hip hop culture. Don't like it? Fine. Go on about your way and shut up about it. Also, you're confusing your stereotypes...souped up Civics are the Asians, not Blacks. If you're gonna be a racist try to be good at it. Oh yeah and keep using "cRap" when referring to the genre because it's really clever and original. I'd never seen that before you used it in your post.
Crap is an apt description for "music" that lacks any depth. Black culture used to provide us with great artists, like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Now we get comic book characters like Snoop Dogg. Try to intellectualize that. Black culture, as reflected in hip hop and rap, is the lowest common denominator. I didn't make it that way, they did.
By the way...the word you were looking for is "unacceptable".
You sir need to get educated by true hip hop listeners. Apparently by the way you portrayed yourself, you have probably not been listening to Hip Hop, the kinds of Hip Hop the kids in this program make. They do not talk about sagging and wearing caps. Do not speak of something you know nothing or very little of.
*kind
True hip hop listeners? You mean the ones promoting the "everyone is special" agenda?
Well, everyone is NOT special, Jessica. Hip Hop is crap, in a musical sense. It lacks depth. Yes, plenty of other popular music also lacks depth. It reflects our culture and society. That doesn't make it good.
This has nothing to do with YOUR personal taste in music, metal head. This is about reaching students through music education by offering them a means to express themselves in a language that they understand: hip hop. Whether you like it or not, hip hop and "cRap" (as you call it) is an integral part of America's music and, subsequently, its culture. This is a way to get students to enjoy school and take responsibility for their own education. Music education enables students to make music that is personally meaningful, it makes them feel successful, and it keeps that glimmer of creativity alive in our schools.
hip and "cRap" *are
"Get over it" is the typical response from whites who are far removed from a subject but still have to insert their ridiculous .02 to feel included. If one were to expose himself only to the music that receives mainstream radio airplay, then it would be no surprise if he had a negative view of rap music. The airwaves and TV channels are saturated with misogynistic lyrics and videos that demean women and reduce blacks to shallow, free-spending, luxury car-riding, pants-sagging ne'er do wells. If you had any objectiveness, you would know of hip hop artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Poor Righteous Teachers, and many others who are none of the above. But see, positivity, political consciousness, cultural awareness and any other uplifting messages don't sell. And understand that hip hop culture is mainly supported by white youth.
Apparently you like it cause you know so much about it. I don't know a thing about country or heavy metal. Who sings it what they drive, dress or anything. Keep showing your support. I know you love it deep down, probably rapping to yourself right now. LOL.
Makes about as much sense as giving kids drugs to keep them out of trouble. When hip hoppers become role models the whole country suffers
Or giving ignorant people access to the Internet, to spread their pseudo-intellectual propaganda, yeah? When you're wise enough to realize that you are basically condemning giving kids the gift of poetry (which will probably never happen), you should return to discussion. But for now, you'd do yourself a favor by abandoning ship.
You know how in high school English, you'd learn about the controversies caused by stuff like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Walt Whitman, Shakespeare, or Oscar Wilde, and you'd laugh because it seemed silly that anyone would get up in arms about something so essentially benign?
That's you now. Nice goin', ace.
Attempting to compare the likes of Snoop Dogg to Walt Whitman and Shakespeare is a real laugh, Norton. You are the ultimate soldier in the "everyone is special" brigade.
Because when everyone is special, no one is.
You should be lamenting the fact that you have no modern Miles Davis or Duke Ellington among your wasted youth.
Any fool can write poetry. It takes someone with a strong intellect to create great music. You don't promote strong intellect through hip hop. You promote mediocrity.
I agree. Not all hip hop is bad, and yes comparing it to similar events in history would be an accurate summation. Anyone who doesnt see that is simply holding their hands over their ears with their eyes closed singing along to that one Zeppelin CD that was made a million years ago and has been overplayed until the record was actually carved into our brain stems. Anyone who thinks rap is all about britches and hose, please search Revolution Rap, or Nujabes, or Aesop Rock, or Sage Francis– you tell me the message these guys relate is bad, go ahead and try it.
Hip Hop and Rap are definitely the way communicate with people and convey serious messages & lessons. And It's fun – Way to go Sessions LA!!!
"Hip Hop and Rap are definitely the way communicate with people with IQs of 100 or less."
There, I fixed that for you.
Jurrassic five is not metal its puss rock. Lamb of god is metal megadeth is metal
I don't believe I actually said Jurassic 5 was a metal band. They were a hip-hop quintet from California.
Puss Rock? Do you even know who Jurassic Five are?
There's an interesting book, although it's somewhat dated now, called Bomb the Suburbs by William Upski. It's mostly about graffiti culture, but it's got some interesting insights into early hip-hop from one of the earlier writers about the music.
I don't expect the average CNN commentator to be a big hip-hop fan, but it's important to note that it is, in many ways, a form of poetry: people commenting on where they are and what they see, using language to construct a story and tell you about what's going on from their perspective. I've been listening to a lot more of it, from artists like Atmosphere and Jurassic 5, and it hardly glorifies violence.
Thinking all hip-hop is a glorification of street gangs and mindless violence is much like thinking all rock or metal is a glorification of Satanic blood ritual; it's judging an entire genre by its lowest point. Consider broadening your perspective, and who knows? You might end up liking it.
Amen to all that, Emporer.
