(12) 1st Installment- McKayla Boatwright

    My topic is on hip hop, but more specifically hip hop and philosophy. For those who do not know, hip hop is a cultural movement that was formed during the 70s formed by young African American men living in the Bronx, New York. Since its evolution it has spread to both urban and suburban communities. It is both an old and new phenomenon. The culture has revolved around the idea of taking classic records and updating them for modern audiences. Hip hop is characterized by four different expressions of the culture: rap music, turntablism, b-boying, and graffiti art. In my first installment I will focus on graffiti art.

      Graffiti art originated in the late 60s and has been developing ever since. Graffiti in hip hop began as a way of “tagging” for someone’s crew or gang. Since then, it has been villainized by people who have authority and allegedly associated with drugs and violence. Graffiti represents the visual part of the hip hop culture. The artists will take what they hear from a song, and are able to bring the words to life. Graffiti still exists as a major part of the urban environment. It provided the hip hop culture the visual inspiration that encouraged other forms of creativity and expression. It has become an international phenomenon expanding from its roots in New York, to other major cities. Graffiti art, like hip hop, is a way of self expression. Without it, it would be a little harder to imagine the stories that hip hop artists are trying to tell.

https://youtu.be/Ob_y0KTHAPw

http://www.hiphoparea.com/graffiti/hip-hop-culture-and-graffiti-today.html