| Political hip hop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Hip hop, protest songs |
| Cultural origins | 1980's |
| Derivative forms | Conscious hip hop |
| Other topics | |
| List of political hip hop artists | |
Contents |
Conscious hip hop or socially conscious hip-hop is a sub-genre of hip hop that focuses on social issues. Like many cases within music, the umbrella term was originally coined by music audiences and critics rather than the actual artists themselves. It is not necessarily overtly political, but it discusses social issues and conflicts. Themes of conscious hip hop include religion, aversion to violence, culture, the economy, or simple depictions the struggles of ordinary people. Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" was an early and hugely influential political and conscious hip hop track, decrying the poverty, violence, and dead-end lives of the black youth of the time.
The audience for conscious rap is largely underground.[1] Most conscious hip hop artists have not attained the same level of commercial success as mainstream hip-hop [2], though there are some notable exceptions to this such as KRS-One[3], Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Immortal Technique, J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, The Roots, Tupac Shakur, Nas, OutKast and Common. Political hip hop (also political rap) is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed in the 1980s. Inspired by 1970s political preachers such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, Public Enemy were the first political hip hop group.[4] Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released the first well-known sociopolitical rap song in 1982 called "The Message", which inspired numerous rappers to address social and political subjects.[5]
There are hundreds of artists whose music could be described as "political": see the List of political hip hop artists page for a partial list.
Explicitly political hip hop is related to but distinct from conscious hip hop because it refers to artists who have strong and overt political affiliations and agendas, as opposed to the more generalized social commentary typical of conscious hip hop. It can also be used to include political artists of all ideological stripes, whereas the term conscious hip hop generally implies a broadly leftist affiliation[6] or outlook.
Black nationalism was an ideology underlying the militant wing of the North American civil rights movement in the 1970s and early 1980s. It played a role in early political hip hop and continues to be a theme for many contemporary political hip hop artists. Prominent black nationalist artists include Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Brand Nubian, Sister Souljah and Big Daddy Kane.
Marxism has been an element of social movements worldwide and is seen in Hip Hop. Two overtly Marxist groups in the English language have been Marxman and The Coup. Both groups also incorporate Revolutionary Nationalism into their message, Irish Republicanism for Marxman and Black Nationalism for The Coup. Sun Rise Above is another, lesser known, Marxist artist. For these artists, class struggle and anti-imperialism are major recurring themes.. In Spain Los Chikos del Maiz from Valencia defende in their songs the Marxist ideology.
Anarchism is relevant in hip hop culture. Like Marxist hip hop, class struggle and anti-imperialism are major themes in anarchist hip hop music along with anti-parliamentarianism and a strong emphasis on intersectionality and the connections between different movements. The need for community-level grassroots organization and opposition to political hierarchy and illegitimate authority are also common themes. Unlike Marxist acts, several of which have been signed to major labels, anarchist artists have generally followed a DIY ethos which has led them to remain independent such as Sole (artist).
Prominent anarchist hip hop artists include: Emcee Lynx, Comrade Malone[7], Direct Raption[8] and Ko49[9].
Many other artists object to capitalism in general but prefer not to explicitly identify with either Marxism or Anarchism and instead advocate various other forms of socialism. Hip hop acts that describe their politics as "socialist" include Dead Prez, the Blue Scholars, and Sun Rise Above. Immortal Technique identifies himself as a socialist who promotes anti-imperialism, equality, peace and human rights. Looptroop Rockers is an anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist hip hop project from Sweden. Gatas Parlament is an anti-American, anti-capitalist hip hop project from Norway. The members of Gatas Parlament are also members of the revolutionary socialist party Rødt, and were members of Rød Ungdom in their youth. Askari X, a rapper hailing from Oakland, CA, has also expressed his loyalty to the African People Socialist Party (APSP). At Versaris, a hip-hop band from Catalonia, expresses both their adherence to both revolutionary socialism and catalonian independence.
Other political hip hop artists advocate a wide range of positions, and often disagree with one another. Zionist hip hop acts like Golan and Subliminal[10], and Palestinian nationalists like the Iron Sheik [11] have obvious fundamental disagreements about a wide range of issues, but both use hip hop music and culture as a vehicle to express themselves and spread their ideas. As hip hop becomes increasingly widespread, artists from many different countries and backgrounds are using it to express many different positions, among them political ones. The nature of hip hop (as with much music) as an opposing force to the establishment lends itself to such a use.[12]
Political rappers of Hispanic descent include Sick Jacken & Cynic, Strate Crooked, Olmeca, Browny Loco, Commandante, Tohil, Genocide, Big Will, Elegal, Tolteca, Immortal Technique, Kemo The Blaxican, Divary, MRK, and Zack de la Rocha.