"When Did You Fall in Love with Hip-Hop?" by CD

 Context: The question is a quote from the movie Brown Sugar (2002)

    For me to make a blog partially dedicated to rap music and hip-hop culture, the very least I could do is share my story with it. What made me fall in love with hip-hop? Why do I like it so much? What is so good about hip-hop that I feel the need to write about it? At first, I intended to talk about my first experience with hip-hop, how I listened to my dad playing good kid, m.A.A.d city in his car, and it was my first time hearing it. I could also talk about how playing so many video games introduced me to rap as well…or how rap has been my favorite genre since I was a little kid. Even though those moments contributed to it, it’s not what made me fall in love with hip-hop. Actually, I didn’t fall in love with hip-hop until my senior year of high school. When I was a bit younger, I had an uncle who was constantly collecting movies until the day he died. I vividly remember him having bags and boxes full of DVDs, movies of all genres, and all decades. So, when he passed, his movie collection stayed at my dad’s house. My dad would take a movie to watch occasionally, but for the most part, his collection was untouched. After a while, my parents were unsure of what to do with his things, possibly giving stuff away or putting things in storage. I think at that point, I decided to take a few of his movies, one of them being Straight Outta Compton (2015). 

    If I’m being honest, I feel a bit foolish to say a movie made me fall in love with hip-hop, but it’s partially true. It was a movie about N.W.A and their rise to fame. We could also discuss how the movie is partially inaccurate and disrespects Eazy-E, but that’s an essay for another time. The movie was great at teaching people the history of the group and inspired me to research more about them. Now, when I become interested in topics, I like learning as much about them as I can. That’s when everything else happened; I started watching video essays, interviews, searching for magazines, reading about them, and listening to some of their music. Needless to say, they quickly became my favorite rap group. However, it wasn’t just N.W.A that I liked. Learning about N.W.A ended up introducing me to other artists from the ‘80s and ‘90s. It went from N.W.A to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, then DJ Quik, then Snoop Dogg, Public Enemy, De La Soul, E-40, Nas, Roxanne Shante, and eventually, I was only listening to hip-hop for the sake of my research. It didn’t take me long to figure out it was no longer research; I was fully invested in rap music. Hearing so many forms of poetry, being introduced to different subcultures in rap, and listening to different instrumentals? It made me feel emotions I never felt with other genres before. Not to mention this was before I started listening to newer rappers and hearing more modern versions of rap music. I started listening to albums by Doechii, Tyler, The Creator, and Kendrick Lamar, learning how everyone has a different way of presenting their art and poetry. Honestly, I hope everyone has a genre of music that gives them that same feeling. I want everyone to have a music genre that they love learning about and listening to. It’s just for me; that genre is hip-hop…and maybe I like it a bit too much. I remember sitting in my anatomy class, listening to Eazy-E on the school laptop. Thinking about it now, I don’t know how N.W.A’s music made it through the guidelines lol. 

My little research period also helped me realize something: hip-hop was deeply tied to a lot of the video games I played. Games like Grand Theft Auto V and San Andreas, Watch Dogs 2, and Skate 3 would have their own radio stations that I would have on repeat every time I turned on my console. Then, movies that I would watch, like Brown Sugar, Black Panther, and recently Straight Outta Compton, would have a mostly hip-hop soundtrack. Before I realized it, most of my interests involved rap music in some way, shape, or form. Additionally, learning about hip-hop culture introduced me to subcultures, such as graffiti and skateboarding culture. The culture quickly became a part of my life, and in simpler terms, I love it so much that I feel the need to constantly discuss it. There are so many things that I love that I haven’t written about yet. Along with that, there are so many things I haven’t discovered that I would probably love to write about. I felt that making this blog would allow me to do those things: talking about the hip-hop that I know and finding new parts of the culture to talk about. The only difference is now, I’ll potentially have an audience who shares similar interests. I would love to thank everyone for the support I got on my first essay. I didn’t know at the time that I would make an entire blog as a result; I just knew I wanted people to hear what I had to say, and I appreciate you guys very much. Thankfully, the website is up and running, but I want to use this blog as an opportunity to pursue my interests, while giving you all the opportunity to read about them. I would love to have your support in my mini blog journey, and hopefully, I can give you guys entertainment in return. Needless to say, I’m proud of this blog and can’t wait for what else comes next! 

- CD ★

Announcement for 10/11/25 ☆

 Hey! I have a few announcements for today, and I wanted to share with you guys! 

1. I finally posted a slideshow on my Instagram and TikTok (recently made that account too), so I could bring more people to the blog. I don't know if I'll keep TikTok as of right now, so I didn't link it to the website (yet). Let's hope for the best honestly lol. 

