The Globalization of HipHop

 HipHop, Just like alot of other music genre has gone global. Whether you are talking Brazil, Japan, India, South Africa young and old is finding avoice in HipHop. But what make HipHop stand out from the rest, is it's powerful and alot of time rebellious voice in Social and Economic issues and the Struggles we undergo to achieve the life of our dreams. Its a movement tha evolves with the soul of the times.
   Writer Todd Boyd, a teacher at the University of Southern California School of Cinema Television and author of a new book dubbed: The New H.N.I.C. : The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of HipHop. He Writes: "I would suggest that you might get a better read of what's going on in the world of black people today by  listening to DMX on 'It's Dark and Hell is Hot' than by listening to repeated broadcasts of Martin Luther King speeches."
    Not being demeaning to the man who lead millions of others, not even two generations ago, to pave the way for the civil rights that not only benefited blacks but all races and minority classes that suffered under the strain of economic and social repression. Todd Boyd also wrote, "I think what black power did and HipHop would pick up on later, was move away from the passive sense of suffering.'We Shall Overcome' HipHop is much more active, much more aggressive, much more militant." Though outspoken racism is hardly an issue in these modern times, it still exists in pockets of everyday urban life in the form of Consensus, social stratification, and gatekeeping.
  The HipHop movement has never been confined to popularity of a particular style of rap or it's musicians. Like Blues, Soul, and Jazz, it expresses the experiences of the African American culture. These experiences had spark the fire of a spirit with the voice of civic revolution which has made it's mark on the global movement alongside other styles of rap such as Gangster Music and the more hedonistic style of luxury and pleasure. Though HipHop is best valued as a style of Music with heavy lyrical content in the field of social change, within the 20 years or more, HipHop has been most popular in the field of financial advancements, sex, violence, dominance, and luxury. Better known among the "hustlers as 'The Life' ." Which I personal feel can be quite delusional when the music heightens a sense of wealth and pleasure with a message of not having to be accountable for our actions, which can totally bankrupt a culture. With this being said, it can be seen that HipHop is a genre of music that expresses the spirit of the times(i.e.zeitgeist). Doing the Reagan Era, we seen one of our first modern economic declines that brung forth artists like Grand Master Flash, Zulu Nation, and Dougie Fresh to voice a need. During Clinton's watch, money was in surplus, job market flourished and artists like Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G. reflected an affluent lifestyle of materialism and libertinism. Now we're in an era of possible tyranny of organized forces we can only imagine, but definitely witnessing and feeling their degenerative effects on our lives.
Musical movements have made their way across geographical divides before, but HipHop is more than just music, It's a way of life that encompasses physical movement and personal expression. Killer Mike, a controversial artist from Atlanta, says in an interview with fork, "I'm a little more nervous on the international festivals because a record hasn't been distributed here yet. You don't know if the kids know it. 

And you learn the power of piracy, when you get out there, and the whole front of 8 to 9 rows was rapping it word for word, that's when you understand that the music is bigger than just going to the music store and buying a record. And the kids are going to get the music regardless" It's has been very rewarding for me and has help me really to appreciate the globalization of rap. We always know rap is global, but to hear 'Reagan' done in the Spanish, British, you know Belgium accent, let you know the power and testimony of how far rap has gone..."
Grammy-Award winner Killer Mike aka Mike Biggas, whose latest album titled R.A.P. Music. Really opens up to the ideal of having your cake and eating it too. He says, "You'll always see me at a political rally and the black strip club; I'm gonna represent smoking weed and supporting Trayvon Martin on my record, because I'm a whole man." KIller Mike sense of a dual lifestyle encompasses the best of both worlds of the HipHop industry at the same time remaining a balanced and sound voice for the youth.
The globalization of HipHop, just like any field of interest has its capitalize endeavors. The commercialization of the movement is not just making billions in record sales but also in fashion labels andsport franchises. Even food and beverages are selling their products by advertising the HipHop lifestyles.
Last to mention but first in the modern world that is helping spread the HipHop movement globally on an immaculate level is the internet. At no other point in history have people living in such disparate circumstances and in separate points on the globe been able to come together to communicate like they can today.