Nearly 400 years after slavery in the United States (US) begun an African American, actually a man of half African and half American descent, has probably changed the United States forever.
During his election campaign, he promised hope and change. His words inspired millions all over the world, not only in the US. Just by campaigning Obama changed the world‘s views on the United States. Moreover, and this will form the thesis of this paper, Obama has changed Hip Hop as well.
With every step taken in African American history, considering being brought to America as the first and Obama being elected president the most recent one, African American music has changed. Until Obama appeared the changes have mostly been stylistically, afterwards it mostly changed content-wise.
The first chapter of this paper will deal with the first 300 years of African American music in the US and will present an overview of the developments in African American music that lead to Hip Hop as we know it. The second chapter will be about the first decade of Hip Hop, the 1970s. I will describe the circumstances that led to and accompanied the evolution of Hip Hop, with a special focus on Hip Hop‘s birthplace, New York City. Chapter three will deal with the rebellious and radical era of political rap in the 1980s, coined by rap groups such as Public Enemy and Boogy Down Productions.
In chapter four I will discuss the 1990s and its so-called political nihilism. Gangsta rap was and is generally seen as nihilistic and nonpolitical. But, having a closer look at it I will show that Gangsta rappers also reflected the political circumstances around them, and therefore following the traditions of African American music of the preceding decades to criticize those who vice versa criticized them. In addition, to the commercially successful gangsta rap, I will also discuss so-called conscious rap of the 1990s.
The years under the George W. Bush administration will be the topic of the fifth chapter. Bush‘s inner and foreign policies, 9/11 and the disaster of Hurricane Katrina led to a whole new focus of political rap.
The final chapter will deal with Obama and Hip Hop‘s reaction towards him as a person, as a political figure and his politics. Rap has let its skepticism behind, in order to publicly endorse and support a presidential candidate. Vice versa, Obama represents a new political style towards Hip Hop.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. HIP HOP AND RAP: CHILDREN OF THE 1970S
2.1 MEDIA BACKGROUND OF RAP
2.2 NEW YORK IN THE 1970S
2.3 HIP HOP AS A COUNTER REACTION TO THE CONDITIONS IN THE GHETTO
3. REBELLION IN RAP: THE 1980S
3.1 RADICAL POLITICAL IDEAS BEFORE RAP
3.2 RADICAL POLITICAL IDEAS IN RAP
4. GUNS, VIOLENCE, DRUGS AND JEWELRY: THE 1990S
4.1 GANGSTA RAP AND BLACK NATIONALIST IDEAS
4.2. CONSCIOUS RAP
5. POLITICAL RAP EQUALS POPULAR RAP: THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
5.1 9/11 – THE WAR ON TERRORISM
5.2 ELECTIONS 2004: VOTE OR DIE
5.3 KATRINA KLAP 2005
6 PEOPLE WHO LOVE HIP HOP LOVE OBAMA
6.1 OBAMA AND RACE
6.2 OBAMA AND RAP
7 CONCLUSION
Objectives and Research Themes
This thesis examines the evolution of American political rap music and its shifting relationship with the political establishment, specifically focusing on how the genre transitioned from a position of radical opposition to supporting Barack Obama. It explores how Hip Hop artists navigated the changing political landscape from the 1970s through the 2008 presidential election.
- The evolution of political themes in Hip Hop from the 1970s to the Obama era.
- The influence of Black Nationalist thought and icons like Malcolm X on rap culture.
- The impact of government policy, the War on Terrorism, and Hurricane Katrina on rap discourse.
- The analysis of rap artists' shifting skepticism towards the political system.
- The unique political endorsement of Barack Obama by the Hip Hop community.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Radical Political Ideas in Rap
Public Enemy (PE) is a rap group that consists of Chuck D., Flavor Flav, Professor Griff and their producers, the Bomb Squad. Their logo (Fig. 1, as shown on the right) shows a man in the crosshairs. Their logo and their name itself reflect a menacing philosophy. The logo stands for African American people in the line of fire of the American public, being harassed and considered a threat and enemy. PE was the group that brought Malcolm X to the minds of the Hip Hop youth and that became famous with it. Although most of their albums were released after 1990, they rather continued to reflect the 1980s state of mind of the black community. However, considering the fact that they started their revolution in Hip Hop in the 1980s I will solely refer to PE in this chapter about the time until 1990.
