![]() Kendrick Lamar: How Much A Dollar Cost ( To Pimp A Butterfly, 2015)Īs one of the leaders of the new generation of conscious hip-hop MCs, it’s only right that Kendrick Lamar delivers a story that is multi-layered and ripe with metaphors and double meanings. With a minimalist beat and a hook that samples Slick Rick’s “ Children’s Story,” “Cops Shot The Kid” has a throwback feel musically, but lyrically it’s more timely than ever. Produced by and featuring Kanye West, “Cops Shot The Kid” shows Nasaddressing police abuse dating back to Emmett Till. Queensbridge’s favorite son speaks about one of the most talked-about issues currently plaguing US society – police brutality. With an assist from Nipsey Hussle, “FDT” is a throwback to a time when socially conscious hip-hop was fearless and spoke boldly to authority.Ĭlick to load video Nas: Cops Shot The Kid ( Nasir, 2018) YG calls out about Trump’s views and comments on minority groups, and how his possible presidency makes him appreciate ex-President Barack Obama. Released before Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States, “FDT” speaks about the perceived dangers of the then-candidate. YG (feat Nipsey Hussle): FDT ( Still Brazy, 2016) ![]() While you’re reading, listen to our Consicous Hip hop playlist here. ![]() Together they’ve created a new face of conscious hip-hop, one adequately suited to continue fighting for racial equality, justice, and freedom for all. Chicago’s Lupe Fiasco is one such artist, as is Killer Mike from Atlanta and Harlem-bred Immortal Technique. Though conscious hip-hop crested in the early 2000s, there were still a number of artists who continued to honor that vision into the 2010s and still espouse these ideals. There was Common in Chicago, Mos Def, Talib Kweli (and their work together as Black Star), Dead Prez, and KRS-One in New York, and The Coup and 2Pac out in Cali. The 90s were chock full of an expanded vision of what conscious hip-hop could be, and artists across the country were aligned in this vision. Inspired by groups like The Watts Prophets and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, De La Soul were among the biggest acts in the late 80s, leading independent labels and mainstream major labels alike to focus on the style. Hip-hop artists across the country began galvanizing around political music that blended political hip-hop with funk, ideas of socialism, and the dawn of a new era. were blending gangsta rap ideals with a profound conviction in their mission of showing how all rap songs could be conscious hip-hop songs when focused on Black unity. While they were doing their thing in New York City in the 1980s, across the country in Compton, N.W.A. ![]() The subgenre of hip-hop was inspired by a number of powerful figures and events of the 1960s and 1970s, like the Selma march, a general sense of Black pride and Black power, social change, and artists keyed in on political awareness like The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron.Ĭonscious hip-hop as a music genre can be traced back to Public Enemy, the group that galvanized African-Americans across the country with their political rap and focus on oppression, social issues, poverty, and community pride. Conscious rap is unique within the history of hip-hop because it’s less affiliated with a city or scene than a philosophy, a set of ideals, and a way of viewing rap importance.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |