Hip Hop: Is it Still an Artform or Has it Become Garbage Music?

Is Hip Hop still looked at as an art form or just trash music? Is Hip Hop the voice of the streets or a playground for the idle minds of black youth? Should we expect people to be role models when companies are investing millions of dollars in them to do whatever to sell a record? Hip Hop music has come under fire these days from politicians, activists and the black community in general. Even Oprah Winfrey has voiced her opinion about the over the top lyrics and videos.

Hip Hop was born in Bronx, New York somewhere in the early 1970's. It all started with Dj Kool Herc, taking break beats, parts of popular songs that only had exclusive percussion and loop it over and over. Rappers came along later, speaking over the beats to promote the disc jockey or local parties. Battling came along even later, in which rappers talk about their lyrical prowess on the microphone. Hip Hop started out as just a way to party and have fun until Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five produced "The Message", the first rap song about the harshness of the ghetto.

As time pressed on, a sub-culture was developed, encompassing break dancing, spinning records, graffiti, and rapping. Honestly, people outside the black community never thought the culture would last. They thought it was a fad of the day. Record companies began to take interest and made Hip Hop the force it is today. But now we come to the real problem: Has the corporate world in an attempt to make money changed the face of Hip Hop into hedonistic playground it is today?

We all know the conscious rap doesn't sell as much as party music. We all know that 50 Cent has a strong female fan base by stay in shape and taking off his shirt. We all have heard that the record industry isn't selling as many records as back in the 80's and 90's. We see the videos that show scantily clad women in bathing suits and revealing clothing. I think rap artists have compromised a lot of their ideas for the age old truth: sex sells. If a man has been in poverty all of his life and some says if you do this, you will be rich, who would turn that down? I'm a fan of Hip Hop and I never heard of anybody getting into the business soley to be a role model. It is definitely a business.

I looked and found that the porn industry brings in about 8 to 10 billion dollars a year. I guess sex sells very big in America.