15/01/2022
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM, NOW WE HERE
Starting from humble roots, hip-hop has grown from the creative outlet of underrepresented black teenagers living in the South Bronx in the late 1970s to a highly successful commercialized business that in 2000 grossed over $1.8 billion in sales in the United States.
Early rappers voiced their frustrations of a society in which urban blacks were oppressed, powerless, vulnerable, and underrepresented. They criticized institutions such as the police, the government, and media, as well as the discrimination faced by blacks.
But who knew it would one day become more than that. It started to become a way for people to be vulnerable, voice their life-story in a rythem, and sell it as a product.
Hip-hop currently represents far more than the black community. Think about it fundamentally and you’d realise that anyone who deeply feels what they feel, and has the ability to say it in a rhythm, can be a hip-hop artist. No wonder, its influence has permeated the entire planet, becoming a global creative and economic force. More importantly, the community grew like ripples in a pond. It stirred people by organically invoking self-awareness through relatibile lyrics, and unlocking creative potential.
Startups folks now call this “growth hacking”, which essentially means building virality into your product. Something that instantly hooks people and thus, spreads like wildfire. So much so, that it sells itself.
Through this way of touching, feeling, and, influencing lives, an unshakable hip-hop community grew.
More at: http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1686/hip-hop-is-for-everybody-examining-the-roots-and-growth-of-hip-hop
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