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Dedication<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tThis book is dedicated to Skateworks as they continue to inspire passion in young kids through skating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acknowledgements<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tSpecial thanks to Andrew Langi for letting us follow him around and sharing his stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preface<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tWhen we first started this project, I was so set on making a documentary about the loaded debate topic of science versus religion. Thankfully, I was dissuaded from that idea when I found out we had to work in partners for film, and my idea was simply too complex for anyone to want to tackle it with me. My current film partner, Rebecca Pristavok, asked me if I wanted to join her with interviewing a semi-pro skater. And that\u2019s when it popped into my mind: I could take this opportunity to explore in depth hip-hop culture, a religion that has blossomed into a curse upon our generation. Not to mention, interviewing a skater meant getting some really cool action shots for our film documentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tI was immediately infatuated with the whitewashing of hip-hop and dove right into books and extensive academic journals on the topic. But that\u2019s when I ran into my first problem. I was so focused on hip-hop as a culture, I forgot that I was interviewing a skater for the documentary. How was I going to incorporate skateboarding into my project?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tIt turns out, all I needed to solve that problem was a little more research. Skateboarding and hip-hop turned out to be linked in a lot more ways than I thought, and the popularization of hip-hop brought skateboarding right along with it. Once I figured that out, the rest fell into place and organized itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tOne of the biggest problems Becca and I ran into while making our film was availability. There were a lot of weeks where one of us was sick or out of town, and a lot of times when our interviewee, Andrew Langi, couldn\u2019t make it. This made meeting deadlines for interviews a challenge. However, we learned from our mistakes and started planning our interviews way ahead of time and asking for extensions before the due date, and eventually got all of them done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tOverall, this project has taught me how to push my limits. It taught me that just because a deadline is staring you in the face doesn\u2019t mean you need to sacrifice quality to get the final product out. And this project has taught me that to get the final product out, you need to be able to pull inspiration out of your work, and you cannot just sit around waiting for it to come to you. Out of all the projects I have done in my life, this has by far been my favorite and the most rewarding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tI have been interested in culture for as long as I can remember, and this project gave me the opportunity to explore hip-hop without without restrictions. So I encourage you, as you read this book, to put yourself in the shoes of the people described \u2013 of the people that had their lives changed by hip-hop for the better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we think back and try to differentiate the decades, a key difference that always stands out to us is style. From flappers in the 20s to A-lines in the 50s and leg warmers in the 80s, we can count on fashion to tell us the year. Now, in our modern decade, we have been introduced to a new style of fashion that defines America\u2019s youth \u2014 something that adequately illustrates the ideals and priorities of teenagers today: Thrasher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Vans and Supreme and Brixton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although hip-hop started off as something rebellious and prided itself as staying away from \u201cmainstream\u201d culture, the growing popularity of hip-hop culture has integrated itself into our everyday lives. Now, you can\u2019t turn on the radio without hearing rap music, drive through a city without seeing graffiti, or walk through a mall without seeing skating apparel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What caused skating apparel to be the signature style of the hip-hop generation? Surely it must be because skateboarding, just like DJing and graffiti, was born out of hip-hop culture. However, skateboarding\u2019s roots can be traced further back than hip-hop. While hip-hop originated in the Bronx in the 1970s, skateboarding\u2019s lineage can be traced all the way back to the 50s, which means skating apparel existed long before its acclimation into hip-hop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what is hip-hop? From rasta to gangsta, hip-hop has gone through drastic changes from the time of its origin in the South Bronx to what we know in our modern society. The hip-hop we know is about the cool factor \u2014 the excess, the power, the girls. What it is today is no indicator of what it was originally meant to be. A safe haven created for the rejects of mainstream society, hip-hop was supposed to be about community. Born out of nothing, made into something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skaters were always the odd ones out, once made fun of for the rag-tag style that plagues teens today. The culture was born out of rebellion \u2014 a street style unique to itself that was wrongly assumed as a manifestation of hip-hop so much that over time, skating became just another  factor to being \u201cgangsta.\u201d But skating planted its roots in a place of passion \u2014 the true desire to do something, which was frowned upon by others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whitewashing of hip-hop culture threatened the traditions and roots of skateboarding. The once isolated community became widespread as more and more people wanted to be a part of this outcast culture without passion or desire to defy the mainstream, but instead become a part of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mainstream. The society that hip-hop was created to oppose is now rapidly engulfing it. Even this traditionally outcast culture succumbed to the allures of capitalism, allowing the ignorant rich and wealthy teens of our century to adopt the \u201cghetto\u201d lifestyle without any clue or care to what it means. How much more whitewashing can this culture take before its roots shrivel up completely?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 1: Rasta to Gangsta<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was just another hot summer night in the South Bronx. Bright lights cut through the old warehouse but had left corners in the shadows. Breakdancers clear huge areas of the floor to show off their moves while everyone cheers, hearts thumping to the rhythm of the music created on the turntables of Grandmaster Flash. Suddenly, the lights are out. The music comes to a screeching halt. The cheers of excitement turned into screams of panic. It was a blackout in the South Bronx, and one that greatly affect the new widespread culture of hip-hop. \u201cIt was a hell of a night,\u201d says Nelson George, a South Bronx native. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was festive on one level. On the other hand, there was a sense of total wildness. We<\/p>\n\n\n\n

were fortunate because we lived next to this crazy family of boys that kept us safe <\/p>\n\n\n\n

because nobody wanted to fuck with them\u2026 The blackout had a huge impact on <\/p>\n\n\n\n

hip-hop\u2026 After the riot, there were suddenly a million crews with stolen turntables\u201d (Lynskey). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a community as poor as the South Bronx, turntables were not something that could easily be replaced.  However, the bounce back from such an unfortunate disaster is the definition of hip-hop\u2013 sticking together no matter what and persevering even when you have nothing. But where did such a nurturing culture come from, and how did it fit in with an area overrun by gangs and corruption? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hip-hop\u2019s seeds were planted in the Rastafarian culture that was widespread in Jamaica during the mid 1900s. According to Jeff Chang, the author of Can\u2019t Stop Won\u2019t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation<\/em>, \u201cRastafarianism was an indigenous fusion of messianism and millenarianism, anticolonialism and Black nationalism, and it gave the cause of \u2018Black supremacy\u2019 spiritual, political, and social dimensions\u201d (24 Chang). During a time of extreme violence in Jamaica, the music spurred by the Rastafari culture is what kept black pride intact and helped stirred hope in the people that they would be able to make it through the rough times as a community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This traditional culture was brought to the South Bronx in 1970s by Jamaican native Clive Campbell, more commonly known as DJ Kool Herc: the father of hip-hop. During this time, the South Bronx was considered an \u201curban catastrophe.\u201d Due to severe poverty, many landlords would burn down their own buildings just to collect their insurance check and hope it came with enough money to get out of this city. By the end of the 70s, the city had lost over 40% of its population. A local health official even called it a \u201c\u2018necropolis\u2013 a city of death\u2019\u201d (Lynskey). Needless to say, the situation in the South Bronx was considered pretty hopeless. Many natives of the surrounding boroughs pitied the natives and deemed their lives as nothing more than depressing and unfulfilling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while the economic situation had crumbled along with the buildings into a pile of rubble, the culture blossomed, creating a beautiful, nurturing social community. This society was also the birthplace of superstar DJ Grandmaster Flash. While remembering his adolescence, Flash recalled, \u201c\u2018It was wonderful. It was like a village. Everybody there knew each other. One of our biggest pastimes was flying kites on the roof. Where the gangs lived, that\u2019s where the rubble was. You didn\u2019t go there. But for me,\u2019 he grins, \u2018it was a great place to live\u2019\u201d (Lynskey). When looking at the Bronx, outsiders aren\u2019t able to see past the heaps of rubble and corruption and steered far away from this dilapidated borough. But to the inner city population, there was no place like home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DJ Kool Herc created a family in the \u201cghettos\u201d of the South Bronx. Although hip-hop was a primarily black and latino culture (due to the demographic of the South Bronx in the 70s) is was welcoming to anyone suffering from social injustices or rejected by the mainstream society. Change observed this aspect of the culture when he wrote, \u201c…I think hip-hop has bridged the culture gap. It brings white kids together with black kids, brown kids with yellow kids. They all have something in common that they love. It gets past the stereotypes and people hating each other because of those stereotypes\u201d (Chang 291). Hip-hop culture was invented to move away from the judgemental, patronizing aura of the mainstream by including everyone with shared life experiences and giving them a medium by which they were able to express their emotions. Children of hip-hop bond over similar feelings of social injustice and first hand violence, themes that clearly define the next stages of hip-hop after Rastafarianism: Gangsta. