conscious hip hop

Conscious hip hop (also known as socially conscious hip hop or conscious rap) is a subgenre of hip hop that challenges the dominant cultural, social, political, sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic consensus, and/or comments on or focuses on social issues and conflicts. Conscious hip hop is not necessarily overtly political, but the terms “conscious hip hop” and “political hip hop” are frequently used interchangeably, and conscious hip hop may often be implicitly political. Conscious hip hop began to gain traction in the 1980s, along with hip hop in general. The term “nation-conscious rap” has been used to more specifically describe conscious hip hop music with certain strong political messages and themes, especially Black empowerment themes. Some themes of conscious hip hop include social conscience, Afrocentricity, religion, culture, the economy, depictions of the struggles of ordinary people, and aversion to or commentary on crime and violence. Conscious hip hop often seeks to raise awareness of social issues, sometimes leaving the listeners to form their own opinions rather than advocating for certain ideas and demanding actions like political hip hop. Conscious hip hop artists often use their music to express their views on a wide range of topics, including politics, race, poverty, and the environment. thumb|Conscious rapper Kendrick Lamar Some well-known examples of conscious hip hop artists include Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. These artists are known for their thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics, often tackling complex and controversial issues. In contrast to certain stereotypical views of mainstream hip hop, which is often associated with materialism and violence, conscious hip hop is often seen as a more positive and uplifting form of the genre. Conscious hip hop in reality is often bleakly realistic due to its focus on social issues. Despite frequent serious and bleak commentary, many conscious hip hop artists strive to inspire their listeners to think critically and make positive changes in their communities and the world. Overall, conscious hip hop is a significant part of the hip hop landscape, and its artists continue to play a key role in raising awareness about important social and political issues.

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