How the voice of black America was born

In physics, there is a concept known as Hooke’s Law. It states that when a body is deformed, a force arises that seeks to restore its original size and shape. This is known as the force of elasticity. So if you tightly compress, for instance, a metal spring for some time, then the moment the pressure is released, it will rapidly uncoil. Physics may not hold the title of ‘queen of sciences’ as math does, but its analogies can easily be extrapolated to social and societal processes. If we draw parallels with history in this vein, we see that years of oppression, discrimination, and humiliation of a people, social group, or community lead to wars, uprisings, rebellions, and revolutions.

The reverse side of this process is the concept of ‘genetic memory,’ where new generations of a people are born with a certain set of ‘patterns’ and life principles. Then we hear, ‘that’s the way it’s been for centuries,’ or ‘it’s tradition,’ ‘our fathers and grandfathers lived this way.’ The vivid example of winding such a historical coil is the fate of the African population in North America, which experienced slavery, racism, segregation, and apartheid. A history that started in the distant seventeenth century, formally concluded in the 1960s, yet continues to surface in contemporary discussions. We will leave the further exploration of all the intricacies of this extensive topic to the world’s leading historians and sociologists, touching only on a few episodes to try and understand how this era influenced the birth of hip-hop culture and how it became the voice of oppressed ancestors.

From the first slaves to Martin Luther King’s dream

In 1619, the first African residents were brought to Virginia, and by 1860, their numbers had risen to four million. The labor of black people was widely used in plantation farming, allowing American slave owners to gain high profits. The national wealth of the USA from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century was largely due to the exploitation of African slave labor. In 1865, thanks to Abraham Lincoln, the famous 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery, was adopted. This period is addressed in Tarantino‘s film ‘Django Unchained.’ Modern rap artists periodically turn to the theme of centuries of slavery. When talking about their roots, current American hip-hop artists often refer to this historical period, identifying with a once-oppressed people. Three centuries later, Drake‘s line would be rephrased to ‘started picking cotton now we here.’

The beginning of the twentieth century did not bring the expected rights and freedoms to the black population of America either. Segregation and white supremacy were still flourishing in most US states. African Americans were not allowed to participate in elections, they couldn’t study in schools and universities alongside whites, they occupied designated seats in public transport, only worked in low-skilled jobs, and so on. Problems also affected everyday social infrastructure. Many stores, restaurants, and hotels refused to serve black people. Racial confrontation constantly grew, and sooner or later, such a state of affairs had to change. In the 1960s, Martin Luther King, the most famous advocate for the rights of black Americans, became prominent in the US public arena.

Thanks to his public activities, significant changes were achieved in the fate of the black residents of the US, particularly the adoption by Congress of laws such as the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Fair Housing Act. For his important contribution to the democratization of American society, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. His assassination on April 4, 1968, led to a wave of unrest across the country. Two dozen people died, several thousand were injured in street clashes with the police and the army, and tens of thousands were arrested. King‘s most important speech was ‘I Have a Dream.’ In it, the preacher spoke about how, one day, the black population of America would have equal rights with the rest of the country’s population. This speech about freedom and justice is one of the brightest in the history of oratory. The legacy of King‘s activities has been and continues to be returned to by the vast majority of all American rap artists.

The Pruitt-Igoe Commune in St. Louis

One of the most interesting episodes in the black-white encyclopedia of the US is the famous experiment in the state of Missouri. Authorities decided to try joint housing for the underprivileged residents of St. Louis, where whites and African Americans were supposed to live side by side. The architect of the residential complex of thirty-three 11-story buildings was Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the World Trade Center in New York, destroyed on September 11, 2001. With the legislative abolition of segregation, the complex initially had a mixed resident composition, but within two years, most white tenants moved elsewhere, leaving predominantly low-income black residents in the complex. By the mid-1960s, the neighborhood clearly resembled a ghetto. The police increasingly refused to respond to calls in this area.

Widespread non-payment of bills led to a sewer break in one of the complex’s buildings. In 1970, city authorities declared the neighborhood a disaster area. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to improve the crime situation in Pruitt-Igoe, on March 16, 1972, the first building was blown up by government decision, and within two years, all others. The area was completely cleared in 1976. The failed commune experiment showed that then-American society was not ready for good neighborly relations with people of different skin colors. The history with the complex served further division of all residential neighborhoods in America into black and white. A few years later, stories from black ghettos would become known worldwide thanks to the birth of hip-hop.

The Message of Hip-Hop

The 60s and 70s were marked by a huge number of riots and mass unrest in the US. In 1962, there was an incident at the University of Mississippi when black student James Meredith wanted to defend his constitutional right to education. Accompanied by several hundred police officers and military personnel, he headed to the university to enter it. However, this attempt provoked mass resentment among white citizens and attacks on African Americans. President Kennedy was forced to impose martial law in the state by sending 30,000 troops to restore order. The riots lasted almost 14 hours. As a result of the unrest in Mississippi, two people died, 375 were injured.