2. I added a new tab on the website titled "BSF Monthly" (Black Short Films), which will be dedicated to showing short films - maybe even longer - made by black creatives. I got this idea because I was on TikTok, going through my old saves, and found a short film that I never took the time to watch. In simpler words, I saved it and forgot. When I actually did watch the movie today, I ended up enjoying it and wanted to share it with someone...But I don't know anyone personally who is into that specific thing. Not to mention the short film that I watched came out a year ago. So I thought, "Why not just show it on the website?" considering I plan on discussing movies and TV in the future anyway. So now we have BSF Monthly lmao! I'll finish up decorating the page, and I'll make sure to put the film in there tomorrow...and after that, I'll try to find a new film every month to put in that section. So be on the lookout for that, please!

3. I also have a mini piece that is coming out tomorrow! It'll be a small essay of me talking about how I started getting into hip-hop culture and my small history with it. It's not as long as my first piece, but it's still something I wanted to share. So yes, there are a couple of things happening tomorrow to be on the lookout for. 🤭

Anyway, I think those are all the announcements for today! I'll be sure to update soon. 

Announcement for 10/8/25 ☆

     Hey! I hope everyone is doing good. I have a few announcements to share with everyone: 

1. I am happy to announce that I officially bought the ".com" domain, so the site is finally mine. I successfully bought my little spot on the internet. Also, the new name of the website is www.cdthenet.com instead of "blogspot.com" 😌

2. We will not be having a session on Skate 6 Radio for a few weeks. I want to get more attention for the blog before I establish everything else. I also want to change my schedule for the sessions anyway. 

3. I want to take some time to start writing again because I only have one essay on here. I've been doing everything BUT writing, so I want to take some time for myself...like get my creative juices going or something lol! 

    That's it for right now. I'll be sure to update you guys another time! ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

Update for 10/3/25 ☆

     Hey everyone! First off, I am happy to announce that the first essay, How Hating Rap is Anti-Black,  has been released, and I would love for you guys to check it out. Second, I want everyone to know that I'm still working on a few things for the blog. Considering we just finished making the radio station and the schedule, I want to plan a few music events soon...so I'll be working on planning more things. I'm having a lot of fun with all of this; I'll be honest, lol! I'll be adding another tab at the top of the website named "Events" where we can plan digital music events (most likely the end of this year and next year). I'll give more updates soon, but other than that, that's everything I have to tell you! XD

- Side Note: The first listening session for Skate 6 Radio will be this Tuesday from 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM CST. See you guys there! 

How Hating Rap is Anti-Black: A Quick Discussion

 

    As someone who recently started reading and listening to discussions of music, I couldn’t help but notice a certain pattern. When it comes to the discussion of rap & hip-hop, I’ve noticed the music and artists are more criticized and sometimes disrespected compared to artists in other genres. I kept wondering why this was the case for a while until I came across a YouTuber named who is isaiah? (Please check him out.) He made a video discussing people going out of their way to take the rap verses out of pop songs and upload them as a “No rap version” on YouTube, and how weird some of the comments were on those videos. He was also explaining how some of the comments either came across as racist or simply were, also talking about how taking out the rap verses can be racially motivated, but I want to go even further. I want to explain how deeply disliking rap music as a whole can be anti-black. I also want to thank him for sparking this topic. 

    Now, obviously, simply not liking rap isn’t inherently racist. It can even be as simple as music taste and preference. Not to mention, there are several genres of music that people can’t get themselves to enjoy for various reasons. I’ll even use myself as an example. I can’t get myself to listen to a lot of country music because I don’t like the sound of a lot of country songs. Some people simply don’t like the sound of rap music, and that is okay. Maybe some of the instrumentals aren’t for you, or you don't like heavy lyricism. However, that is not the problem. The problem is when people go out of their way to prove that they don’t like rap music or go out of their way to explain why they don’t like it using phrases such as: 

• “I listen to everything but rap.” Depending on the tone being used, this isn’t always a bad statement. Maybe someone’s asking about your music taste, and this is how you respond. However, tone does matter. Expressing an almost disgust towards hip-hop is a bit concerning. 
• “Rap is violent.” or “Rap is inappropriate.” I hope I don’t have to explain why those are bad statements. 
• “I didn’t like rap until I listened to K-pop.” Which is a very…unique thing to say and will be discussed later. 
• “Rap isn’t real music/art.” Again, it will be discussed later. 
• “All they rap about is guns/money/women/violence/sex/literally any other highly stereotypical thing.” By “they,” you already know who people are referring to, letting you know someone’s thought process when those words are said. 

