Hip-Hop — The Under-Language
First, let me tell you that I live and breathe Hip-Hop. But oftentimes, telling someone that you live and breathe something is not enough to make them a believer of your true intentions or desires. So let me just say this. If hip-hop was sugar, I’d be a diabetic. Better yet, if hip-hop was an ant, my home would be an ant farm. Catch my drift? Hear me now? Good good!
Traveling through life, I've come across many Hip-Hop artists that speak in many different tongues so to speak. And by tongues, I mean that they convey their idea or messages in different forms or fashions (literally). An under-language of slang if you will. I see Hip-Hop as if it’s a carefully crafted wardrobe that covers the body. And by body, I’m simply referencing the idea or message being communicated through well-crafted rhymes/words. Hip-hop artists have different styles that fit different messages. For example. The rapper Fabolous might spit a rhyme with an excited hop in his tone. This upbeatness signifies being happy or excited. That same rapper can spit a verse with a deeper more laid back tone that might be an indication of anger, disappointment, or sadness. This can be tricky because it also depends on what region of the world the hip-hop artist was raised or resides. Moreover, a darker tone might be signification that the artist is chastising through his melodies.
The tricky part can be tricky lol. This is because if the listener is not familiar with the subculture of which the hip-hop artist relates to in hip-hop, the message can be lost in translation. For example, the rapper Jadakiss is one of, if not the best lyrical NewYork hip-hop artists of all time. If not the planet. However, Jadakiss is from NY. It is said that many people perceive NewYorkers to be arrogant. While this may be wholeheartedly true, it would be a sin to ignore the implications or effects that this kind of verbal disposition may have on a particular hip-hop subgenre. Arrogance is one of the many powerful dispositions included in the plethora of influential tones of hip-hop. However, arrogance is most often flaunted greatly by NYC rappers. The reason being that NYC has proven to harbor the most expensive urban cost of living in America. I’m not saying NYC is the most expensive. I’m saying that NYC is the most expensive in comparison to other areas that are in or around the same cost of living criteria.
So how does the American cost of living affect the tone of hip-hop artists you ask? The answer is simple. Rappers that were raised in turbulent neighborhoods were forced to endure a more socially difficult upbringing. This reality, while being unfortunate, assists in the creation of a well rounded and aware individual.
To be continued…
