We have touched basis on the creation and early history of Hip Hop, now we must go into more detail of the historical context as it relates to the pedagogy of African Americans in society.
The Impact
Rap began as spoken word, or more so a commentary on the DJ’s skills in the early periods of Hip Hop. Rappers were known as MC’s and they would frequently give more energy to Hip Hop parties and bring the crowds into the performance. As time moved on rap MC’s branched out from shouting out DJ’s skills or friends/family in the crowds to being focused more the the rhyme or raps. These MC’s would use personal stories and experiences and rap over the DJ’s beats. Hip Hop became an outlet for young African Americans to express themselves in a time post enslavement where they could be themselves and be in the presence of their peers. It was an outlet for a people still under an oppressive society that could make music and art that resonated that they could call their own.
“Forces of oppression assumed temporal, ever-shifting guises, and the vanquishing of one target, such as slavery, often led to discouragement and bewilderment as racism, seemingly defeated, simply morphed into a subsequent form, such as North American segregation.
“Reversing the Sail” Gomez, Asserting the Right to be, Pg. 110
Hip Hop is African American/Black culture; it came at a time where many African Americans were trying to find their way and identity in America. This is something that they could truly embrace as something of their own, and helped as a tool of empowerment.
The Power of Spoken Word
Traditionally its easy to think of rap as rhyme or poetry, but for African American people it actually has very deep rooted cultural and historical significance. The historical significance comes from West Africa, where oral tradition has this idea of nommo. The word nommo comes from the Dogon people of Mali, and specifically in Malian Dogon cosmology Nommo is the first human, a creation of the supreme deity, Amma, whose creative power lies in the generative property of the spoken word. (Blanchard 99) In the philosophical context of the word nommo, it is stated that it is the animative ability of words and the delivery of words to act upon objects, giving life. The significance of rap is understated in a sense that it has deep rooted significance in African culture prior to the inception of what we know as modern day Hip Hop & Rap.
The correlation between Ancient African peoples and modern day Hip Hop can be connected by the African oral historians and praise singers which were known as griots. Griots were the keepers and curators of knowledge in Ancient Africa. They were members of tribal villages and often times traveled and shared their spoken word. This knowledge included tribal history, family lineage, news of birth/death/war. The correlation between the griots of Ancient African, and rappers of our modern day have many parallels. Rappers speak about the stories and struggles of their daily lives, their dreams, socio-economic & political concerns. Rappers are the keepers themselves just as the griots of Ancient Africa were in keeping the history of contemporary African Americans lives.
Who are better prepared than the oppressed to understand the terrible significance of an oppressive society? Who suffer the effects of oppression more than the oppressed? Who can better understand the necessity of liberation? They will not gain this liberation by chance but through the praxis of their quest for it through their recognition of the necessity to fight for it.
Paulo Freire, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” Pg. 2
The knowledge of Hip Hop and its history can be thought of as a chronological telling of the story of African Americans. One can understand why Hip Hop is so integral to the African American community with this context. The use of Hip Hop is a tool in the fight for Liberation.
Fight The Power
The story of Hip Hop is the story African Americans and how they view life and society. There is none better to tell us this story, of a people historical disenfranchised and oppressed in our society. As political tensions and racial issues arose to the public eye in America starting in the 70’s we start to see Hip Hop being used more as a form of rebellion and resistance. This use of rhyme as a form of resistance goes back to the times of enslavement in America. The enslaved would use rhyming games as a form of encoded speech to communicate with each other knowledge, ideas, and as a way to communicate in a way that the slave masters could not understand. (They had to do this for fear of punishment) The correlation here being that we see the use of rhyme as a powerful tool for Hip Hop & the African American community to tell their story and as a form of political advocacy and resistance.
Cultural Impact of Hip Hop in Society 