AMERICAN MUSIC AND POLITICS PAPER on rapper Jay-Z Research

AMERICAN MUSIC AND POLITICS on rapper Jay-Z - Research Paper Example From the beginning of genres such as jazz, gospel, soul, blues, up to the era of hip-hop and rap, it is noticeable how most of the well-known music that are the products of black culture are deeply-rooted in the ideals of spiritual, intellectual, cultural and aesthetics (Banfield 4). The need for reinvention as well as an innovation of artistic expression within the Black culture bore youth art forms such as rap and hip-hop out of necessity (Banfield 38). Also, by reading between the lines of songs from these genres, how the artists interpret the society can be seen through their eyes (Banfield 5).Within the past two decades of society, the rise of hip-hop, modern rhythm and blues or just R&B, as well as rap became the updated means of expressing their anguish and sufferings, even though they have considerable freedom compared to previous generations. The selling point of genres such as hip-hop and R&B were their availability in the streets, their independence from most large music labels, as well as the fact that their core is the embodiment of the nation’s historic racial struggles (Watkins 4). Another is that aside from the music, other art forms such as break-dancing and graffiti art became synonymous with it in promoting the modern Black culture (Harris and Terborg-Penn 188). Fueled by the disruption of neighborhoods such as the black community in the Bronx, most of the messages of the disruption of peace and the corruption of culture were expressed into an art form of vernacular and activism-like protest (Banfield 43). Thus it is noticeable why most well-known hip-hop and rap are not only explicit but also emotional. Also, there is an objectification of human experiences, struggle, reason, inquiry and expression in contemporary form that makes hip-hop a valuable and extremely relevant part of the African-American cul ture in the suburbs (Banfield 45). At the start of the