Bomb the Suburbs, and even moreso Upski's second book No More Prisons, were both huge influences on me and helped me further develop an understanding of hip hop's breadth and power.
These kid's grandparents were doing hip hop but the kids don't realize just how old this dance and music that started it is. I remember quite a few great hip hop dancers in the dance competitions at Chippendale's back in the 70's. Some of these people that are gramps and grannies are still shaking it up even now, it keeps you young! Same with break dancing, I saw it for the first time (and even tried it myself) in 1980. That's over 30 years ago. Same with mohawks, spiked and colored hair, it started in 1980. Kids don't realize just how retro it is. LOL!
The Cat in the Hat is also a form of poetry. One designed to reach young, developing minds. That doesn't make it high art.
Hip hop and (c)rapp has to be the worst genre of "music", since...?...
Very few even play their own "music". LOL.
Playing that music wouldn't be much different from not playing it, quite frankly.
It's not as if it it has any depth or complexity to it's expression.
I wish I had the energy to tell you closeminded commenters about yourselves...but I don't.
All I'll say is that I've been a hip hop educator for seven years, I've seen the good that can be done using hip hop as a tool to educate and motivate youth to better themselves...and Sessions is the best program I've ever been around. It's a POSITIVE, PROGRESSIVE place for the youth to learn about themselves and their community, and the music they create is NOT about the bullshxt that the folks commenting *think* hip hop is all about.
I can't blame the commenters for their opinions, they are just re-spewing the crap they have heard through mainstream media about hip hop for the last twenty years–which does NOT define the culture in any way shape for form, let alone determine the limits of what can be accomplished through hip hop education. Actually, I can blame them–assuming they are all adults, one might expect them to be able to think critically about the information they get through their television sets. Unfortunately, that's an all-too-rare thing for the American public. Sad but true.
wow great reply! I second your comment
Well said, and I think you for being an educator and helping to teach kids that positive side of hip-hop culture (which was the DOMINANT side, before the SUB-culture of gangster rap became Popular in this country – mostly by the drive of white corporate America). You should be commended.
^thank
Salute, sir...
I just try to give back to the culture that has brought me so much knowledge and inspiration...and I commend YOU for being a warrior in this comment section...unfortunately there's not much to be gained from arguing with closed-minded folks on the internet most of the time...
I love what your doing, but I feel bad you're spending time on each and every one of the ignorant comments lol. You won't change most of their minds–because their opinion on hip hop has nothing to do with hip hop anyway...it's all about their fear and insecurities.
I know. A bit tragic, on my part, but it just burns me to see people speak so badly about something that is largely a positive thing, simply because they refuse to educate themselves on it. In the end, I do know that spending too much time on it is usually futile, but even if all I can give is a little food for thought, I don't feel it's a total waste. And thank you.
Definitely not a total waste....not at all. I'm sure a small handful of these folks will click on the youtube links and research further...I don't mean to discourage you. I'm just pretty cynical these days I guess, lol...especially when it comes to the understanding the average American has of hip hop culture and race relations (which, let's be honest, is what this is almost certainly all about for a great many of these commenters).
Haha. I hear that. Your cynicism isn't misplaced, I assure you. LOL.
You two are funny. The president and treasurer of the mutual admiration society.
"Oh yes, we are so much more educated and intelligent than these naysayers."
Ignorance is bliss, gentlemen, and you are both as ignorant as those you rail against, and the culture to which they belong. Mostly, you are two sides of the same coin. While much of what you say is true, so is much of what is being said against hip hop and rap.
How many of the naysayers here have actually researched hip-hop music past what you've run across on MTV? Now I know the knee-jerk reaction here. "I don't need to research no dang (c)rap "music"! It's a bunch of ghetto garbage!!!" or something of that sort. But let's think about this rationally. You have (briefly) encountered, formed an opinion, and foolishly publicized that opinion on a subject which you admittedly have no knowledge or experience. Most of you are about as qualified to speak intelligently on hip hop as you are on the cultural climate during the Shang dynasty of ancient China. You know nothing about it, is what I'm saying. They used to have a word for people who spoke loudly about subjects in which they had little to no experience. Stupid...the word is stupid. Good day.
Well said, sir.
Quiet STUPID. I have a hip hop album.
http://www.soundclick.com/cstyle but the record companies put down ILLITERATE CRIMINALS as ROLE MODELS so since I know what size I wear, I've been hated on by clowns like you. Pull your pants up and get some job skills. My foot will be wedged until you do. YOU CLOWNS. And BaronMatrix is not PLAYING WITH YOU.
Trackstar the DUMMY. If hip hop is helping so much why can these "hip-hoppers" speak proper English or understand that tattoos lead to UNDEREMPLOYMENT. I'd like to punch all of you in the head for making me look bad. They can' even rap because they have A MINUSCULE VOCABULARY. I can't dance to the beats. I'm sick of them with THEIR BUMMY CLOTHES EMBARRASSING ME. Maybe I'll drop by there and show you REAL HIP HOP looks like. Here's a hint. IT HAS JACK CRAP to do with clothes.
Hip-Hop is just a gateway drug to gang rap.
False and ignorant.
Current hip hop is about how to get a girl "sliding down a pole." It's BIZNITCH CRAP. Nikki Minaj sucks and would outrap these "slim thug sold ya car" clowns.
Did I mention I'm sick of you IDIOTS giving the Repealicans more ammo against me and the REAL BLACK MEN and WOMEN?
