2008 Woodie Awards
"Why white kids love hip hop"
Lecturer to discuss transcending power of rhyme
Sean McGahan
Issue date: 2/23/07 Section: Campus
He said these tools include a much-needed cynicism and perspective that hip hop provides. He said he found an example of this in a young woman he spoke with from an affluent area of California.
"As a young white girl growing up in an elite American society, she had this belief that the government is always going to be right and is never going to mislead you, but listening to hip hop made her begin to challenge the idea," he said.
Letrent Catchings, an undecided freshman from Champaign, said hip hop artists do have power over their listeners, and they should keep this in mind.
"If a rapper says something, they may get the kids to think about it and dig for their own answers instead of something somebody throws to them," he said. "A lot of people are only in it for the money, but you've got to have the message, something that people can think about. They'll say something, but three minutes later you're going to forget it."
He said most popular artists lack this message because they want to sell records.
"Most of it is what America wants," he said. "They'll buy into riding big, I got rims, I got all this, because its got a catchy beat; people buy into that. They don't want to hear what other people have to say if it goes against the grain."
Necolby Harris, a sophomore from Chicago studying business and administration, said a variety of people appreciate hip hop simply because it is good musical expression.
"It's speaking your mind basically, and everybody can respect that," she said. "If people come out there and be real with themselves and it sounds good and you can dance to it, that's just a lot of things we have in common."
Valerie Rieben, an undecided freshman from McHenry, said she listens to hip hop when she is out dancing or getting ready to go out.
"I like how you can dance to it," she said. "I don't really listen to the words, I just kind of listen to the beat."
Even so, she said all kinds of people embrace hip hop for its message as well.
"I think they understand what the artist is saying," she said. "People can relate if you're black or white. It doesn't really matter."
sean_mcgahan@dailyegyptian.com
536-3311 ext. 254
"As a young white girl growing up in an elite American society, she had this belief that the government is always going to be right and is never going to mislead you, but listening to hip hop made her begin to challenge the idea," he said.
Letrent Catchings, an undecided freshman from Champaign, said hip hop artists do have power over their listeners, and they should keep this in mind.
"If a rapper says something, they may get the kids to think about it and dig for their own answers instead of something somebody throws to them," he said. "A lot of people are only in it for the money, but you've got to have the message, something that people can think about. They'll say something, but three minutes later you're going to forget it."
He said most popular artists lack this message because they want to sell records.
"Most of it is what America wants," he said. "They'll buy into riding big, I got rims, I got all this, because its got a catchy beat; people buy into that. They don't want to hear what other people have to say if it goes against the grain."
Necolby Harris, a sophomore from Chicago studying business and administration, said a variety of people appreciate hip hop simply because it is good musical expression.
"It's speaking your mind basically, and everybody can respect that," she said. "If people come out there and be real with themselves and it sounds good and you can dance to it, that's just a lot of things we have in common."
Valerie Rieben, an undecided freshman from McHenry, said she listens to hip hop when she is out dancing or getting ready to go out.
"I like how you can dance to it," she said. "I don't really listen to the words, I just kind of listen to the beat."
Even so, she said all kinds of people embrace hip hop for its message as well.
"I think they understand what the artist is saying," she said. "People can relate if you're black or white. It doesn't really matter."
sean_mcgahan@dailyegyptian.com
536-3311 ext. 254
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