The False Stereotypes of Hip Hop

This week we were each given a song to listen to and to analyze the lyrics. I was given “F the Police” by N.W.A. Before getting assigned the song I had only heard small parts of the song and didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics. I listened to the song twice before listening to it while reading the lyrics. The song was very unique, and I liked it because of its uniqueness.

The song started out with people talking like they were in a court room. Each person throughout the song explained their encounters to the judge and jury. Just that part alone made me think of how creative and smart artists are. That is one thing that I believe society does not see especially when it comes to hip hop. I feel like hip hop has such a bad stereotype to it that people think the rappers behind the song aren’t educated.

Another stereotype that hip hop have is that the lyrics are only about violence and sex. Anyone who takes the time to actually took up lyrics or the commentary to these songs would soon realize that this stereotype is also wrong. Hip hop has some of the most raw and relatable songs than the other genres. After listening to F, the Police, the topics that they brought up were very specific and can relate to people when the song came out, and now.

As a whole I believe that people do not understand how powerful music is. Music is one of those things that brings out a fire in certain people. Shy people become outgoing when singing or playing music. Music is universal and can spread messages faster than word of mouth. This ties in with the video we watched about Zach de la Roche and how he was able to find different organizations and bring them together for a march.

Hip Hop has grown throughout the years. While there aren’t as many rappers who rap for a purpose, there are still many who use their platform to speak up for what they believe in.