Clowns.
White is just a gateway to meth, inbreeding and living in a trailer.
Just like the English language is a gateway to verbal abuse.
...I hope you're not a mentor.
this is ignorance at its finest
The Rap/Hip Hop "music" and culture glamourizes a life style of poverty, urban decay, crime, and total squalor.
Alot of the Rap lovers on here should move to Camden, New Jersey and just see for yourselves, lol....
Talib Kweli – "Get By'
http://youtu.be/UVtpXvzzXiA
This song is the exact opposite of everything you just said. Please stop talking about topics you know nothing about. If you'd like an education about what hip-hop really is, I'll be glad to explain a few things for you. That way, you won't look so ignorant to the rest of the world, whenever the subject comes up.
Mien doesn't so you should ask what HOLLYWOOD is trying to prove with the people they give contracts to. And also why in this case is the "MORALS CLAUSE" not in effect? These clown azz rappers just have revolving doors on jail cells and have started World War III.
Be on their side if you dare.
Baron Matrix has spoken.
Rock and metal music is probably the most violent. They're always screaming and smashing their guitars for no reason. Sort of like my mother screaming at me for no reason, it's not very pleasant. lol *sarcasim*...what I'm trying to say is that no genre of music causes violence. It's all on the people. They're so many underground rappers that rap about positive things such as peace and what goes on in the world today. It's the mainstream music that's sucking you guys in. The sad thing is that, the majority of people live in a white and black world and are very close minded and ignorant.
How many fights, knifings, and shootings can you find that happened at or just after rock/heavy metal concerts? How about rap concerts?
Well, lets see. I've been to a ton of rock concerts, and I've seen many fights. Usually in the mosh pits. I've been to several hip-hop shows, most recently in Chicago (Jay-Z and Kanye West) and there was absolutely no violence, not even a push. In fact, the crowd was so good, that for the encore, they allowed those of us that were in the farther away seats to all walk down onto the floor to get a better view. Hip hop does talk about the real things that happen in poor, black neighborhoods, but that's far from what it's all about. People that learn about hip hop from watching the news are not getting the whole story.
How many riots and fires, stampedes have happended after rock concerts?? We can go on and on about the bad things that happen but this isnt one of them. This is positive way for at risk children to get off the streets and hopefully into something that might make it a passion they choose over crime.... Its not about the type of music, its about the avenue the program is creating for the at risk youth without being on the street involved in criminal activity.. Good job DJ Phatrik..
We've had shootings and murders after rap concerts here. Never had anything like that happen at any other music venue.
I believe there's more fights at rock concerts than rap concerts. Here's the stats for metal music:http://blog.lib.umn.edu/morga364/myblog2/...I'm not here to argue, all I'm saying is it's only the people that's violent and not the music. I listen to rappers that you will never hear of and they're real rappers. They don't rap about NO violence at all and there's no violence at all. It's people like you who judge things based on mainstream rap and have no clue about this genre of music.
One of the greatest metal guitarists, Dimebag Darrell, got shot ON STAGE by a fan at his own show. I'm sure every rock fan has seen the footage of Glenn Danzig getting into a fight and getting knocked out backstage, by another fellow rock musician. You know who else was a rock & roll musician, and wrote songs for the Beach Boys? Charles Manson. Also there was this thing called Altamont, maybe you've heard of it.
Violence is just a part of American culture, end of story. It's not caused by rock, or rap, or even techno. Well maybe techno.
rap and hip hop are different. please don't speak about something you know nothing of.
He got his education and it wasnt thur hip hop music, Hip Hop music is not the right thing to help keep kids out of trouble, if kids don't have the right up bringing and hang with the wrong crowds yes they will get in trouble, teach the kids proper english so that they can speak well for a job once they finish school, hip hop teaches them slang talk in which they hear much of in the ghetto so they surely don't need that, that's not the right thing to do you will make matters worst, i would tell the kids to pull up their pants learn proper english in school so that you can get a decent job, get away from that slang ghetto talk and stop calling every body the N word as a form of communication HIP HOP should be band from the USA.
Randy,
Here, let a hip-hop fan proofread your comment for you:
He got his education and it wasnt thur hip hop music, Hip Hop music is not the right thing to help keep kids out of trouble, if kids don't have the right up bringing and hang with the wrong crowds yes they will get in trouble, teach the kids proper english so that they can speak well for a job once they finish school, hip hop teaches them slang talk in which they hear much of in the ghetto so they surely don't need that, that's not the right thing to do you will make matters worst, i would tell the kids to pull up their pants learn proper english in school so that you can get a decent job, get away from that slang ghetto talk and stop calling every body the N word as a form of communication HIP HOP should be band from the USA.
thur–I think you meant "through".
You should have a period after the word "trouble" and start a new sentence with "If kids".
"up bringing" is one word–"upbringing".
You should have a comma after the word "crowds".
You should have a period after the word "trouble" and begin a new sentence starting with "Teach the".
You should have a period after the word "school" and begin a new sentence starting with "Hip hop".
You should have a period after "surely don't need that". A semicolon would have also worked.
You should have a period after "that's not the right thing to do", and begin a new sentence with "You will make..."
"Make matters worst" should be "make matters worse".
Also, you should have a period after "worst" after you change it to "worse".
You should have a comma after "pull up their pants".
You should have a comma after "ghetto talk".
You should have a period after "communication"
"HIP HOP" should not be capitalized. Assuming you correct the previous sentence and add a period, it should be "Hip hop".
You say "HIP HOP should be band". I think you meant to say "banned".
Wow. Who new someone who listens to hip-hop could be so well studied? Maybe you should work on your own educational faults before you start declaring that hip-hop is ruining everybody else.
Whoops. My last paragraph should have said "who knew", not "who new". See, even a hip-hop listener makes mistakes sometimes.
Well, I only listen to post 2000 hip hop. This crap out now is just illiterate noise with SORRY BEATS.
Here is some real hip hop.
http://www.soundclick.com/cstyle
How did being a ghetto gangster get romanticized. Selling crack and going to prison doesn't have the same allure as being a pirate on the open seas or a cowboy on the plains but they are all violent lifestyles
This article is not about romanticizing ghetto gangsters. It's about the positivity of true hip-hop culture.
Same with country music listen to what's called outlaw country all they talk about is getting wasted on drugs and whiskey and shooting someone with a double barrel shotgun, a pistol, or stabbing someone with a bowie knife
Talib Kweli – "Memories Live"
http://youtu.be/tvNRaF9YLU0
Oh, yeah. So very violent. This is absolutely immoral lyrical content, and it should be barred from the face of the planet for it's violent and drug-advocating message.
Please.
Hip-hop and rap are two different types of music as is alternative and heavy metal. Hiphop is more friendly and rap is the hard core music of mostly black communities like heavy metal is hard core rock music. Yeah heavy metal doesn't talk about gang violence but it usually talks about war which is more violent than a gang shoot out anyday.
Has it occurred to anyone else that they never say "hip hop *music*"? You've got "classical *music*" and "rock *music*", and even "country *music*". However, it's just called "hip hop". Just sayin'.
I suppose the implication of your "jus' sayin'" is that hip-hop isn't music? You're actually quite right, the word "hip-hop" does not refer exclusively to a style of music. It refers to a vibrant culture that has generated its own dance, fashion, slang, visual art, and yes, music. Referring to to "hip-hop" as "hip-hop music" would be unfairly limiting.
This article is more about the Culture of hip-hop, than the music itself. If you were actually surrounded by hip-hop, you would know that people say "hip hop music" all the time. If you were actually a little more critical in your thinking, you would realize that "classical, rock, country, metal, etc" are all Very Common Words, used to label Very Different Things, so it would only make sense to make sure to include the word "music" after it, to specify that you are talking about Music. "Hip Hop" immediately brings to mind "hip hop music", so it is much less necessary.
Just sayin'.
...ignorant form of communication, certainly not music. 1000 steps backward for the advancement of people and indicative of our decline here in America. Violent and ugly.
Reasonable: "I do not care for hip-hop. I prefer Fleetwood Mac and Rick Springfield". Unreasonable: All of your hyperbolic, hateful, uninformed, and racist assumptions that hip-hop is strictly for idiots. I am everything that you foolishly assume a hip-hop fan is not. I am educated, courteous, well-dressed, employed, drug-free, and a passionate fan of all forms of music. This is what a hip-hop fan looks like. Your prejudices, like all prejudices, fall apart when you look at reality. To each their own, just keep your hatefulness to yourselves.
I can't believe you even had the gall to use the word "Ignorant" in that statement of yours. Talk about hypocrisy.
Common – "Love Is.."
http://youtu.be/q7uBvbfHQLc
So very violent, right? Educate yourself, and stop repeating the same BS that ignorant peers and mainstream radio try to teach you.
Hip Hop...Really? REALLY?! Even the word, Hip Hop sounds less than intelligent. Hip hop in my opinion is for the less intelligent in our dumbing down society. Not sure how it is considered music or how it got to be so popular. Just shows how dumb and unintelligent our nation is becoming.
Your opinion, huh? That's the beauty of opinions. You can just say any old thing you want, with or without facts to back it up, and it's sacrosanct. "I'm going to pigeonhole an entire culture, but you can't disagree! I said it was my opinion!". That mindset is what's holding society back. That is not an opinion. It's an observation. Big difference.
Greetings MD... I used to think the way you did, My daughter has been doing hip hop for several yrs now and she loves it, she is 15 yrs old now, and has stayed out of trouble... never had a boyfriend.. and is very confident compared to most kids her age who have experienced everything. Thanks to Hip hop,i have no complaints here.
hip hop is important to me because its a way i can express myself through the cultural art of hipp
ya cant spell CRAP without RAP.
News Flash!!!: Rap "artist" dosent want to get up-in-awl-dat, or git with Ho's.... more to come at 11...
News Flash: Yet another ignoramus lets mainstream media dictate what he thinks about a culture he knows absolutely nothing about. We'd cover this story a little more, but it's pretty old hat. Back to you, in the studio, Jill...
Dear, all you people who think that hip hop is going to cause someone to go deal drugs or kill someone your are totally wrong...im a 14 year old rapper frome pittsburgh and i dont carry a gun, i dont kill people...so before you talk about hip hop or rap why dont you talk about the rap u do and stay out of mine
I rap presents...and I eat chiken bacon raps...
Hi, please please please ask a REPORTER TO look up brazzers and Jessica Biel, they are having a hey day out of the collective infant. My head hurts. Thanks. 666
Robert Lantz
um...in english?
they are just trying to stay out of trouble. you are a bunch of racist idiots. the things written here are just ignorant. how do you know that people in the hood aren't listening to classical? you don't.
