Response to Hip Hop

Rachel Catena
September 21

    In the reading, “Hip Hop Planet” by James McBride, the character talks about avoiding Hip Hop music for many reasons. Even though Hip Hop was becoming the biggest thing at the time, and history was being made, the character stepped away from that type of music because it held everything he wanted to leave behind. The character then says, “In doing so, I missed the most important cultural event in my lifetime.” After making this statement, he begins to talk about  Hip Hop in a different way. The character describes the atmosphere of Hip Hop by explaining how the MC’s and DJ’s work and mentions that “graffiti artists spread the word of the “I” because the music was all about identity: I am the best.” The character mentions identity because he feels as though the music itself was helping guide those individuals in becoming who they truly are. Hip Hop shapes his identity because that type of music isn’t just music. It tells a story along with an interesting beat and often has a dance that goes with it. Hip Hop music was made for parties and entertainment but also told life stories of those who wrote them. The history behind Hip Hop is what makes it so strong. It told stories of slavery and the way things used to be.