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the development of hip-hop into a gangsta culture, people began to lose sight of the traditions and core values of this once all inclusive culture. DJ Kool Herc sums up the meaning of hip-hop culture when he says, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo me, hip-hop says, \u2018Come as you are.\u2019 We are a family. It ain\u2019t about security. it ain\u2019t about the bling-bling. It ain\u2019t about how much your gun can shoot. It ain\u2019t about $200 sneakers. it is not about me being better than you or you being better than me. It\u2019s about you and me, connecting one to one. That\u2019s why it has universal appeal. It has given young people a way to understand their world, whether they are from the suburbs or the city or wherever\u201d (Chang xi).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the 70s in the South Bronx came to a close, the economic situation started to look up. The 80s brought along more enforced laws and quelled the roar that sparked hip-hop culture. \u201cWithout lax policing there is no hip-hop,\u201d says Nelson George. \u201cThere are no parties in the park. There were no quality-of-life crimes in New York back then so the police didn\u2019t give a damn. There was a lot of room to do whatever you wanted.\u201d Now, after decades of regeneration, the South Bronx has been raised from the slums and is now again a livable place (Lynskey). But nothing can erase the fact that the new cityscape was planted upon layers of neglect\u2013 neglect that fostered the growth of the most influential culture of our time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hip-hop arose out of pain. It was born to give a voice of hope to an area that had none. It created a reason for them to keep going\u2013 an identity of their own when the mainstream society branded them as nothing. But hip-hop has evolved since the era of the South Bronx. Now, with its introduction into the lives of the modern teen, the cries against injustice have turned into chants for fame and wealth. The very idea of hip-hop has made a 180, and has now spiraled into something nearly unrecognizable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 2: Surfin\u2019 the Sidewalk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tHip-hop is often considered the birthplace of counterculture, which in many cases it was. However, a different kind of rebel lifestyle was already in full swing while hip-hop was still planting its roots: skateboarding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skateboarding first originated in 1950s California when a group of surfers were disappointed with the lack of \u201cgnarly waves\u201d and decided to try surfing the concrete instead. By the time the 60s rolled around, skateboarding was all the rage. The culture skyrocketed in popularity as skating competitions arose and the path was paved for skateboarding to become a real sport. However, the initial hype died almost instantaneously in the mid-60s, something that was thought to have been due to the danger of rickety old boards and clay wheels. Skateboarding picked up again in the 70s due to the invention of the urethane wheel which allowed smoother riding and reduced some of the risks (Skatemag). However, skateboarding was and remains to this day a dangerous sport. But it is that danger that embodies skating culture as a whole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the 70s, skateboarding only rose in popularity. It established its own unique culture<\/p>\n\n\n\n

in the 80s and 90s during a time when skaters were outcasts \u2013 the street rats who wore \u201cgirl\u2019s clothing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSkating culture is like no other, I would say in that it is super nurturing,\u201d says Jason Strubing manager of Skateworks, a small skating store in Los Altos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super uncompetitive, and it\u2019s just sorta like, I guess it sounds cliche to say a brotherhood of man, but it is really kind of a unifying thing, a unifying love I guess and that\u2019s why you could travel just about anywhere in the world and go to a skatepark or see some other skaters, and just sorta be like \u2018hey what\u2019s up\u2019\u201d (Strubing). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to an article by the Huffington Post, once you\u2019re in, you are forever part of the growing, nurturing community. In fact, Laura Beth Nielsen, a journalist for the Post, wrote, \u201cSkateboarders have a unique community; they teach, coach, learn, practice, and regulate their practice area silently but effectively.\u201d Although the community is more exclusive than hip-hop, newcomers are encouraged and taught the unspoken rules of being a part of the skateboarding community. Despite the age, race, or socioeconomic background, everyone on the ramp in considered equal. This is reinforced by Nielsen when she writes, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen newer skaters show up who don\u2019t yet know the arrangement, they are gently guided, then chided about how to assess the park and determine whose turn is next. Better skaters coach weaker skaters saying things like, \u2018your weight needs to be forward,\u2019 \u2018bend your knees more,\u2019 or just, \u2018try man.\u2019 No one thinks twice if the more advanced skater is 8 years old and the skater getting the advice is 45.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tA challenge that many skateboarders run into is the law. Many cities ban skateboarding on the streets, causing skaters to get in trouble with authority.  However, this is just another part of the appeal. It is just another part of the rebellious culture that builds bridges between two people, based solely on their appetite for danger (Nielsen). