Critique #1: Just Keeping It Real

Hip hop artists are heavily criticized on the realism used to produce their work. Hip hop was first used to expose the tough times and struggles blacks went through, starting around the 1970's. This genre of music continued to develop and hip hop became more and more affiliated with the negative connotations with blacks, poverty and violence. The author recognizes that not all artists are writing about their personal experiences, but some write about experiences and events they have witnessed. Many hip hop artists do exaggerate and write about these issues just for the popularity, which contradicts the artist idea of "keeping is real." This chapter outlines the problems of artists claiming that hip hop is keeping it real. It challenges commercial hip hop and its constant support and exaggeration of the black street life. This is an important factor because commercial hip hop and underground hip hop have different value, goals, and techniques. These artists are viewed as "pimps," "thugs," and "gangbangers," but in reality, they haven't seen nearly as much action as they claim and are living a life contradictory to their music. The success of commercial hip hop influences other artists to exaggerate and create dishonest lyrics just for the success. The messages told through the music are altered to what they believe the audience wants to hear. But mainstream is not the problem; it is the quality of work mainstream produces. References to Danny Hoch's "Towards A Hip Hop Aesthetic: A Manifesto For The Hip-Hop Arts Movement," poor, low-key hip hop artists fought their way to the top. It isn't "selling out" because many want hip hop to take over and hold power. "Good hip hop is highly articulate, coded, transcendent, revolutionary, communicative, empowering," (Hoch) and with these characteristics, the hip hop artist is keeping it real.