Although Afrika Bambaata, founder of the NOI-related (Ogbar 2007 17) but unidiomatic Zulu Nation, featured a speech of Malcolm X on a break beat as early as in the 1970s (Scharenberg 410), Malcolm X was not commonly used in rap music until PE appeared. Despite the support of rappers for Harold Washington’s mayoral campaign in Chicago in 1982 and also for Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns in 1982 and 1986, institutional politics could not be embedded into rap and Hip Hop. That short and unsuccessful episode of ideas of integration, since Jesse Jackson was a follower of MLK, was promptly overcome by PE's angry and aggressive sound and their radical political statements in 1987.
PE clearly refers to a history of radical African American movements. The band is partly structured similarly to the Black Panther Party (BPP). They call themselves ministers as the BPP members did. Additionally they have their own security organization comparable to the Fruit of Islam (FOI), a sub organization of the NOI, the Security of the 1st World (S1W). Chuck D. even was a member of the NOI and still mingles with them (Scharenberg 416).
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the thesis that rap music has changed content-wise since the election of Barack Obama, shifting from a tradition of political disaffection to active support.
2. HIP HOP AND RAP: CHILDREN OF THE 1970S: Explores the roots of Hip Hop in the South Bronx as a counter-reaction to systemic marginalization and the economic crises of the 1970s.
3. REBELLION IN RAP: THE 1980S: Examines how rap in the 1980s adopted radical political ideas, prominently featuring references to Malcolm X and Black Nationalism.
4. GUNS, VIOLENCE, DRUGS AND JEWELRY: THE 1990S: Discusses the emergence of Gangsta rap and the parallel rise of conscious rap, analyzing their respective roles in reflecting ghetto realities and political nihilism.
5. POLITICAL RAP EQUALS POPULAR RAP: THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION: Analyzes how the Bush administration’s policies and the response to Hurricane Katrina galvanized a new generation of rappers to adopt political commentary.
6 PEOPLE WHO LOVE HIP HOP LOVE OBAMA: Investigates the specific cultural and political crossover between Hip Hop artists and the 2008 Obama campaign.
7 CONCLUSION: Summarizes the transformation of Hip Hop's political stance, concluding that while historically rooted in opposition, the movement found hope and a sense of belonging through Obama’s candidacy.
Keywords
Hip Hop, Political Rap, Barack Obama, Malcolm X, Black Nationalism, Gangsta Rap, Conscious Rap, George W. Bush, Hurricane Katrina, Civil Rights, Social Justice, Resistance, African American Culture, Political Identity, Systemic Oppression.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The work focuses on the intersection of American political history and the development of Hip Hop music, specifically analyzing how rap artists have responded to presidential administrations and political movements.
What are the central themes of the work?
Key themes include the impact of socio-economic conditions in the ghetto, the influence of Black Nationalist rhetoric, the role of political critique in music, and the shifting relationship between Hip Hop and the American political establishment.
What is the core research question?
The research asks how American political rap has evolved and whether the election of Barack Obama represented a fundamental change in the relationship between Hip Hop and national politics.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The study employs a cultural and media studies approach, analyzing rap lyrics, artist statements, and their interaction with the historical and political context of their time.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
It covers decades of Hip Hop evolution: the 1970s origins, the radical 1980s, the complex 1990s with Gangsta and conscious rap, the politicization during the Bush years, and finally the Obama era.
What keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Hip Hop, Political Rap, Obama, Black Nationalism, Malcolm X, Systemic Oppression, and Social Justice.
How does the author interpret the impact of the Bush administration on rap?
The author argues that the Bush administration’s policies and the disaster of Hurricane Katrina served as major catalysts that motivated even previously non-political rappers to take a critical stance against the government.
What is the significance of the "Stagolee" myth in this context?
The "Stagolee" myth is used to explain the image of the "bad" black male who stands up against the system, a trope that the author argues influenced the authenticity of Gangsta rappers like Ice-T.
How did Hip Hop artists view Barack Obama?
The community viewed him with a mix of optimism and critical scrutiny, seeing him as a symbol of progress and the American Dream while also questioning whether a politician can truly satisfy the radical needs of the Hip Hop generation.
Why are Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions cited as legends?
They are considered legends because they pioneered the integration of radical political education into Hip Hop and established Malcolm X as a defining icon for the culture.
- Quote paper
- Eike Rüdebusch (Author), 2010, "No More White Lies, My President is Black". Has American Political Rap Changed with Obama?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/150586