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The skating culture is nurturing to skateboarders \u2013 to people who pour their blood, sweat, and tears into the sport despite being hated on by the mainstream. According to Nielsen, \u201cSkateboarders are dedicated; they show up to practice, rain, shine, or snow without a schedule.\u201d Unlike hip-hop culture which welcomes everyone in with open arms, a certain level of dedication is needed to become a part of skating culture. Because in skateparks, there\u2019s no room posers only passion. Over time, skateboarding has slowly been fused into hip-hop and mainstream media, causing a lot of wannabe teenage \u201cgangsters\u201d to flood skateparks, ripping off the \u201cedgy\u201d style, pretending they\u2019re ethnic instead of guilty of cultural appropriation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skateworks, a chain of small skating stores, is dedicated to teaching young kids how to skate. At the Los Altos location, semi-pro skater Andrew Langi teaches kids and encourages them to always follow their passions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I were to tell anybody, younger generation, how to follow their passion\u2026 first you gotta find your passion, you know? Find what you love and let it kill you pretty much\u201d (Langi)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When skateboarding is taught at a young age, it isn\u2019t because of the stereotypes associated with it. Young kids are neither aware nor care about the \u201ccool factor\u201d and all the other #sk8ter tags that come along with it. Andrew was someone who started skating from a young age during a time when skateboarding was unpopular. However, despite all the harsh words and general opposition towards the sport, Andrew stuck with it, because it is his one true passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSkateboarding\u2026 it\u2019s something I found and stumbled upon cause I thought it was cool and it looked fun and I never let that slip away from  my grasp. Once I first started skateboarding, how much fun I had, I made sure that I held on to that fun and never let anything come in between. It\u2019s the one thing that I really love to do and it\u2019s one thing that I would never not do\u201d (Langi). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the time that Andrew grew up, skateboarding was a culture of passion. It was the idea of being someone society considered a reject because they would become anyone to keep doing the thing they love to do most. Skateworks is a place that fosters this wealth of passion\u2013 that teaches kids not only how to ride a skateboard but about another way to view life. However, just like hip-hop skateboarding became about the \u201ccool factor\u201d as passion is no longer the force that drives it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 3: Cultural Fusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tBorn and developed on the streets hip-hop and skateboarding have historically shared many parallels. Hip-hop originated as an outcast religion, something far from the mainstream, built from the ground up on nothing more than community and heart. Skateboarding became an escape for many teens in the 80s and 90s who, despite the criticism from their peers, continued to follow their passion with the sport they loved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With similar attitudes and values, it only makes sense that these two cultures would have fused over time. \u201cSkateboarding has crossed boundaries to make appearances in less traditional places,\u201d says Jeff Ihaza, author of the article \u201cSkateboarding, hip-hop foster artistic expression similarly.\u201d \u201cIt makes sense though,\u201d says Ihaza as he breaks down the history of the two cultures. \u201cAs skateboarders, we wore tight pants and listened to weird music. We snuck out of class using the same escape routes as the so-called gangsters and \u2018future rappers.\u2019 It was only a matter of time until the groups would cross paths on the road leading farthest from authority figures.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The integration of skateboarding into hip-hop culture was inevitable. The two distinct cultures were born away from the mainstream, and eventually intersected. Rappers started picking up skateboarding for a means of transportation and as skaters started to listen to more and more rap music while skating. The similarly reckless cultures lended themselves to each other and created a community, away from the monotony of rules, structure, and a 9 to 5 job. Together, they created a community of rebellion, going against popular thought and specific views on how life was supposed to be, and turned life into something worth living (Ihaza). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think skaters come off as lazy just simply because we do what we want, when we want, wherever we want, how we want,\u201d says Langi, addressing common conceptions of skateboarders as lazy. \u201cAnd I think, to some people who work a 9 to 5 job, it probably comes off as jealousy. They see people doing what they want and I think that makes them really envious.\u201d Similar conceptions are made about people in the hip-hop industry. On the outside, it looks like a ragtag group of slackers unable to make it in the real world banding together and trying to create something out of themselves. But what people don\u2019t care to see is what\u2019s going on in their hearts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hip-hop wasn\u2019t something you chose \u2014 it was something you were born into. In the \u201cghettos\u201d of the South Bronx, hip-hop was cultivated from situation and gave people an outlet, the same kind of escape Langi said skateboarding gives him. But while people mistaken that as an escape from the \u201creal world,\u201d it is an escape from the unfortunate life they were born into. And that is what truly connects skateboarding and hip-hop at the foundation. Langi opens up about growing up in less fortunate circumstances than many others.