Before taking this class, I thought hip hop was a genre of music and specific fashion. I believed that the integral elements of hip hop were rapping and breakdancing. Furthermore, the lyrics had to contain some slang and jargon. I thought that all hip-hoppers wore caps and baggy pants, as well as earrings and big silver chains. I always confused hip-hoppers with rappers and thought that rap and hip hop were different music genres. In addition, I knew that hip hop was popular several decades ago. Today, it is not as popular as it was then; moreover, modern hip-hoppers differ from previous ones since they know more techniques and use beatboxing. However, it is everything I knew before taking this course. Unfortunately, I was mistaken in many issues and did not know many interesting facts about hip hop as a genre. The following paragraphs will analyze what I have learned about hip hop during the course.
After taking this class, I know that hip hop is not only a genre of music but also an art, fashion, and theater. Hip hop’s main elements are rapping, breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti art. Moreover, beatboxing is another essential constituent of hip hop art. Hip hop appeared as a sub-cultural movement of African-American young people more than 40 years ago. It was not only music but also a lifestyle. Hip-hoppers wore a specific style of clothes and used slang. They created songs about real-life problems such as drug abuse, poverty, wealth, politics, promiscuity, magnificence etc. Nowadays, such themes are not as popular as they were several decades ago. Thus, the culture of hip hop is not well-developed and widespread now.
Hip hop theater is a theater that performs different stories, using some elements of hip hop. I have never known about such form of theater; however, now, I know that hip hop theater is a good method of expressing some key themes onstage and conveying them to young viewers. In addition, I have learned that hip hop theater plays introduce to viewers some social themes, as the songs of the hip hop genre do. Furthermore, today, I know that rap is not a specific genre; it is a part of hip hop.
DJing is another integral part of hip hop. Before taking this class, I thought that DJs were those boys and girls, who provided music at the parties. However, I have discovered that DJing is an art, which requires skills and abilities to create music using turntables. Thus, turntablists use no musical instruments but, instead, they take a turntable and make different manipulations with it.
Finally, I have learned that hip hop is a culture but not just a genre. It can influence people both negatively and positively. However, I believe that hip-hoppers write their songs not to convince listeners to take drugs or kill each other. On the contrary, they want to show the cruelty of the world, some negative aspects of life, and the ignorance of society. The aim of hip-hoppers is to demonstrate the existing problems, which are not likely discussed by the authorities and other people.
To conclude, after taking this course, I changed my view of hip hop. I always thought that it was just music; however, today, I understand that it is the whole culture. Hip hop is often judged and criticized in the mass media; moreover, parents do not allow their children to listen to this genre of music. However, their apprehension is groundless because hip hop reveals only the existing issues of society and appeals to the audience to assist with solving these problems. Thus, hip hop is an art that helps people express their deep thoughts and feelings and has all chances to make the world a better place.
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