In 1965, massive riots involving black people occurred in the suburb of Los Angeles, Watts, in 1967 in Detroit, in 1973 at the Pine Ridge reservation, and so on. This cauldron kept boiling, and it seemed that the colored population of America could not be pacified. However, in the early 70s, it gifted the world hip-hop. Besides fighting with the law and police, African Americans knew how to entertain and party. In attempts to diversify their performances, the first DJs started to experiment and mix music genres, simultaneously attracting ‘masters of ceremonies,’ who later became simply MCs. One of the first songs in the history of hip-hop that became the voice of black America was ‘The Message‘ by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. In 1982, they took rap music ‘out of the underground,’ effectively elevating its status from purely entertaining to a genre of social protest. It was then that rappers realized the powerful weapon they had.

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

The wave of growing hip-hop protest led to the emergence of a group like Public Enemy. The New York collective began broadcasting to the American public politically charged lyrics, media criticism, and problems of the African American community. They conveyed their life truth in the form of unmasked aggression and mockery. Their signature song is ‘Fight the Power,’ first featured in Spike Lee‘s film ‘Do the Right Thing.’ In 1998, following the release of the controversial album, ‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,‘ the group became the most progressive hip-hop phenomenon of the time. Public Enemy urged listeners to take an active life stance. For many hip-hop experts, the revolutionaries remain the quintessential rap group. The social protest strain introduced by Public Enemy became a hallmark of the genre in the 90s.

Shortly after Public Enemy, another New York group emerged at the forefront of the 80s hip-hop scene – Run-DMC. The then-young black guys had a huge impact on the sound and style of modern hip-hop. Run-DMC did not slavishly follow the protest theme of their older colleagues from Public Enemy but focused on promoting hip-hop ideas to the masses. And they succeeded. They were the first rappers to be heard by the MTV audience, and their singles began to hit the pop charts. Run-DMC is also associated with another important milestone in hip-hop history. They were the first to record full-length albums, not limiting themselves to just singles. The group’s debut release was the first ‘golden’ record in hip-hop history. In their songs, they often used rock samples, significantly ‘weighting’ the hip-hop sound, which, in turn, paved the way for the emergence of one of the most rebellious collectives in music history – the rapcore band Rage Against the Machine.

The west did not lag behind its eastern counterparts and joined the protest movement just as swiftly. Alongside NWA, one of the staunchest hip-hop rebels was Ice-T. Born in New Jersey, he went to school already in Los Angeles after his parents passed away. In the ‘mecca’ of gangsta rap, Ice-T fully immersed himself in the life of street gangs and confrontations with law enforcement agencies. Unsurprisingly, Ice was shot at twice, and once nearly killed while participating in an armed robbery. The newly minted gangsta rapper focused his work on confronting the system as represented by the police. His song ‘Cop Killer,’ which tells the story of killing a law enforcement officer, sparked outrage from the police and severed ties with major Warner Music. Ice-T‘s debut album was the first rap record to feature the ‘Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics‘ warning logo on the cover. Like the fabulous five from Compton, Ice-T infused hip-hop with hatred for cops, referred to in rap slang as ‘5.0.’ This cryptic reference to police arose from the name of the TV series ‘Hawaii Five-O,’ aired on American television from 1968 to 1980.

As the new musical genre was claiming more space and interest among Americans, media resource managers began to take a closer look at hip-hop. By the mid-80s, it was clear that street art would soon captivate the minds of millions. Resistance became futile and senseless. MTV executives decided to create a two-hour program, ‘Yo! MTV Raps,’ which featured music videos, live performances, and rapper interviews. Over the program’s run from 1986 to 1995, nearly every significant hip-hop artist became its hero. For instance, Naughty By Nature‘s hit ‘O.P.P‘ was changed for one of the episodes to say, ‘You down with MTV? Yeah, you know me!’ Gang Starr, Pete Rock, MC Hammer, De La Soul, Rakim, KRS-One, and many, many other rappers became widely known largely thanks to the show. Ice Cube mentions ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ in his legendary track ‘Today Was a Good Day.’ Thus, the young street culture gained another powerful tool for its further expansion.

Hip-Hop as a Form of Rebellion

After the formal abolition of racist laws in the 60s, the emergence of hip-hop in the 70s, and its commercialization in the 80s, it became clear that the social spring, compressed over several centuries, was rapidly uncoiling. The ‘genetic memory’ of the black population begins to work in reverse. People of color are venting all the anger accumulated over centuries not only on the white imperialists represented by the government and the elite but also on the everyday American middle class. A concept known as ‘black racism’ blooms, akin to white racism but in reverse. A sort of defensive reaction to centuries of black oppression. It will reveal itself in full splendor somewhat later, closer to our present day. Hip-hop made it clear to the entire global population and particularly to Americans that the black population was not only aggressive but also talented.