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was raised by my mom, my father was absent, he was an alcoholic\u2026 My mom raised me and my sister on sectionate housing, welfare, so we didn\u2019t have a very comfortable life growing up, you know, we were eating cereal with water or orange juice because we didn\u2019t have milk, or we didn\u2019t have basic necessities to, you know, have a good breakfast. So, it was rough growing up, definitely skateboarding was a good outlet for me to escape from that kinda lifestyle because it\u2019s not fun\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families in the South Bronx were living in similar situations during the rise of hip-hop. They bonded through coming from a place of nothing, already branded as outcasts from society, and working to turn their life into something meaningful. Hip-hop and skateboarding were used as a medium to speak out against the violence, the political issues, the social issues, and every obstacle mainstream society threw in their way, impeding their success. Skateboarding and hip-hop found each other away from the prying eyes of mainstream culture, and grew together into an all-powerful counterculture, capable of anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 4: Riches to Rags<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tGrowing up on the streets of the South Bronx, fashion was the last thing on the natives’ minds as they were burdened with the daily struggle of making ends meet. However, it was here that hip-hop formed, without a clear style but with a loud message. So why is fashion such an important part of hip-hop culture today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tAfter the increase in security and police in the South Bronx during the 80s, the development of the anti-authority culture in the Bronx came to a halt. But that was not before its influence had been spread throughout New York (Lynskey). The music even made it as far as LA where it started to spread as they created their new styles of gangsta rap. The more hip-hop spread across the nation the more people wanted to be a part of it. Which should be fine, right, since hip-hop is supposed to be welcoming to everybody?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tLet\u2019s start off with style. Before the commercialization of hip-hop, the style was traditionally just whatever people could afford living in the \u201cghettos\u201d of the South Bronx. However, once hip-hop hit the big screen, it became all about the \u201cbling-bling.\u201d Thick, gold chains hung off the necks of hip-hop artists complementing their newest pair of $200 sneakers. People that were a part of this \u201cculture\u201d wore tracksuits, bomber jackets, large glasses, bucket hats, and shell\u2013toe sneakers. The most popular brands that people would shop at were Adidas and Kangol. Everything became about flexing wealth and prosperity. If you take a look at the slightly older generation of rappers now (late 30s, 40s) this style is often seen. However, take a look at the 18 year olds we have on our stage today and things are completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tUnlike hip-hop, skating fashion was generated for a reason. The traditional wear was and still is skinny jeans and bro-tanks. The skinny jeans were worn so that skaters didn\u2019t get cuts and bruises on their legs, and baggy pants wouldn\u2019t exactly be the most ideal for a sport like skateboarding. However, skating in the summer resulted in a lot of skaters overheating due to these long pants, and so in order to cancel it out they wore tank-tops. It was this style in the 80s and 90s that the mainstream culture laughed upon (Castro). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t\u201cI got made fun of a lot,\u201d says Andrew as he reflected on how he was made fun of as a skateboarder in the 90s. \u201cLike \u2018oh you\u2019re wearing skinny jeans those are for girls,\u2019 you know, \u2018oh cool shoes skater boy,\u2019 like, you know, in a joking way\u2026\u201d (Langi). Andrew draws from his personal experiences with skateboarding style and brings to light how this style only added to the unique outcast society of skateboarding. However, this style didn\u2019t remain unpopular for long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tWhen hip-hop became the mainstream, it wasn\u2019t long before skateboarding went right along with it. The first step was the style. Teenagers everywhere started ripping off skateboarding style without any clue as to why or how these clothing combinations came to be. All they knew was that ripped skinny jeans and bro-tanks were the new gold chains and bomber jackets. Non-skateboarders now flex marked up street clothing, causing the heart of skateboarding culture to slowly melt away into the shadows. This is an outrage to many skaters who have stuck with this sport even when it caused them to be ridiculed. Andrew speaks his opinions of the growing popularity of skating style when he says, \u201c…back when I first started, it wasn\u2019t something that everybody wanted to wear, you know, we actually got made fun of a lot\u2026 everybody wears skateboard stuff now, it\u2019s become so popular, and my personal opinion is I don\u2019t want you guys to wear it\u201d (Langi). