The Miseducation of Hip Hop-Pierzchala
THE MISEDUCATION OF HIPHOP
This reading was about the apparent effect hip-hop has had on our country’s youth. Many older generation educators and professors feel that rap is not only counter-productive, but outright a bad influence on youth. The article goes on to tell how many “baby-boomer” generation adults feel that hip-hop is detrimental to young people because it instills in them these ideas of rebellion and “thug-ness.” If lists off numerous professors and such who feel this way then goes on to tell that there is two sides to the story. While there are a fair amount of people (not necessarily race-specific) who do take the wrong message from rap/hip hop music and do fall prey to a life of poor choices, hoochie-ness, or thug-ness but there are also a similar amount that do not allow this to happen. For these young people, rap is merely a form of self expression and is genuinely feel good music. Some older generation folks have a hard tie seeing this because they only want to see the negative side to the the music. When it boils down to it, they need to be able to see the other side of the picture. Both parties, the students and the professors need to compromise and realize that times and experiences are not constant from one generation. While the “baby boomers” were the generation of jazz and (the beginnings of) rock, today’s generation is one of rap and hip hop. The sooner both parties can realize this, the sooner some of these issues will resolve themselves. On the other hand though, there will always be a group of young people whom choose the wrong path. People need to not be so quick to always associate this behavior with rap music and, more so, with other young people who associate themselves with this music genre.