Ya sure! First the social engineering outlets like the MTV and the rest of the Illuminstis demoarlized the youth of America and now their face-saving disinformation at work. it's not the kids who needs the messaging but the crooks mascrading as our socially responsible sell-out crooked leaders!
Rap is CRAP and the culture that goes along with it is horrible. Everywhere I go I see suburban wiggers copying that stupid culture. Believe me, nothing cool can come from the ghetto. I don't see why the ghetto is so cool...is it cool to live in a grafitti covered town house and sit there on a porch all day waiting for the welfare check to come in the mail?
I wonder what those kids that did that mass murder at Columbine High School listen to?
I wonder what all the gang bangers were listening to during the 1992 L.A. riots, where over 50 people died and over a billion $$$ in property damage occured.
it dosnt matter what they listen to...hip hop didnt make them do it
hay metal head you are a dumb bigot, lots of great metal comes out of the ghetto.
No metal comes from the ghetto, you f**ktard. Why don't you move to the ghetto if you love it so much.
You should educate yourself a little more, and check your racism at the door.
Ok Dave, so according to you all blacks are innocent little angels? They've all done nothing wrong and we shouldn't discriminate against them? I already have my education, thanks, but I think all them Ghetto homies "chillin' in da hood" should educate themselves a little more. Walking around with your pants sagged and boxers hanging out, whilst listening to "phat beatz" isn't exactly helping their image. And don't give me the whole "racism" bull, because theres more black racists out there then white racists these days. Heck, it seems if you're a white youth who's NOT copying their culture, then they hate against you. I'd know this because it's happened to me.
As someone who both raps and plays blues, rock and metal guitar, I must say that you, sir, are an idiot. No matter how you try to form your opinion, or what words you choose to construct your sentences, the fact that you apparently think that all 'rap' (even though this article is about HIP-HOP, you fool) is all about negative content and self-destructive culture will forever stamp you as ignorant. I'm not a biologist, so I choose my opinion on biological topics very carefully. You apparently know nothing about hip-hop, so you should do yourself a favor and reserve judgement.
Um... Rap goes right along with gang activity, drug dealing and crime in general. Ever heard of a gang listening to classical music?? Of course you haven't...
thats funny I cant ever remember any gangsters at any hip hop show that I have been too.
You guys are missing the point kids usually get bad behaviors from doing nothing or beding alone it doedsnt matter what kind of msic it is .. is the attention this peolpe are giving them at least they are trying to make a diffrence what are you doing to help a kid ?
This must be some joke. How can grown men who can't even pull their stupid pants up and displaying their stinky underwear ASSESS in public keep kids out of trouble? They make me SICK to my stomach.
I see Latinos and white boys as copy-cats; copying them as well and walking funny like wet ducks out of a local pond. Yack! Now showing off your belt buckle is now a fashion in America.
Send these kids to boot camps for tough love to be shown.
Yup, cowboys never showed off their belt buckles.
I haven't seen an obscene cowboy belt buckle. Running around with your pants down and underwear billowing out is obscene in the eyes of most of us – not to mention idiotic.
lol kids aren't gonna listen to this stuff, kids are just going to listen to the sual hip hop that makes them into idiots who get into trouble all the time.
No music genre is the best, it's all on the person. I love metal other like rap, I love classical music others like Bachata, no each culture has their according genre and just watch the hip-hop genre will rule and die out just like many before it.
Hey, does anyone know where I can get to listen to more of this music? :x]
Thanks CNN for the beautiful video! Here is the Sessions LA website, where you can listen to our music & watch videos: http://www.sessionsla.com
Thank you DJ Phatrick for doing what you do. As you can see from some of these ignorant posts, we still have a lot of work to do. It's amazing to me that people can be so blatantly racist and biased. It's also disheartening to see so many people writing about how hip-hop makes kids "stupid", especially when it's nearly impossible to understand what they are saying over all of the bad grammar and typos.
You're doing a great thing to the community, don't let these ignorant jerks bring down your work.
Hehehehe all the people who are attacking rap are funny. What people don't understand is that the ignorant retarded fools listen to most main stream rap music. To be honest the best music is never mainstream. I'm a devoted metal head and i'm not going to lie the recent metal music coming out is horrible, and I have been a dedicated one since 1992! The underground music is what its about! For it has yet to be tainted by big record labels and the greed for money! Not many bands or artist remain who they were when they first started. True rap might say the "N" word a bit too much but like a said its the mainstream that sucks, lil wayne dur, waka flaka freak, and etc. are those who are mainstream and stupid. People never become biased for you shall meet your demise!
Nicely stated.
If you heard hip hop on the radio then it probably is garbage, most music you hear on the radio is pure garbage that goes for any genre. The crap you hear on the radio is probably not even 1% of the music out there. If you wanna hear good music the first thing you need to do is turn off the radio.
True.
But, generally speaking, there are certain attributes in genres of music that don't personally "do it" for me.
I'm not really a fan of "angry" music unless there is a positive "solution" idea or redemptive concept offered in the lyrics.
Not crazy about "screaming" music or words/prose/poetry/speaking set to music (rap-hip hop).
Heavy "soap opera" music (country/western) with the countless lyrics of romance, stupid everyday happenings, etc.
