I am working on the topic of building a positive foundation for African American youth, to educate them about all genres of music culture, in a way that would interest them. I want to find out why African American youth predominantly like hip hop and not other music cultures. I would like to know the connection that African American youth has to hip hop and how possibly I can create a connection with other cultures. Hip hop began in the 1970’s, but hip hop record sales did not increase until 1988. Hip hop is a rhymed form of storytelling. Hip hop culture originated in the Bronx and was most popular in African American and Latino communities. Hip hop involves MCing, DJing, break dancing, graffiti writing, beat boxing, and rap. The American studies methods I used were racial formation, gender, and popular culture. Racial formation is the process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories. Gender is a constitutive element of element of social relationships based on perceived differences between the sexes. Popular culture is things that are made for the general majority of people to like, such as different activities, commercials, and music. I believe bringing a positive outlook into children’s lives can make a significant difference. If you start to instill in them knowledge young, they can only continue to grow positively. I want to inspire children and show them that they can be positive and affect others in positive ways. Music is just another form of expression, and can sometimes be better understood. African American youth could really benefit from my goals and I want them to better themselves. My goal is to make music, no matter what form, a positive and enlightening experience and challenge for the youth.
Word Count:299
