Using appropriate supporting evidence throughout, select a music genre and explore its cultural impact.

A similar case can be put forward for rap which was developed around the mid-to –late 1970’s in the South Bronx in New York. Dick Hebdige (1995) said that rap, ‘did for poor blacks in America in the 1980’s what reggae had done for the “Suffers” in Jamaica a decade earlier.  It got them noticed again and helped them establish a sense of pride within the local community.  And then the sense of pride and identity that went with rap music became available to other people who listened to the music.  Rap music did have a unique image and was a protest of the repressions of black people.  Followers of rap music could be identified by certain non-conformist features such as baggy clothing and baseball caps being worn backwards.  However today that is quite a common appearance especially amongst young people.  Non-conformist groups have group norms and conformity’s within them and because rap/hip-hop music is now largest profit making music genre in the world the culture is no longer a sub-culture, and becoming quite ‘commercial’.  

The origins of original rap music were strongly influenced by the ‘Black Panther’ movement which were an extreme political group that was fighting for black equality.  A key value of the Black Panthers was about sharing wealth with the disadvantaged and poor.  However because the music industry is mainly considers music a ‘product’ these idea’s have faded and rap music is now very concerned with personal positions and wealth.

However this globalisation or rap could be viewed as positive because it has brought a lot of success to members of the black community and created role models for other poor black people.  The globalisation of music from different cultures also creates contact between different cultural groups which can reduce stereotyping of groups and reduce inter-group conflict.  It also allows people to hear music that they would probably never have heard before.  It also allows small groups to express themselves and teaches us about different cultures.

Local music exists for the most part at some distance from the music industry but if a performer or group of performers is taken up by the music industry then at this point musical activities are transformed into musical products. Initially recording companies are responsible for mediating musical activities to a wider audience. Because recording companies are responsible for the creation of musical products then they also make decisions about who makes records and what is recorded.

If a local form of music such as rap is taken in by a record company then a place can loose its traditions as they are often commercialised.  The types of music often loose some of their distinctive characteristics and evolve.  Record companies also have a large role in the creative process of an artist and their music.  Repertoire staff, record producers and product managers will all have contributed to the final form of recording and the visual style of the artist.  It is a problem for artists who would like to keep their cultural identity because in order to achieve success in the music industry artists usually must seek a record company.