From San Francisco

From the Fringe: the Hip Hop Culture and Ethnic Relations

“…Hip hop fashion, unlike the fashion of other generations, has uniquely cut across almost every ethnic boundary. Indeed, a significant number of African Americans, Whites, Latinos, and Asians youth between the ages of 12 and 22 dress the same (Lewis, 1998, p.E3).…”

“…The more resistance surrounding a product, and the more controversy generated by its popularity, the more people are going to want to buy it. The heated debates that took place in the late 1980's and early 1990's and the movements to censor the lyrics of rap music initiated by individuals such as Tipper Gore and C. Delores Tucker only spawned sales of rap music (Lewis, 1998, E3). In fact, the infamous group “2 Live Crew” benefitted from their highly publicized court case based on First Amendment infringement rights (“Is Rap Music Here to Stay?” p. 56).…”

“…The overall hip hop culture has been established by this musical art form. The language (street slang), dress (baggy pants, caps worn backwards, expensive sneakers), and style of the hip hop culture have all evolved from rap music (Lewis, 1998, p.E3).…”