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1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave: The Story of Hip Hop Protest

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The Story of Hip Hop Protest

24/07/2011

BBC Radio 1Xtra - 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave, The Story of Hip Hop Protest

From NWA to Kanye, LA to Egypt, rap has fought racism, injustice and even governments.

From NWA to Kanye, LA to Egypt, hip hop has become the dominant form of musical protest as rappers fight for change, be it reform in the NHS or revolution in North Africa.

From NWA to Kanye, L.A. to Egypt, hip hop has become THE dominant form of musical protest as rappers fight for change, be it reform in the NHS or revolution in North Africa. 

Since its inception, rap has covered every cultural topic from dealing with life in the ghetto, to racism and even worldwide politics. Hip Hop artists from NWA and Public Enemy to Dead Prez and Immortal Technique have rapped about political and social issues, with songs protesting about the government, the police and other institutions and injustices. 

In this programme we hear the best protest music hip hop has to offer with the help of the artists who created the tracks, the DJ's who play them and the music journalists who report on them. From Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's 'The Message' to Kanye West's 'Diamonds Are Forever', listeners get to hear those seminal tracks as we explore what inspired the music. 

What messages do the artists and their music convey, what impact have they had and what has been their legacy? We also explore why, as years have progressed, there has been a shift away from protest hip hop in the mainstream and take a look at those artists flying the flag today. 

The mid eighties to early nineties was the golden age of hip hop protest, with a proliferation of acts that made political and social consciousness an integral part of their music. The programme examines tracks like NWA's F**K The Police, Public Enemy's Fight The Power and The Message by Grandmaster Flash, all which articulated the pain, struggle and trials of black youth in America. The Message hit no.8 in the UK singles chart and was about class discrimination, poverty and broken neighbourhoods. It is perhaps the most famous of all hip hop protest tracks. From his studio in the Bronx, Grandmaster Melle Mel helps contextualize the cut for our listeners and talks about how it influenced a whole generation - raising the profile of rap to a new level. Later Public Enemy's Chuck D tells how his music empowered the youth and became as much a movement as hip hop itself. 

NWA were inspired by artists like Public Enemy and their music aggressively fought for equality, pride and freedom. But in the mid-90's conscious rap was dismantled in favour of more escapist flavours, with rhymes now focusing on women, drugs and partying. So what happened? Hip Hop journalists Kim Kane and Dorian Lynskey offer their thoughts as we explore the shift in rap music that was to mark a decrease, but by no means the death, of the protest song. 

Today hip hop protest has moved from the streets of Compton to Tahrir Square and North Africa. From Egypt, El General tells us how his music and that of other MCs played its part in the Arab Spring. Like injustice and inequality around the world, hip hop protest will continue for many years to come. 

This programme contains very strong language throughout, together with views and lyrical content which some listeners will find offensive.

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