Given the recent election, I thought it would be good to
look at how politics has affected Hip-Hop.
I came across this article from earlier this semester dealing with
masculinity and homosexuality within the Hip-Hop culture. It was written about Obama and how he
endorsed gay marriage earlier this year and in doing so, the support of many
prominent Hip-Hop artists became better known.
President Obama’s longtime endorser, Jay-Z, came forward and commended the
President’s actions. Jay-Z compared the
struggle with same-sex marriage with that of the discrimination of African
Americans and stated, "I think it's the right thing to do. It's not about
votes. It's about people. It's the right thing to do as a human being."
The title: “Has Obama made hip-hop rethink masculinity?”
shows there that there is a radical movement accompanying the election and how
many of the modern Hip-Hop artists are speaking up and stepping forward about
their beliefs in order to cause a change in Hip-Hop and society today. I find this empowering coming from the typically
homophobic genre. Recently, through the
presidential election, other Hip-Hop artists have come forth about their
support for same-sex marriage; artists such as Ice Cube and T.I. were among them. Through President Obama advocating same-sex
marriage, Hip-Hop artists have come forth and allowed the public to hear their
beliefs, thus beginning the shift of Hip-Hop’s acceptance of homosexuality.
