Hip-Hop is mostly a salt and pepper culture. You have the black 50 Cent types and the white Eminem’s. Whatever happened to rappers of other cultures? You never hear of the famous Asian rapper, maybe William Hung, but that is more for laughs. Every once in a awhile you also come across your Latin rapper, such as “Pit bull”, who is well known in the hip-hop community, or you stumble across a rapper named Rico Pabon. Both Pit bull and Rico Pabon have good beats that you could dance to in a club or listen in your car while you’re driving.
Living in America, you see diversity whenever you turn a corner; so why is it not seen in the hop-hop rap culture? You have mostly black and white people that are getting recognition in this world. It can be argued that hip-hop needs to branch out. People are getting tired of seeing the same face with the same songs on the radio or at the club.
Hip-Hop is a lifestyle mostly amongst people that live in the urban community. Having visited friends that lived in an urban community all races and ethnicities are included.
A definition of hip-hop is “A popular urban youth culture, closely associated with rap music and with style…” So where are the Asian rappers? In thinking of an answer to the question, I am wondering if they are going through the same uphill battle that a white rapper once faced. Once hip-hop emerged from the scene a white rapper would have been laughed at or considered whack. People naturally get scared of change or new beginnings. If I were of Asian descent, I would feel pissed off that doors were being slammed in my face due to race and not talent, a reverse racism.
It takes most people less than 4 seconds to see if they like a song on the radio before they make a decision to leave it on that station or to turn it off. When turning the song off the listener misses the messages that the artist is trying to portray. As a society of young people we have gotten stuck in a rut; we keep listening to the same type songs and turn off anything outside of our interests. We are missing the message left unanswered of why the Latin or Asian or anyone else that doesn’t fit the “mold” of a typical rapper is left out. I keep wondering what would of happened if the Beastie Boys, Kid Rock, Paul Wall, Eminem, or even Vanilla Ice hadn’t been given a chance. I would like to see “Creativity Through Diversity”. What a great blend in hip-hop music we could enjoy. It is time once again to reshape the mold of those we call rappers.
To Listen to Rico Pabon:
www.myspace.com/ricopabon
1 comment:
What gives you the impression that Asian Americans or Latinos or Chicanos or Afro-Caribbeans are being excluded from hip-hop culture?
While they may not be present on hip-hop radio in north Texas, they are present in the culture in all facets and in other geographical spaces of America.
So what is your point in this piece? Your claim of "reverse racism" would not be recognized by Jeff Chang or Chad Hugo or any of the thousands of djs, break dancers, fashion designers, mcs, or writers making and documenting hip-hop.
Since you don't begin with an argument or provide any specific evidence, it is hard to side with your idea.
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