Conscious hip hop
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Conscious hip hop is a type of hip hop that focuses on social issues. It is not necessarily overtly political, but treasts of social issues and conflicts. Themes of conscious hip hop include religion, aversion to violence, African American culture and advancement, and the economy. Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" was an early and hugely influential political and conscious hip hop track, decrying the poverty, violence, and dead-end lives of the black youth of the time.
The audience for conscious rap is largely underground.[1] Most conscious hip hop artists have not attained the same level of commercial success as mainstream hip-hop [2], though some notable exceptions to this are Gang Starr, Nas, The Roots, Common, Lupe Fiasco, OutKast, Talib Kweli and Lauryn Hill.
Some conscious artists have criticized the name. Mos Def criticizes the label, saying:
| “ | They keep trying to slip the 'conscious rapper' thing on me...I come from Roosevelt Projects, man. The ghetto. I drank the same sugar water, ate hard candy. And they try to get me because I'm supposed to be more articulate, I'm supposed to be not like the other Negroes, to get me to say something against my brothers. I'm not going out like that, man."[3] | ” |
Similarly, Talib Kweli confirmed in a recent interview with VIBE magazine that the title of his next album will be Prisoner of Conscious, a reference to his constant labeling as a "conscious rapper".
[edit] See also
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[edit] References
- ^ Thompson, Amanda (2004-05-06). "Gender in Hip Hop: A Research Study" (PDF). . Humboldt State University Retrieved on 2006-06-09.
- ^ Brown, Roxanne L. "Todd Boyd’s Lessons on the Rise of Hip Hop: Move Civil Rights and Historical Context Out of the Way" (PDF). . The Center for Black Diaspora Retrieved on 2006-06-09.
- ^ (misnomer:Conscious Hip Hop vs Gangsta Rap?.
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