There are many exceptions, of course, but certain genres of music have certain personalities that I don't care for.
Just sayin……….
What DO you like then? haha...just sayin.
There should be some kind of law against people – who have absolutely no concept of hip-hop – commenting on a story related to hip-hop. For all of you fools out there who say "hip-hop is nothing but trash (etc. etc.)", I challenge you all to post 1 song from any of your coveted genres, and I will find a different hip-hop song with a message that is just as positive as the one you posted. Do you know why it's easy for you to trash hip-hop? Because your heads are stuck so far up mainstream music that you are completely ignorant of the fact that there is a stark difference between "hip-hop" as a genre and the Trash (yes, I agree) that you hear on the radio. You all are the equivalent of someone listening to 3 AC/DC songs and some crap by Rise Against and saying that "All rock music sucks", and you should be ashamed of yourselves. Educate yourselves to the more positive side of hip-hop, before condemning an entire genre...unless that's too much to ask, which kind of proves my point anyway.
So you want censorship?
I don't, for one minute, believe that you actually thought I meant that literally. I'm giving you the benefit of doubt, here...
You took the words right out of my mouth.
You have to get at the Record Exec's on that, the big wigs that are allowing the gangsta music because its making there pockets bigger. The kids making the music are just following suite to what the public is responding to. All rap is not gangsta, those are the main stream artists you hear getting the airplay and bringing in money for the top people in charge. Rap is deeper than the silliness they destroyed it to be now. Theres no real creativity now. No real positive messages, but dont blame the rapper blame the system. On another note, we all have pretty much have had someone out of our homes show us love, and gave us confidence. True families important, but mentoring adds something special to a childs life, of course you can feel special at home, but nothing like that reassurance coming from someone you can relate to a non biased person, and it gets indivduals ready for when they are ready to get out in the world and communicate with business men and woman. Doing nothing but watch the news and talk about people is what negative.
Instead of coming up with all these scienticfic assumptions, use what you have to help make a difference as well. For the person that says rock has no bad lyrics research that further, then teach that to some kids if you find your correct, I guarantee you will find diff, esp in heavy metal and alternative rock starting in 80's ..and that goes for others as well, share your knowledge to the lost kids, instead of blogging into nomans land make a difference. We all have something to someone, wether its making hip hop, or teaching to tie a dress tie, to cooking. Give something back, instead of knocking this guys speech, at least hes helping.
Next we'll teach you how not to use the random comma.
Right after we teach you to use one after a transition.
Call me old fashioned but the kids should be getting outdoors...camping, fishing, hiking and learning about wildlife. Too bad their useless parents are more interested in drugs and welfare. And don't tell me it's because their poor blacks who can't get a job. Hitchhike if you have to but get your family out of the ghettos, off the streets and move to a small town where folks will help you, where you can get a job if your honest and willing to work and where your kids can be safe. That's what parents do. That's your job. Look after you family no matter what you have to do. Rap for god's sake. What a bunch of useless tools.
Ok...you're old fashioned. Lol.
Nah, seriously, though, not everyone is about getting in touch with wildlife an learning how to work in the earth – not that there is anything wrong with that. You shouldn't advocate pigeonholing kids into one area of interest. Artists and musicians are (and have always been) important contributors to society. In fact, the people who created the computers and Internet you're using Right Now probably didn't get out and get their hands all that dirty, growing up. You should really try to understand other cultures and areas of interest a little more, before bashing them.
I prefer rock and jazz to hip hop, but much of what I know about drugs came from Steely Dan lyrics–just sayin'.
You have to get at the Record Exec's on that, the big wigs that are allowing the gangsta music because its making there pockets bigger. The kids making the music are just following suite to what the public is responding to. All rap is not gangsta, those are the main stream artists you hear getting the airplay and bringing in money for the top people in charge. Rap is deeper than the silliness they destroyed it to be now. Theres no real creativity now. No real positive messages, but dont blame the rapper blame the system. On another note, we all have pretty much have had someone out of our homes show us love, and gave us confidence. True families important, but mentoring adds something special to a childs life, of course you can feel special at home, but nothing like that reassurance coming from someone you can relate to a non biased person, and it gets indivduals ready for when they are ready to get out in the world and communicate with business men and woman. Doing nothing but watch the news and talk about people is what negative.
Wow....a lot of disparaging posters on this forum who have NO IDEA what hip hop is and why it is important and valuable. I recommend you educate yourself before trying to insult it. Try reading Jeff Chang's book Can't Stop Won't Stop, or Marc Lamont Hill's excellent book on Hip Hop pedagogy, or any one of the numerous (90+) quality journalistic and academic books on hip hop. You will be in for a surprise. Peace.
People know you are black just because you like that garbage.
tee---–you really are a racist piece of excrement! The majority of hip hop sales are to white youth.
Listening to how poorly the hispanic student expresses himself turns me off to this program. That young man would be better served by becoming fluent in English. Based on the way he speaks, his Spanish is probably equally as bad as his English.
I don't buy the statement about traditional instruments are too expensive. I can buy 10 decent used acoustic guitars for the price of a laptop.
that is condescending and actually pretty idiotic. i know kids at ivy league schools who talk just like those interviewed here, and you know what? i bet they are smarter than you, got better grades than you did, and will be going places.