Overdressing

‘Too fancy.’ This is how the fashion for flashy, inappropriate, and boastful outfits worn by New York residents in the 1940s can be translated. Poor workers spent their last savings on looking like wealthy white Americans. They wore tailcoats, coats, top hats, and even carried canes. Despite most of them barely making ends meet, everything looked first class. Overdressing was very popular among the black population not only in the early twentieth century but also became widespread in hip-hop culture. Practically from the genre’s inception and throughout the 80s, overdressing was the main style for any rapper. Flava Flav went furthest, a true king of transformations. The famous house clocks he wore on his neck, huge hats and Viking helmets, white blazers and pajamas, as well as bizarre glasses, made him one of the most memorable characters in rap.

The year 1992 was marked by another mass riot by the black population in the US. From April 29 to May 4, 1992, the so-called ‘Los Angeles riots‘ occurred. As a result of the unrest, 53 people died, and the damage amounted to $1 billion. The riots began on the day of the acquittal of four white police officers who had beaten Rodney King, a black man. Thousands of black Americans took to the streets of Los Angeles, staging demonstrations that escalated into riots and looting involving gangs like the Crips and Bloods, along with many other criminal groups. The riot was attributed to mass unemployment in South Central and the police’s biased attitude towards black citizens. Over five and a half thousand buildings burned down during the uprising. Several government facilities were stormed and flights from Los Angeles airport were canceled due to the city being shrouded in thick smoke. 400 people tried to storm the police headquarters.

The Game‘s album ‘1992’ is dedicated to the events of that year. The Game mentions Rodney King and the subsequent chain of mass riots in the release. Moreover, the album cover reflects not only this incident but also the famous murderer of his wife, O.J. Simpson, as well as The Game‘s choice between the Crips and Bloods. The cover was designed by Joe Cool, who in 1993 came up with the design for Snoop Dogg‘s debut ‘Doggystyle.’ In 2011, as the first single from the ‘The R.E.D Album,’ The Game chose the track ‘Red Nation,’ which was banned from airing on American television due to promoting radicalism and anarchy. The album, as is traditionally the case for The Game‘s rhetoric, contained many references to police brutality against blacks and the confrontations between gangs. For example, the track ‘Ricky‘ was accompanied by a scene of the murder of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character from the cult film ‘Boyz In Da Hood,‘ which tells the story of life in the slums of Los Angeles.

The Ghetto Nation or Housing Issue

America to this day continues to be a country with a high degree of classification of urban areas into black and white, significantly differing in quality of life. Modern African American ghettos are characterized by a population of only one ethnic group, widespread crime, social problems, and political disenfranchisement. Although the term ‘ghetto’ is primarily used to denote poor neighborhoods or racially homogeneous urban areas, not all homes in black ghettos are decrepit or cheap. Also, not all residents of these areas live below the poverty line and suffer from destitution. For many African Americans, ghetto means ‘home,’ ‘roots,’ a place where the culture of America’s black population originated.

The issue of survival in the ghetto remains a cornerstone theme for a vast swath of rap music. Every hip-hop artist has a multitude of tracks about life in urban slums, drug dealing, violence, the murder of close friends and family members, and clashes with the police. Black neighborhoods are also referred to with the word ‘project.’ Only artists who come out of the ghetto have real street credibility. Those who have a different background or, with the arrival of money and fame, do not visit their area, lose respect, at least from those who remain there. For this reason, 50 Cent has faced much criticism throughout his career, often mentioning in his tracks how his childhood friends left in Queens envy him and reproach him for his indifferent attitude to his roots and representatives of the population layer he once emerged from.

Rap and Politics

In 2004, Eminem released the album ‘Encore,’ where he made the most politically charged jab at then-President Bush Jr. The protest ‘anti-Bush’ video recounted the accumulated problems of the USA during the years of not the most successful leader of the American nation. Eminem expressed his dissatisfaction with increased taxes and the war in Iraq. He suggested that Bush take up arms and fight his own war himself. The video also showed a soldier returning from Iraq, his wife with an eviction notice, as well as police harassment of black people. Simultaneously, the clip mentioned the events of September 11, 2001. The terrorist attack at the World Trade Center became one of the most unsuccessful episodes for Bush as President. The video ends with the rapper saying: ‘If I get killed today, you’ll know why.’ Jay-Z also voiced his dissatisfaction with Bush in the 2008 track ‘Blue Magic,’ using his surname as a term for female genitalia.

