Mic Check 1, 2! Influences of American Hip Hop in Today ‘s African Society

By Bryan Byrd

Hip Hop Influences

In the last thirty years Hip Hop has made a huge impact in societies around the world. What was once thought of as only a passing trend in the African American community, has transformed itself into a cultural phenomenon, its effects clearly widespread as seen by the images displayed by the media.

It’s effects in other continents is of interest to many; to me personally, I have been following the societal influences that Hip Hop music has made on African culture.

It is safe to say that just as much as American Hip Hop has influenced African culture, Africa has influenced American Hip Hop even more. Well known figures like Afrika Bam Bata and Chaka Zulu (CEO of Disturbing The Peace, manages Ludacris, Field Mobb, Jazze Pha, Bobby Valentino, Bun B, Bonecrusher, and is well respected especially for his role in developing the Atlanta music industry) and even international artist Chaka Khan (born Yvette Marie Stevens) have pulled their names from African origins. Multi-platinum selling artist Akon is from Senegal and carries his country’s flag proudly showing his expression for African culture in his music.

It is thought that Africa identifies with American Hip Hop so well because they basically share similar stories of oppression, and poverty — as people obviously tend to identify with those whose lives seem similar to theirs. Although the hardships that many Africans face on a day to day basis might be much more severe than those in America, the messages, feelings, frustrations, triumphs expressed in hip hop is very much felt and understood by Africans.

The content of what many African artists talk about is often discrimination (ethnic, tribal or religious), suppression, and social distress, similar to the lyrics of Hip Hop which highlight racial discrimination, drug peddling guns and the above. These messages are particularly heard in the music of American artist such as The Roots, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco.

In an article by Katy Kahn (Khan, 2007), entitled Cultural authenticity or cultural contamination: American musical influences on South African hip-hop Culture she addresses many of the pros and cons of American Hip Hop; “The very thematic concerns of the need liberation that informed American Rap music found their way into political discourse of young South African Hip Hop rappers (pp7),” she writes. “This confluence of influences is hardly surprising; Most South African Blacks were born and breed in the ghettos where every thing was short in supply”.

Hip Hop InfluencesReiterating how easily the South African and African culture in general is able to identify with the message of American Hip Hop, she also explores many of the negative effects that have caused not so much as societal changes but an increase in what was unusual behavior in African culture. “Due to many of the images and lyrical depictions that are in today’s Hip Hop music, there has been an increase in crime occurrences and more African youths are eager to carry firearms (pp5)”. “What is viewed as just simply songs in America, it is much more to a society that sees these lyrics as real life accounts,” Khan writes, “Instead of thinking in terms of cultural authenticity, researchers could embrace the cultural contamination of the music (pp 9). This idea suggests that cultural influences can cross physical and cultural borders gaining new life in a new context”.

When asked about their feelings on this topic, the Africans we spoke to expressed that while hip-hop seems to have empowered youths by giving them a voice, this younger generation of Africans, which has embraced hip hop more than any other has also picked up new habits like a different way of dressing – dropping of pants, wearing chains and even earrings; the influence of hip hop is also obvious in their mode of communication as the dropping of ‘curse’ words s!@#, f*&*, mf, is becoming quite common, much to the dismay of older Africans.

In conclusion, it is important to remember that the story of Hip Hop is one that is told in several countries across the world. From the African drum patterns to the clothing and apparel that many artists wear, African culture and American Hip Hop music have influenced each other. It is a must that we take those positive messages from both societies to influence the youth and other nations for the future. So like Rapper Common, we have to show the bond between the two as he writes, ”From Inglewood to a single hood in Botswana, I see the eye in we and yours in my drama!”(Common, 2007).

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