Being in America, where the hip hop culture originated, I never thought about other countries having their own version of hip hop culture. Watching the different rap videos from artists from a variety of cultures introduced me to a broader aspect of the widespread culture. There are Indian rappers, French rappers, English rappers, Spanish rappers, and even Israeli rappers. Each culture has its own set of topics that they choose to rap about. The rappers here in America predominantly rap about having money and material things. Other popular topics for them to rap about are sex, drugs, and cars.
In French culture, it is popular to rap about the hardship of the rapper's lives. The rappers in french culture are mostly people that are immigrants. A lot of the rappers are of African descent. Being that most of the rappers immigrated to France they experience a lot of problems with getting jobs and making a good living. They frequently live in poverty and live in the poor area of Paris. The group Bouchees Doubles is an example of a French hp hop group. This group consists of a black man and a guy who looks like he is hispanic. They have a single which is entitled Lis nos coeurs, which translates to read our hearts. Their group name, Bouchees Doubles, translates to Bite Doubles. Neither the name of the song or the name of the group seems to have a negative or violent connotation. This implies that their culture, or at least this one group in particular, raps about the hardships that they have personally faced. Judging by the title of the song, read our hearts, it seems that the song is about how they have been hurt in their lives. It implies that they have a sadness that they want to share with the world and is trying to relate to those who have had led similar lives to them.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
French Hip Hop Culture
Posted by **Miss September** at 6:27 PM
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3 comments:
I think that it is interesting that you said that you never would have thought that other countries would have their own versions of a hip hop culture because I thought the same thing. I think that as you stated, the main focuses of hip hop in America is narrowed to material items, compared to that of other foreign countries. Those other countries are more driven to paint an image, give a testimony, and be politically outspoken. With that said, I think it is awkward how a lot of American rappers claim that what they rap about is “real” hip hop, when you these other countries that have rappers who literally rap about real life hardships, real and raw politics, and real poverty.
I would have to say i agree with Giavanna. American Rappers do not talk about anything materials things such as money, cars, clothes and women. Rappers of other countries talk about their lives and their struggles of daily life. These American rappers talk about crap whereas rappers of these other coutries rap about true life stuff that others can relate to just like the old rappers who founded the hip hop culture.
I have been raised in African household, and we listen to African rap music, when I first heard i was shocked i didnt know other parts of the world had a Hip Hop culture so I was like you when I heard African Hip Hop, which they call Hip-life.
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