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Style is only one of the ways hip-hop and skating culture lost its traditional values along with its integration into popular culture. Not only have these cultures been stripped of its roots, but the outcasts societies have left teens desensitized and prone to reckless behavior due to the ideals ingrained in these cultures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 5: Whitewashing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A culture as accepting and rebellious as hip-hop was never meant to be confined to the \u201cghettos\u201d of big cities. Eventually, it reached a diverse audience, many from different backgrounds than those for which hip-hop was created. However, once it branched out from ethnic to popular culture, the loose boundaries that hip-hop once prided itself on were taken advantage of as the once tight-knit community was stretched in a way it became almost unrecognizable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tHip-hop started spreading in the South Bronx in the 1970s due to the popularization of block parties in primarily black neighborhoods. People from all over New York City would come for the DJs, break dancers, and rappers, a style of music and partying that had never been seen before. And when the Bronx went on lockdown in the 80s these block parties continued, carrying the soul of the black communities with it. So it wasn\u2019t long before rap artists like Grandmaster Flash got signed by labels, yearning to commercialize the spirit of the Bronx. As soon as poor, \u201cghetto\u201d kids like Flash got signed, it gave hope to the impoverished people of the South Bronx that money could be made along with the appropriation of the culture that once took them in (BMXE). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tHip-hop was such an innate culture to the South Bronx that once it spread, people who were well off living in rich suburban areas didn\u2019t understand the roots of the culture. All they cared about was the beat of the music, the lyrics to which had no significant meaning. Because the culture was created as a form of expression to people growing up in those conditions \u2013 for people who suffered the brunt of gang violence, the rejection from mainstream society. Hip-hop is accepting of everyone, but you can\u2019t just be anyone to understand it. To anyone not living in similar circumstances, they were nothing more than words set to a catchy rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tBecause of this, it wasn\u2019t long before lyrics lost meaning completely. Rap artists would cater their tracks to the public, writing what they wanted to hear so that they could make the most money. The invention of autotune has devalued the \u201crealness\u201d and honesty of rap, making it something fake for monetary gain. Even people from \u201cghettos\u201d like the South Bronx thought of the commercialization of hip-hop as a way to make a fortune and escape the dreary realities of living in poverty. Even though hip-hop has suffered from cultural appropriation, it\u2019s still spreading hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tToday, the definition of hip-hop has become unclear. The path of consumerism it has taken from its days of struggle in \u201cthe hood\u201d to its popularity amongst rich, white teens who think it\u2019s cool to act \u201cghetto\u201d has rendered it nothing more than a shadow of itself. Therefore, many people believe it\u2019s important to make a distinction between the two. The differentiation between old and new hip-hop is argued in many online forums, one of them being the online community on HipHopDX. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHip hop is for a culture that is unique to the 80s through mid 90s. Rap music is for a culture that is unique from 2000 through present time\u2026 Hip hop focused more on creativity, lyricism, positivity, consciousness, and was definitely an art. Rap music is driven by song hooks with WAY less emphasis on lyrical prowess, little positivity, and minimum, creativity\u2026 People who grew up on hip hop mostly relate to the hip hop culture because that stuff was\u2026 well relatable to everyday life. People who grew up in the rap era love the hooks and these silly rap dances because that is all they can mostly decipher from the song\u201d (The Ice Cold Phenom).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the opinion of The Ice Cold Phenom old vs. modern hip-hop as he wrote on the forum. Similarly, someone with the username AR wrote,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe audience changed. Hip hop is now mostly made up of kids who grew up in the rich suburbs and go to high class schools during their teen years. Obviously they\u2019re not gonna relate to the music that artistically captures the life of inner city everyday people\u2026 Today\u2019s rap is all about partying, selling drugs, and fantasizing about a celebrity life that you\u2019re never gonna have\u201d (AR).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these are just the opinions of two people arguing the difference of old and modern hip-hop on a forum, the key points they made are trends observable with most teens. Hip-hop was appealing because it was different. Because it was rebellious. Because it was designed as an alternate path when the mainstream society wouldn\u2019t accept you. But it is also defined by circumstance. By the hardships that people in the \u201cghettos\u201d face, that the rich, white \u201cgangstas\u201d of our time cannot even imagine. Instead, they use hip-hop as a way to look cool. As a way to flip off the rest of the world and avoid responsibilities, when in reality it was created as a ray of hope. Therefore, modern day \u201chip-hop\u201d cannot be considered the same culture it once was in the South Bronx. Because what happened to the breakdancing, the graffiti, the \u201ccome as you are\u201d attitude? All that was left behind on the streets as hip-hop devolved into rap, the mantra of the modern teen that stresses binge drinking and excessive spending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So where does skateboarding fit in all this? The whitewashing of hip-hop took the exclusive sport down right along with it. Skateboarding was grouped into hip-hop and to the public eye, the two cultures were one and the same. Wannabe rappers started skating, sagging marked up skating apparel to display \u201cSupreme\u201d titled across their ass. The once exclusive culture became overrun with fakes who skated not for the love of