Tanning of America Reflection #05

From my own experiences, the phenomenon driving hip-hop culture has shifted significantly since the 80s and is now more mainstream than ever. Has much to do with the generation of white kids in the 80s that became so influenced and immersed in Hip Hop; those kids are now adults with their own kids, reflecting that culture back on their children.

I say this all from my own experience being exposed to hip hop and black culture my whole life. I thank my dad, and I think other kids my age/Gen-Z do the same.

Thanks to my father, who tells me stories of playing jacks at the corner store and basketball with MCs that led him into a realm of learning to breakdance and spinning on his head. Engrained in me the desire the flyest shoes and dress a certain way and listen to the same music he did (mainly because i also didn't have a choice). I know at least where i grew up, and the kids around me, we all were being taught a relatively similar thing about culture. And that was that Hip Hop was everything.

I feel that from a consumer standpoint, much has changed for two reasons. Social media/media in general, and the lack of understanding of why Hip Hop was a necessity. Masses of people consume some form of music or product derived from Hip Hop in one way or another. Yet so many people are so utterly unaware of where and why Hip Hop started, and how it massively impacted so many people. Uplifting whole communities. The roots of hip hop shouldn't be lost on consumers today, and I feel that, for the majority, they are. Not just for consumers but for artists themselves, too. People making music so quickly will attempt to place themselves in a genre with such ignorance that it's silly. All it takes is some time to learn a little, and artists can be making smarter decisions about how they present themselves, which would most likely reflect on consumers, leading them to the same space of being educated about what they are consuming and where it all started. Like, why AF-1s gained so much hype from 2018-2020? Or sneaker heads and why Jordans are so popular, and that the NBA actually banned the signature black and red shoes upon their initial release.

There is also a large split among people who are so underinformed about what they consume because of social media. Social media and technological advancements make it so easy for people to mindlessly consume. There is a lack of intent when watching and listening; it feels like nobody actually cares about anything. Then they are so quick to say they didn't like the album or the movie was bad, but like, did they even really watch or listen?

The Hip Hop phenomenon still stands and guides culture from so many aspects, but I'm not sure people are actually being impacted the same way because are people approaching music and culture for the same reasons our parents were?