Moms everywhere often criticize hip-hop for its often blunt and uncensored language specifically as it has made its way into mainstream pop culture.
This unfiltering is seen in every aspect of the genre from obscenities in music videos to cut-throat lyrics, but why?
For starters, hip-hop rooted from the underground, underrepresented, under-resourced slums of New York City. It started on the streets, literally. People would come and have what is now known as cyphers to provide the neighborhood with an outlet of expression. MC’s or rappers at the time would “tell it like it is” through relaying rhythm, rhyme, and humor, over a live beat from other members of the community.
Through this, the underrepresented were finally given a voice to speak about the struggles of their community, their lives, and America as a whole. When hip-hop went commercial, this did not change much.
Aside from rappers under major labels and hip-hop figureheads of pop culture, most hip-hop music is still raw and unapologetic. The mass of it still comes from the same marginalized groups of people as they continue to tell the struggles they have faced in their community and their lives. I will admit, some rappers do cap (lie), and amplify their past a bit, but in all, the culture persists.
Hip-hop was founded on unfiltered authenticity. All of the seemingly overt uncensoring is really just a result of the basis on which it was founded. So, next time your mom asks you; “Why they always gotta cuss so much?” tell her it’s for the people.
-Lul Bulma
