H!p Hop 101

Hey what's up everyone! Britt is here to school all of you guys out there who are not familiar with hip-hop, its culture, and how it developed over time. Hip-hop is fun, creative, and makes people want to dance. It is even a form of expression in which it can tell stories from many aspects of life. Personally I remember from back in the day, preferrably the early 90's, where I started to listen to hip-hop and enjoy it. My influence growing up was my older brother and he was a big fan of Christopher Wallace (Notorious BIG) and Jay-Z--he still is. I've noticed a pattern when I started to like the same people, but there were other artists such as Busta Rhymes, Wu-Tang Clan, Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Run DMC, Snoop Dogg, Nas and others.
Now that I'm getting older and seeing for myself how hip-hop has changed, there are many changes in the way it is displayed. The birth of hip-hop was a change in itself from other styles of music that were being played in the 70's. Run DMC made fame through MTV with the premiere of their video in the 80's. There were periods where it was criticized as being crude, detrimental, demeaning towards women, and just complete nonsense. Now hip-hop is making another 180º turn where it is producing more fresh and innovative music. People have to understand that hip-hop is more than just being popularized into mainstream contemporary music. There are artists out there who are doing something positive and influential and changing hip-hop. Artists such as Common, Mos Def , Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, and Lupe Fiasco refine the definition of being or!g!nal and d!fferent. That's what it's all about folks...