After the much-criticized Bush Jr. presidency, which Eminem criticized, a new leader of the nation was to become the first black president in the history of the world hegemon. ‘We ain’t ready to have a black president,’ Tupac once said in the track ‘Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto.’ Of course, no one could have expected that a little over ten years later, these words would become a reality. Young Jeezy‘s album ‘Recession,’ released just before the elections in September 2008, was more prophetic and included the track ‘My President Is Black‘ featuring Nas, proclaiming Barack Obama as the state’s head in advance. His subsequent election as the US President was not only a civilizational revolution for the entire world but also simultaneously elevated hip-hop to the top of the music industry. The new owner of the White House was not shy to admit that his favorite genre was rap and even name his game favorites.

Obama, right after being elected the country’s president, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This reminder of Martin Luther King – the first fighter for African American rights in US history bestowed this high honor. In the 1960s, the Baptist preacher would never have dared to say that 50 years later, the country would be led by a representative of a people barred from even voting, much less being nominated for the top position. The civilizational process made a giant leap forward since Martin Luther King‘s time. However, even appointing a black citizen as the US President did not resolve the racial issue.

The Horn of Hip-Hop Abundance

Once it became clear in the early 2000s that engaging in hip-hop could make any artist a millionaire, many set earning more money as their self-aim. All this bragging, luxury, and gaudy extravagance, cars, and piles of cash became mandatory attributes of every commercially successful rapper. Having grasped great wealth, becoming multimillionaires within a few years of engaging in creativity, yesterday’s street hustlers went overboard. Ostentatious wastefulness and vulgar attitudes toward money reflected repayment of the debt the white nation owed to black people for years of oppression and slavery. Yes, we’ve been working on black jobs for centuries, yes, generations of our ancestors received whips on their backs, yes, we were considered insects and wouldn’t share a park bench. But now, having captured the minds of white teenagers buying our records and merch – now we repay everything.

In rap, the value of lyrics, texts, meaning faded away. The most important thing became how many copies you were able to sell and how many ounces your ‘gold’ weighs. What house you live in, what coat you wear, and what car you drive. Hip-hop ceased to carry a social load. The once music of protest began returning to where it started – to party accompaniment. Only now it was not for guys from black neighborhoods but for the country mansions of whites. Rappers became money-making pawns for major ‘majors.’ The genre became a tool of enrichment and began losing its protest component. Attempts to raise the flag of hip-hop locally and signal with it protest against capitalist society and the system got lost in the bubbling mainstream filled with diamonds and luxury. It seems that in the 2000s, top rap artists forgot Michael Jackson‘s famous protest note, ‘They don’t really care about us.’

New Victims

Despite American society becoming much more tolerant and Americans declared a multicultural nation, issues of biased attitudes of law enforcement officers towards African Americans remained relevant. Everything Ice-T spoke about in his songs in the 80s continued to stay true to reality today. A string of mass unrest with a racial connotation that shook the country over several decades continued. On August 9, 2014, unrest began among the black population in Ferguson, Missouri. The cause of the riots was the killing of an 18-year-old African American, Michael Brown, by white police officer Darrell Wilson. At the moment of the shot, Brown was entirely unarmed and even raised his hands. The situation in Ferguson’s streets calmed down after a few days, but it soon flared up again when the court announced the absence of criminal charges against the policeman. Protests from the black population also took place in other US cities.

A year later, unrest engulfed another American city – Baltimore. On April 25, 2015, 26-year-old African American Freddie Gray died at the hands of the police. Initially peaceful, the protests turned into clashes with the police after the funeral. US national guard units were sent to Baltimore to restore order. The incidents showed that the topic of racism continues to remain one of the main issues of American society. Whites and blacks have not learned to live side by side, and police still see every African American as a potential criminal and a murderer. The public outcry prompted many rap artists to speak out on this issue. The Game and Snoop Dogg held a special press conference with police representatives in Los Angeles to try to resolve the issue of racial prejudice.

Hip-hop, over its existence, has become a powerful tool both for conveying its messages to the general public and for acquiring wealth. The African population of the US paid a very high price and went through a massive path before being able to present this culture to the world. Each individual rap artist decides for themselves how exactly they will use this tool. America has still not solved the racial issue, despite all assurances of international policy and tolerance. A huge number of ethnic populations continue to live in their ghettos with no hope of ever leaving their area. There remains only the hope that amidst street battles and confrontations with the police, America’s black neighborhoods will continue to produce talented hip-hop artists who will simultaneously protest against government tyranny and earn another million dollars.

P.S. “And we hate po-po when they kill us down in the streets fo’ sho” – Kendrick Lamar‘s clip highlighted the topic of police violence on the current American society’s agenda. It turned out that it’s still too soon to forget the recent history of tyranny on the streets of the US.