Dance, disco, having a good time, this is what rap was prior to “The Message” by Grandmaster flash. This music video caused a shift in hip hop from feel good music to an outlet for the struggles of the urban community. The music video was a call to the American public to listen and understand what was really going down in the very environment for which most of the hip hop artists were coming from. In many ways “The Message” was the seed of conscience rap that laid the foundation for future social commentators like Chuck D., NWA, and Tupac.
Grandmaster flash vividly paints a picture of what was going on in the urban communities during the Reagan era of the 1980’s. There was an explosion in crack cocaine dealing and many people of the urban community were suffering through economic struggles such as inflation. Furthermore, the trickledown economics of the time seemed to be causing an increase in the separation between the have and the have-nots. Grandmaster explains that the streets of the time were filled with the homeless, pimps, and drug addicts. In addition, children were spending most of their time watching tv all day, smoking, and not getting a proper education, contributing to the endless cycle of the youth growing up to live a life on the streets. By stating “ Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge, I’m trying not to lose my head,” he was warning all of America in the chorus that the urban community of the time was a ticking time bomb and that if changes were not made, then all of America better brace themselves for the consequences. The song was Grandmaster Flash forcing the uninformed public to listen and visualize what really was going on in the streets, instead of just pretending that it does not exist. It was the genesis of the union of hip hop and social awareness that served a purpose that was far greater than just dancing and selling records.
Do you think the mainstream success of hip hop has led to the decline of socially conscious rap?
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