A good example showing this is B.O.B.'s "The Kids". It talks about how he grew up and how hip hop is associated with all the kids still in his hometown. He makes sure to mention that the kids are black and reps his race and identity. He mentions how the kids are held back due to race and because he broke out of the poverty, he needs to help them.
Wiz Khalfia is yet another example of how artists in the hip hop genre rep their race. In a lot of his songs especially "Thuggin" and "Nothin' Like The Rest" he talks about his normal day. He talks about the money did not change his culture only improved it. He talks about smoking and drinking with n* all the time. He mentions that word many times in most of his songs which shows ho he deciders to rep his race.
On the flip side, a good example Eminem is a great example of a rapper that does not rep his race. He makes sure to rep his identity and associate it with where and how he grew up, but he does mention being white all that often. He prefers to stay away from that aspect of the hip hop culture. I find it particularly interesting that he is such a big name in hip hop and is white.
I do associate hip hop with black culture, which I know is not always true. Artists in the hip hop industry make sure to acknowledge their race and identity in a lot of their songs. It is apart of the hip hop culture and most rappers love to rep it.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I agree with you that hip hop is a predominately Black industry and part of Black culture. I think race and identity play a large role in the successfulness of many hip hop artists. With being from "the hood" or being Black, many artists cannot be successful in hip hop.
ReplyDeleteGood post. B.O.B is one of my favorite rappers and "The Kids" was my favorite songs on that album to be honest. I like how ever rapper used had a different flow in your post. I feel that it is apart of black culture and thus predominately influenced by such factors.
ReplyDeleteGood post. It was short and to the point. All of the rappers you mentioned are great examples to support what they are rep-ing. It gave me a better perspective of where these rappers are coming from. I have never been a huge fan of B.O.B but this blog really brought some insight.
ReplyDeleteGood post. I think that previously in hip hop culture, race and street cred were required factors for success, but in the current culture this changing due to the success of rappers like Macklemore and Childish Gambino, who come from a more privileged upbringing.
ReplyDeleteThis post was interesting, I like that you pointed out about Eminem not reppin his race but rather his identity. Like most rappers today i don't like to think of their music as trying to promote they're race rather than themselves and their identity; but it is prevalent in some artists songs regardless. I can see Chief Keef being one of those artists because his style of rap is very matter of fact and "F**k you, i'm the shit" like. Chief Keef is very boastful in his word choice where as Eminem is more about rapping to his past and where he comes from. That was an important distinction to make.
ReplyDeleteI agree that rap music does most often associate with race. But not majority blacks. Rap music especially today has got i believe just as many whites making rap music. Back when it originated in the Brox yes I believe it was dominated by blacks. But in today music there are so many white rapper that are making it big. A they can appeal to a crowd just like the older black rapper could. There connection is where they can from, low class homes and areas. Thats what connects them, not just having to be black.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree, artists do love to flaunt and rep where they came from especially after they made it into the hip hop game. I feel like they want to be somewhat of leaders in their hood to show them that they can get out of the hood, be successful, and show them that there is more to life than what they know at the time.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, there's always artists who come from good backgrounds and families which makes that much more of a diverse art.
Rap artists have definitely been repping where they come from and how they identify themselves since the early stages of hip hop. I also agree that the genre is constantly changing as well as the audience it caters to. People today who listen to this genre now vary in race and age, leading to the greater amount of listeners making hip hop more mainstream.
ReplyDeleteI loved the point that you brought up that white rappers do not usually bring up the fact that they are white. Black rappers are a lot more casual with bringing up their race or the race of their lady friends. You dont often see white rappers bragging about the race of the girls they get. Repping home is something a lot of artists do. Painters to poets create pieces that are identifiable to their home land. Artists, and people in general, tend to be sentimental to their roots.
ReplyDeleteTopics are varied due to a person race, culture, and location. They know certain things so that is what they will rap about. We talk about what we know. It is important in this genre because it is a kind of outlet for people who grew up in certain situations. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI liked your post and I think that many artist talk about their race, identity and location in their songs. I think that when artist do this it adds to their personality and this makes their songs more interesting.I also think that when artist like Eminem or Wiz Khalifa make songs about these topics they become more relatable to their audience.
ReplyDeleteReally good post! I agree that rappers often brag about their race and identity, and I loved how you juxtaposed Eminem with the other rappers. Eminem has talked about being white in probably a handful of songs, if that (White America is the one that sticks out for me). Yet, other rappers talk about race in a majority of their songs. Its not a bad thing, because they are talking about their struggle and just "keeping it real". Not only that, but I believe that they are reiterating the fact that Hip-Hop is a black artform, and their proud of it. Hip-Hop is one of the only ways that those in the projects, and in poverty feel empowered to tell their story and they use that medium to their advantage. They showcase their bling, their bitches and the money to show their own "Cinderella" story. They also know that people, primarily teenagers, look up to them and are living the same lives they were, so rapping about their hood, their race and their culture makes them more relatable and more relevant to their audience.
ReplyDeleteI thought you had some great of examples of different rappers repping their race. Chief Keef is definitely straight forward about how he lives and has lived his life. I don't think that it is that shocking that Eminem is a big name in the industry because he just has so much talent. I think as long as someone has talent, they will be able to succeed in the industry.
ReplyDeleteYou had an interesting opinion and take to your blog. However, I would have to disagree when it comes to Chief Keef. There are many different aspects and supgenres in hip-hop and I doubt that Chief Keef believes he represents all of black culture, but rather gangster culture. In Chief Keef's songs, he doesn't talk about black culture as a whole, but rather his thug lifestyle. To say that Chief Keef is representing black culture as a whole because of the violent lifestyle he chooses to live is insulting to the rest of hip hop and the African American race as a whole. I did like how you mentioned Eminem repping his identity instead of race, as he does mention him being white in some songs but does not use it as a crutch.
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ReplyDeleteIdk if I agree completely with the post. You can't really conclude that a rapper is repping their race just because they are talking about jail, living in the ghetto, or saying the n word. That may be associated with the black race but it doesn't just represent the black race. Rappers who mentions such things in their songs doesn't mean their repping being black or white, it's just them speaking about what goes on with them specifically and their life.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree and think that while some rappers rep where they are from geographically, others definitely rep their race or identity like Eminem
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