Hip-hop and rap have undoubtedly dominated the music industry for over three decades, yet the genre is still looked down upon and viewed as a lesser form of art. Despite its immense popularity and cultural significance, many people continue to discredit and dismiss the genre as being too vulgar, too violent, or lacking in substance. It is time for society to recognize hip-hop and rap as legitimate art forms, equal to other genres of music. 

Many see hip-hop as a lower form of music due to the simplicity needed to make a hip-hop song. Simply put, it is easier to make a hip-hop song from scratch than many other genres such as disco or punk. But this results in worse songs being created due to the ease these songs can be created, diluting the quality of hip-hop in the music landscape. With hip-hop being so profitable, being the most popular genre on the billboard top 100 since 2017, more and more people try to make hip-hop to earn a quick buck. 

One of the biggest reasons hip-hop is looked down upon is sampling. Sampling is the act of using a snippet of an existing song and reusing it in a different context in a new song. But many old-fashioned music listeners claim that sampling is lazy. This can show prejudice against hip-hop, as even in other genres, sampling was being used even as far back as the 1970s. Sampling, just like playing other instruments, is a skill that can be honed and learned. Again, the accessibility and ease of sampling now make it easier for lower-quality hip-hop to be made, which doesn’t represent the genre as a whole.

Many see the profanity and vulgarity of hip-hop and conclude hip-hop is a genre not worth their time and respect. But hip-hop has many similarities in its place in music history with other genres of the past. Rock and roll were looked down upon when it was first introduced, with figures such as Elvis being criticized for his dance moves. Punk was looked down upon for promoting anti-establishment ideals. Hip-hop is just the new generation’s form of rebellion, portraying their thoughts. 

Hip-hop may be all these things, but at its core, it is a genre of self-expression in the black community. Albums such as Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and Nas’s Illmatic portray the black experience. A quote by Crooke & Travis Junior puts it best, “But while many people struggle to look past the profanity, materialism, and high-risk messages often celebrated within mainstream rap music, hip hop culture at its core, is built on values of social justice, peace, respect, self-worth, community, and having fun.”