Unfortunately, its Upper White Class kids who fall victim to the music and adapt hip hop lyrics to their real life. Povershed kids in the city know its a way of life and possibly a destiny for most, however, they strive to be more. I have never seen a black youth say they want the "ghetto" lifestyle as their future, instead, you hear they are striving for more. Statistically, inner city kids are more musically inclined and even though its a narrow career path, music is a scape goat on many levels. Yes, hip hop for the majority promotes a lifestyle that most youth in America are raised in...... But, its a voice of a generation, not all is promoting poor choices, its sharing the reality of a culture. Open your eyes, look around you, just because a kid sags his pants doesn't mean he's going to rape his woman and kill the ice cream man for dope. America needs to open its eyes and quit pointing its fingers elsewhere... Embrace a culture and help it out all at once. People want to feel better then the next person beneath them, so of course there will always be a lower class and with "low" class comes a harsh reality of poverty and crime... Donate to your local "ghetto" and help change a life rather then judging a whole class of people.
Try, Van Halen, Ratt, Guns & Roses, ACDC, W.A.S.P, Great White, Quiet Riot, Skid Row, KISS, Def Lepperd... I could go on and on. Rap, Hip hop is all about killing, money growing on trees and drugs and raping and no respect for women. They all can carry a gun and do crime. I bet if you could put them in World War 2 I am sure they would all cry for their mommys. I have no respect for that gang trend. White or black.
Sure, hip-hop may not be your (or my) cup of tea, so to speak. But that said, your taste in music is, uh,....crap.
haha-jeff is a BUTT Rocker!!!
Glam Metal and NWOBHM is probably the best metal there is, compared to the nu-metal stuff on the radio.
haha,you make fun of hip hop,but you listen to men with mascara and lipstick.
Lol what year is it again. Very little hiphop music has anything to do with gangs. Its about out rhyming other rappers, expressing ideas, feelings, and telling stories. Pop rap which your talking about isn't hiphop music. No pop music in any genre serves any purpose other then to sell records and products.
Jeff, do you listen to the lyrics from any of the artists (yeesh, I thought twice about using that word) you noted? Everyone one of those bands sings about drinking, shooting up, fawking (does't matter who), and the demoralization of women; all made a very lucrative living out of it. Oh and Def Leppard may be one of the most popular "rap bands" of all time. Everything post _High & Dry_ was a rap record for them.
Don't quit your day job.
Bull!!! Hip Hop only entices youth to embrace a whole immoral culture that promotes every sort of immorality.
whatever! you obviously have no idea how listening to hip-hop helps people like me calm down and realize that its not all that bad. and this is the dumbest thing i have ever heard.... u need to think b4 you speak.... im 13 yrs old and this article really relates to things in my life so i would greatly appreciate it if you watch wat u say iiit peace
Please learn to express yourself in proper English when not communicating with your friends.
That's what your grand parents said about rock 'n roll.
What happened to Classical Music, the one true genre out there? Any day I would rather listen to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" over hip-hop.
Absolutely right
How can you guys say hip-hop is the reason kids get into trouble? Music is a way to tell a story. Country, Rock, Soul, Rap, etc. A lot of the rappers that rap about drug use, killing people, prison, etc. rap about this stuff because its what they know. They grew up with people around them or themselves using drugs, people getting murdered, etc. Of course thats what they're going to rap about, its what they know. Its a sad world when someone is trying to help, and not only help but help kids, and its twisted into some sort of "sin".
You commenters are the most close-minded, hateful, ignorant people I've ever seen. You know nothing about hip-hop music, you can't name 10 recent artists I'm sure. All you know are the stereotypes of hip-hop, and the stereotypes some songs advance. All music forms have their inappropriate bits, for instance the rampant alcoholism in country music. Do you know these kids? And who are you, corntrader19, to decide what is low class or "ghetto"? You know nothing. I listen to hip-hop all the time and I go to Brown. I've never killed anyone, I've never raped anyone, and I've never stolen. Bad behavior has to do with many factors, including poverty, upbringing, and especially CHOICES. Hip-hop doesn't make anyone choose to do anything. Don't be so judgmental of people and a lifestyle you know NOTHING about.
Amen. Hip hop has ALWAYS been about the people...
It's not hip hop's fault mainstream music industries sought to make a profit out of a booming genre at the time. The real hip hop artists back in the day didn't rap about being gangsta. They rapped about the people. Hip hop will always be about the people and will always recount the stories about lives.
I've listened to hip hop all my life. It was one of the first type of music I listened to when I came to the US from South Korea. I've never stolen ANYTHING. I've never cheated on a test. I've never intentionally hurt people physically. I will never kill someone unless I fight in a war against North Korea (and only North Korea unless it's WWIII then everyone fights). And hip hop along with jazz, blues, orchestra, classic rock are my favorite genres. ALongside that, hip hop was the only genre that helped me understand the reality of life where people would get shot up by drive-by's just for the satisfaction of wiping you out. And that we live in a world where good can happen... while extremely terrible can happen as well.
But if you want to be stereotypical and judge those who listen to hip hop... let me remind you these things.
Nazi's leaders listened to orchestra symphony's religiously. Many in the Nazi regime also listened to classical and Beethoven/Mozart. Drunk sociopaths who'd rape their own kids listened to country. Does that mean all of YOU who are judging are Nazi's or sociopaths? No. Stop making stupid assumptions and get real. You sound stupid when you make idiotic assumptions.
