The Pi Mu chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi and the Black Student Coalition recently cosponsored a panel discussion about hip-hop, a salient feature of American culture.

The hip-hop movement began in the late 1970s, the result of musical experimentation by African-American and Jamaican-American disc jockeys in the Bronx. The new genre quickly spread across the country and has now diversified to include artists from Snoop Dogg to Wale to Eminem. 

In a tribute to the cultural significance of hip-hop, President Barack Obama recently remarked, “The thing about hip hop today is it’s smart, it’s insightful. The way they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable.” 

To be sure, the industry has enjoyed its praises and glories, but some worry that the creativity of artists has waned in recent years. Last week, panelists explored issues from the cultural meaning of hip-hop to its controversial effects on youth in America.

Panelists included Theresa Dickson ’13, Joshua Arthur ’12, Imani Bowen ’10, and Kwain Bryant, a program developer and training specialist with Empowerment Exchange. Each of the panelists lauds hip-hop as a steady source of inspiration and empowerment. Affirming the constructive effects of hip-hop, Dickson shared her own special connection to Kanye West’s album “The College Dropout,” which offered her a message of courage and freedom that forever changed her life. 

Many celebrate hip-hop as a medium that allows for the artistic expression of oppression and poverty. Otherwise invisible frustrations and wounds are bared to society, provoking thought and demanding action. Although groups like N.W.A.–a group known for their explicit and controversial lyrics– may be labeled as offensive, Bryant pointed out that they simply depicted what they saw as true in their own lives. Hip-hop artists are not afraid to express raw passion in lyrics like 50 Cent’s warning, “Right now I’m on the edge / So don’t push me.” Such words give voice to the emotions of thousands. 

The discussion also touched on racial issues in America and the color barriers that exist within the African-American population. In “Shades,” Wale proclaimed, “I never fit in with them light skins / I thought the lighter they was, the better they life is / So I resented them / And they resented me.” Bowen suggested that beauty and privilege continue to be equated with whiteness. After all, “red bones,” or light-skinned women, are more able to “pass” as white. 

Hip-hop was praised for its insightful commentary on the unfortunate continuance of traditional, culturally imposed notions of beauty. Once again, the music voiced tensions that might otherwise remain unvoiced.

Despite the redemptive qualities of hip-hop, critics complain that the often profane lyrics shamelessly glorify violence, misogyny and drug abuse.

Does responsibility for the graphic content of many hip-hop songs fall on the consumers who buy them or the artists who produce them? Arthur argued that, according to the basic principles of business, the consumers make the ultimate decisions. Panelists also pointed out that parents bear ultimate responsibility for promoting positive values and for controlling the music to which their children are exposed.

In the past decades, hip-hop has touched many lives. Despite the difficulties of navigating the coming years, the art form will surely adapt and continue to fulfill its mission. As Doug E. Fresh says, “Hip-hop is supposed to uplift and create, to educate people on a larger level, and to make a change.”