Hiphip: Behind the Lyrics

When I think about Kanye West, images of his “Good Life”, fame, drugs, flashy clothing, cars and houses come to mind. Stereotypes such as these depict hiphop as provocative and shallow. When hiphop is examined closely, however, listeners realize there is more to the music than being ‘gangsta.’ When the material facades are stripped away and the context of the lyrics is understood, listeners find that hiphop has depth. Hiphop studies is a new field that works to uncover the meaning behind the music, enabling listeners to dive into the lyrics of their favorite artists. Lyrics often contain themes of family, materialism, racism, and respect. By employing these themes into their lyrics, hiphop artists communicate important messages to their audiences.

Hiphop artists are far more intellectual than perceived. Their lyrics express protest against modern institutions. West, for example, raps about discrimination he faces at Sam’s Club in his song “Never Let Me Down.” His lyrics directly point out flaws in modern society; whites continue to discriminate against blacks. Hiphop is an accessible route for musicians to expose racism in our society. Similar to West, many other artists rap about the inequalities faced by blacks. Hiphop lyrics are an effective way of exposing social issues, and artists use them to create awareness of the existing social relations between blacks and whites. Lyrics make these issues heard and understood by a large audience. Hiphop proves itself to be a credible mechanism for social protest and a voice for change in the future.