Other genre's sing songs about heroes and people we should idolize.
Hip hop has sang songs about people deemed "lowest and foul." No one else sang songs about those who die silently with no one knowing their names for some trivial reasons than hip hop.
Yeah, and the devil wants to help save souls.
the devil has nothin to do with it but obviously he has over taken you if you cant realize that hip-hop isnt bad.... its just a faster version then your music that has more to say than a classical song
Hip Hop is the entire inner city culture and is the reason most of these people get into trouble in the first place. Name any other genre of music other than the Insane Clown Posse's dumb a$$ music that advocates 1) Drug use 2) Killing people 3) Going to prison like its some sort of a goal 4) Abuse of women 5) Lack of fiscal responsibility in any way shape or form. 6) Selling Drugs 7) disrespect for laws and police officers..... you cant, any of those things positive???? NO. Have you ever heard a hip hop song that didn't incorporate at least 1 of those things???? NO. Its all negative and this is the stuff these kids that get into trouble grow up on. The decline of society in musical form.
"slow it down" by Drake. Just because you don't know about hip-hop, and have a small sampling, and have heard many stereotypes, doesn't mean that you can judge. You're judging all these kids and all these artists, and the entire hip-hop genre , without knowing them. And I don't hate you for it, because it's your opinion. Isn't that crazy, ignoring an opinion you disagree with, instead of judging a large percentage of the entire population hatefully. Live your own life and don't attack an AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM.
"Have you ever heard a hip hop song that didn't incorporate at least 1 of those things???? " I can literally name 20 off the top of my head (There are probably 1000's). You are making yourself look extremely stupid. If you care to really check out hip hop music that doesn't promote negativity...(I know that you actually don't want to because it would absolutely destroy your ideology that you use to blindly harp on a subject on which you have a miniscule amount of knowledge- an ideology you hold not because you have facts or proof, but simply because it makes you feel better personally to hold such views. I digress.) listen to a few songs by Common, Lupe Fiasco, or Talib Kweli. These are just a few of the more popular ones. There are plenty of lesser known guys as well. To all those with comments like yours: It's clear to anyone who knows the culture that you've only seen what MTV tells you is the face of hip hop. Stop commenting because it's obvious to the rest of us that your comments hold no merit and usually no handle on written English, but that's for another post.
"Have you ever heard a hip hop song that didn't incorporate at least 1 of those things???? NO"
Thank you for proving our point, entirely. Have I heard a hip hop song that doesn't incorporate at least 1 of those things? I have heard WHOLE ALBUMS. I can name artists and groups whose ENTIRE DISCOGRAPHIES don't incorporate at least one of those things. Your lack of perspective only makes you look all the more ignorant when you try to use it as a weapon.
Hip hop trash? Wow you're so utterly close minded. Hip hop is awesome music like any other genre. At its best Hiphop has a killer beat and lyrics that are deep, meaningful, and clever. Rappers like Jay-Z(Empire State of Mind) or Enimem(recovery) twist and are genii with wordplay. Hip hop music doesn't lead to decline of young teenagers. Drinking, smoking, poor peformanc in school does that.(I know what'll you"l say all Hip hop champions that) Well news flash not all Hip hop music does that if anything rock especially metal is more provacative than Hip-hop. I'm done ranting but I'm sick of stupid close minded ignorant haters.
Hahaha, this dude above me lists "Eminem"...man, that guy is a total 100% wigger. When I was in high school in the early 2000's I saw tons of kids dying their hair blond and going around acting like annoying little slim shady clones. They thought they were king of the world, and major players. But they all ending up with major drug habits, and dropping out senior year. So your comment is false, it indeed DOES lead to the decline of teens.
Our kids may be 27th in the world, but win the prize for hip-hop knowledge! I'm sure that builds a talented future workforce right? right?
*Witness the decline of of our nation*
Our nation's been in decline for decades. You can't pin it all on the current generation.
CPT America...you sound really ignorant.
The article has it ALL WRONG : Hip Hop is the REASON so many kids get into trouble!
Wrong, numbnuts. Try poverty.
No try again....its "bad personal decisions". There are plenty of poor kids that listen to hip hop and stay out of trouble.
Personal responsibility ...or lack thereof...is the problem. For those that disagree – we will just say that "air" is the problem..that will solve all the issues.
yep teach em how to sing about gang violence (thats about all you hear in rap music). That'll keep em out of trouble lol
That's not all you hear about in hip-hop.... you're ignorant.
that's funny I listen to hip hop everyday and I never hear anything like your explaining. gang violence and rap that's some early 90s crap. half the people on here could be in the movie footloose...lol
Please educate yourself before spitting ridiculousness like this. This is hip-hop: http://youtu.be/MJCHeEQV454
Turn off your little mainstream Top-40 radio, and your understanding of what real music is will grow in leaps and bounds.
RAP, you said it. educate yourself and see the difference between hip hop and rap. and FYI you wont find hip hop on the radio. So whatever you have been listening to that made you think this way, that's not hip hop.
This one of the stupidest stories I have ever seen. Hip Hop is TRASH! It is low-class ghetto music. It is the reason so many kids are in trouble.
Oh yes – those little rapscallions should be getting into 'real' music. Like the Beatoffs. Go back to your top forty, hippy.
Could not agree more.
Is country music the reason for alcoholism in America?
Yeah, I guess that's why all my white friends, who are in college listen to it all the time