the sport but for the need to be popular. Skateboarding transformed from a sport that used to be made fun of to something everyone wants to be a part of. And not enough credit goes to the people like Andrew, who stuck by their sport when it was considered stupid, not because of fame, not because it made them \u201ccool\u201d, but because it was their passion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whitewashing has commercialized street terms and popularized sayings like \u201cin the hood,\u201d which is used as a reference to impoverished, majority black neighborhoods of urban areas. \u201cGhetto\u201d is another word that has become commercialized and stripped of all cultural meaning. Throughout history, \u201cghettos\u201d were used to mark urban neighborhoods whose demographics consisted of mainly a minority ethnic group. Now, it\u2019s used as an adjective to describe anything that might come across as \u201csketchy\u201d, poor, or decrepit. \u201cSketchy\u201d is another such term now used to describe places or objects that come across as dangerous, poor, or just all in all, something different than what we know. Something is \u201csketchy\u201d because we aren\u2019t sure what it is, and our ignorance deems these things suspicious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 6: Desensitization<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tThe transition from old hip-hop to rap was due to the change in audience to the modern day teen. But why should people care? Because hip-hop has an alarming effect on the next generation: the desensitization to violence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tViolence became intertwined with hip-hop because it was what people faced in their everyday lives in the 19070s South Bronx. They rapped about it because it was their way of speaking out against the injustice that they faced \u2013 that they were getting shot at and killed without the rest of society caring. But that message got lost along the way as the reasons behind hip-hop\u2019s innate violence became murky. Now, it is something that can be seen in all rap songs. Lyrics like, \u201cSo now they both dead, and you slash your own throat \/ So now it\u2019s a double homicide and suicide with no note,\u201d from Eminem\u2019s \u201cKim,\u201d and \u201cI used to live her, too bad I had to put a slug through her\/Dumped her body in the trash like I never knew her,\u201d from Esham\u2019s
\u201cEx Girlfriend.\u201d Such violent lyrics have been set as the background music for life in the modern generation (XXL). With death threats and the abundance of domestic abuse, violence has become something that teens have accepted as an innate part of society. But how can we know that just listening to violent lyrics can develop a perverse view of our world in teens? A study done on the effects of violent movies on teens helps to shed light on that subject: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDesensitization to violence has been primarily studied in lab-based experimental studies that exposed college students to violent movies and video games. For instance, viewing of violent movies led to increased depressive and anxiety symptoms that diminished with repeated exposure as well as less empathy and sympathy for the depicted victims. Behavioral measures of desensitization also showed slower helping responses in children, college students, and adults after exposure to violent videos or video games\u201d (Mrung, et al.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This study shows that violence in media has serious effects on the ability of teens to empathize with each other because they are immersed in a world where empathy takes second to brutality. Hip-hop is just another one of these mediums that makes violence just another part of the \u201ccool factor,\u201d glorifying domestic abuse and murder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tIn a society where our fear is being overrun by excessive gun violence, hearing kids joke about shooting up schools and fake planning mass murders gets to be extremely concerning. For the most part, we laugh those nerves away and keep telling ourselves they\u2019re just jokes, it\u2019s nothing real. But the fact that we think it\u2019s okay to joke about such horrific attacks proves the desensitization we have towards brutality. At the end of the day, jokes are just one dimension away from reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As hip-hop evolves, it becomes more and more violent. And the more teenagers are exposed to it, the more desensitized we get. The more desensitized we get, the closer we come to blurring the lines between jokes and reality. Away from its hearth, hip-hop breeds a society of people with a defiantly careless attitude who forget the emotionally damaging aspects of violence and think that because it\u2019s something omnipresent in media, it is something that is okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is because of this desensitization that adults are wary about their children buying into hip-hop culture. With the violence, drugs, and recklessness, it\u2019s a reasonable stance for parents to take. But hip-hop is everywhere. Without us even realizing it, the ideals are ingrained in our society. It\u2019s the idea people are too uptight if they care too much about school or a structural system. That the only way to seem cool is to not care. But where do indifference and apathy lead teens? