The Gospel of Rap
How Hip-Hop Flourished in America
In his recent essay “When the People Cheer: How Hip-Hop Failed Black America,” Questlove, famed drummer of The Roots, declares that “hip-hop has taken over black music.” But hip-hop has taken over not only black music; it has also fundamentally taken over mainstream American music.
The Tanning of America
“Rap is the new rock ’n’ roll. We the new rock stars,” Kanye West declared proudly in his infamous interview with Zane Lowe of BBC. Though it’s difficult to take something so brazen without a grain of salt, Kanye is ultimately right. Indeed, hip-hop has swept the nation and become one of the most prominent contemporary influences on American culture. But hip-hop has not always been so popularly accepted, particularly in mainstream music.
The New Voice of Hip Hop
Only a handful of rappers can call themselves the king of both New York and the West Coast, but few questioned Kendrick Lamar when he asserted his cross-continental reign in his standout verse on “Control.” Lamar’s incredible success is understandable based on his unusually deeply personal lyrics and his understated beats. But in spite of these undeniable strengths, Lamar’s fame is particularly surprising given his characteristically unique and unconventional rapping voice. Of course, every famous rapper—and every vocal artist, for that matter—has his or her own unique voice. However, the recent widespread embrace of Lamar and his different vocal sounds and tones—those that may be off-putting at first—represents and illustrates the greater movement in hip-hop towards artists with slightly bizarre and unusual voices, and an even greater social movement that hip hop is advancing.
Jay-Z: Sell Out. Beyoncé: Sold Out.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are having a pretty spectacular year. Dropping her self-titled fifth album seemingly out of nowhere, Beyoncé attempted—and likely succeeded—to revolutionize the pop music industry. More importantly, she inspired several Housing Day videos, including Winthrop’s incredible “Love on Throp” and Kirkland’s slightly less astounding, though certainly interesting in its own regard, “Flawless.”
I'mma Let You Finish
“Everybody always says, 'Be humble. Be humble.' When the last time somebody told you to be great, be amazing, be awesome? Be awesome!" —Kanye West