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hip-hop and skateboarding were the countercultures of the late 20th century. But all countercultures eventually disappear or become the mainstream. In the case of hip-hop, its integration into the mainstream culture not only diluted the culture but also took the exclusive skateboarding culture along with it. These two cultures have become nothing more than a manifestation of \u201ccool\u201d in the teenage mind, as its ideals warp and twist into something more appealing to our youth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kids in the rich parts of town flex Armani jackets, Gucci belts, and Yeezy shoes, casually dropping f\u2013, s\u2013, and n\u2013bombs while conversing with their bros. Due to this obvious lack of understanding of the roots of hip-hop culture, many parents and adults blame hip-hop for \u201cdesensitizing teenagers to the effects of guns, drugs, and gangs,\u201d something that can be observed in the general high school culture today. Meanwhile, kids in \u201cthe hood\u201d are more true to the origins of the culture and write raps about \u201cthug life\u201d and their lyrics revolve around death and violence. Cornel West, a professor of Religions and Afro-American studies, writes, \u201cFor many poor inner-city youth, the gun, which has has a central role in the lyrics of many gangsta rappers, represents a way to empower oneself and gain respect within continuing cycles of racial and economic prejudice.\u201d While there are still people who \u201ckeep it real\u201d with their lyrics, the industry has become all about what sells rather than what\u2019s right. DJ Kool Herc says it best: \u201cnot enough people are using hip-hop as a way to deal with serious issues, as a way to try to change things before tragedy strikes\u201d (Chang xi). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Works Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AR. \u201cThe Breakdown: Real Hip Hop vs. Fake Hip Hop.\u201d HipHopDX<\/em>, 8 Oct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017, hiphopdx.com\/videos\/id.26262\/title.the-breakdown-real-hip-hop-vs-fake-hip-hop#.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BMXE. \u201cThe History of Hip Hop Music.\u201d Genius<\/em>, 24 Nov. 2014,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

genius.com\/Bmxe-the-history-of-hip-hop-music-annotated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Castro, Alexis. \u201cHow Skaters Really Feel About Fashion’s Appropriation of Their <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culture.\u201dFashionista<\/em>, 12 July 2016, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

fashionista.com\/2016\/07\/fashion-appropriation-skater-culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chang, Jeff. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation<\/em>. St. Martin’s Press, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ihaza, Jeff. \u201cSkateboarding, Hip-Hop Foster Artistic Expression Similarly.\u201d The Pitt News<\/em>, 22 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan. 2013, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

pittnews.com\/article\/12073\/archives\/skateboarding-hip-hop-foster-artistic-expression-sim<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ilarly\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Langi, Andrew. Personal Interview. 12 March 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Langi, Andrew. Personal Interview. 3 April 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Langi, Andrew. Personal Interview. 19 March 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lynskey, Dorian. \u201cGrandmaster Flash: \u2018Hip-Hop\u2019s Message Was Simple: We Matter.\u2019\u201d The <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guardian<\/em>, 7 Aug. 2016,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.theguardian.com\/music\/2016\/aug\/07\/the-get-down-baz-luhrmann-grandmaster-flas<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

h-hip-hop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrug Sylvie, et al. \u201cEmotional Desensitization to Violence Contributes to Adolescents\u2019 Violent <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behavior.\u201dNCBI<\/em>, 1 Jan. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4539292\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nielsen, Laura Beth. \u201cSkateboarding Is Still a Crime, But the Sport Is Admirable.\u201d Huffington <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post<\/em>, 22 May 2013, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.huffingtonpost.com\/laura-beth-nielsen\/skateboarding-laws_b_2934728.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skatemag. \u201cThe Evolution of Skateboarding – A History from Sidewalk Surfing to <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Superstardom.\u201d Skateboarding Magazine<\/em>, 5 Mar. 2013, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.skateboardingmagazine.com\/the-evolution-of-skateboarding-a-history-from-sidewa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

lk-surfing-to-superstardom\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strubing, Jason. Personal Interview. 19 March 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ice Cold Phenom. \u201cThe Breakdown: Real Hip Hop vs. Fake Hip Hop.\u201d HipHopDX<\/em>, 8 Oct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2017, hiphopdx.com\/videos\/id.26262\/title.the-breakdown-real-hip-hop-vs-fake-hip-hop#.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

XXL. \u201c50 Violent Rap Lyrics That Will Make You Cringe.\u201d Preezy<\/em>, 6 July 2016, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.xxlmag.com\/news\/2016\/07\/rap-lyrics-violent\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dedication This book is dedicated to Skateworks as they continue to inspire passion in young kids through skating. Acknowledgements Special thanks to Andrew Langi for<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-428","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","one-column"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=428"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":429,"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/428\/revisions\/429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~MahikaG\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}