    Again, simply not liking rap is one thing and is absolutely fine, but it becomes a problem when someone goes out of their way to say they hate it or uses phrases like these to explain themselves. The reason this is a problem is because it’s not needed. Simply saying you don’t like rap is enough. Simply saying I don’t like country music is enough. There’s no need for me to say something like “I don’t like country because all they sing about is beer/women/trucks.” It’s an unfair generalization, no matter how much you think the statement is true. It’s also just foolish to say. 

    Now, are there rappers that talk about violence, sex, money, drugs, women, and everything else in between? Yes. Absolutely. Of course. As much as I love N.W.A., Insane Clown Posse, Freddie Dredd, and DJ Quik, I can’t deny that they talk about violent things in their music. However, not only are there several other rappers that don’t talk about those things, but rappers aren’t the only ones who do it. To make it seem as if rappers are the only violent ones in music is an inherently racist opinion. Another thing that bothers me is that a lot of people will dislike rap for being violent or disturbing, but will listen to something like Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People or Bury a Friend by Billie Eilish with no issue (nothing is wrong with either of those songs, just using them as examples). Is it that rap is too violent, or do you just not like who is saying the words? 

    The “only rappers talk about drugs and sex” is also an invalid statement because once again, they aren’t the only ones that do it. Not to mention, this is also an unfair generalization. Acting as if rap is the only genre that talks about drugs and/or sex when we have artists such as Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande (especially the Positions album), SZA, H.E.R., and The Internet is a very idiotic take (love all of their music by the way). If I were to give specific examples from each artist, this essay would be longer than it already is. However, I encourage you to listen to some of their music to prove my point. Also, again, there are several artists in the music space that don’t discuss these things. 

    Also, to say that you didn’t like rap until you were introduced to K-pop says a lot, considering a lot of K-pop music is inspired by black artists and black culture. One of the main examples that comes to mind is Tinashe and her impact on a lot of current K-pop girl groups. I will link a video of someone discussing the topic way better than I can if anyone is interested. Along with this, a lot of famous rappers in K-pop groups have talked about their inspiration coming from black artists. A couple of examples include RM from BTS with his interview with Billboard and discussing how Nas and Drake had inspired him. He even discussed how hearing Drake rap and sing in his songs gave him inspiration as an artist. We could also use Jennie from BLACKPINK talking about her and her group members being inspired by TLC, and even doing karaoke in a car with James Corden. Additionally, several well-known K-pop songs sound similar to popular songs by black artists, as well as certain Korean rappers having similar cadences to black rappers in the U.S. My point is, liking Korean rap is fine; however, it’s okay to admit that Korean rappers have used or even stolen ideas from black culture. 

    Lastly, to say that rap isn’t real music or art is a highly unintelligent statement. As I am writing this, I tried to research different opinions. Why do people think rap isn’t considered art? One of the main reasons I am seeing is that there is a lack of melody in a lot of rap songs. Of course, there were other opinions I read online, but they came across as disrespectful and will not be discussed. I want to say that rapping alone is considered an art. Something I want to remind people when it comes to this is that rap is poetry. If we want to look at it simply, all rappers are poets. It doesn’t matter how serious or silly the words are, nor does it matter who is saying them. All rappers are poets. Poetry alone is a form of art. Along with this, many rappers have the skill of saying their words a certain way over an instrumental, calling this a flow and cadence. Having a flow that sounds nice over an instrumental can always be considered a melody. If someone were to rap over an instrumental by just talking or using their regular speaking voice, it wouldn’t sound as appealing. Similar to singers, rappers have to adjust their voices, just not as much. Also, just because someone isn’t singing or using high notes doesn’t mean there’s no melody at all. Whether you think so or not, almost every song has a melody, even if a traditional singer is not involved.

    Now I understand that rap isn’t perfect. It never was. As much as I love rap, no one can deny there are themes of misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, violence against women, objectification, and many more topics we haven’t touched on. Especially coming from older hip-hop and male rappers. However, that is not the majority of hip-hop, and I think we are all aware of that. When it comes to people who despise rap and justify their reasoning, I see a lot of them generalize the genre. I also see a lot of them making it seem as if these are the only topics discussed in rap as a whole. To say this downplays a lot of rappers who don’t talk about these things, and the rappers who even uplift the community. It’s unfair to say rap isn’t real music/art when we have artists with introspective views such as Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, J.Cole, Mac Miller (may he rest in peace), and that’s just naming the “new age” rappers. It’s unfair to say rap is violent when we had rappers like Queen Latifah, who was promoting unity in the black community, Left Eye from TLC (may she rest in peace as well), who promoted self-love, safe sex, and confidence, or even De La Soul, who gave a more playful feeling to hip-hop. Lastly, yes, some rappers did talk about violent things, such as N.W.A. As much as I enjoy their music, a lot of the lyrics are questionable to say the least. However, they were also known for shedding light on police brutality and racial profiling, which is sadly still relevant today. Their music alone was a protest, whether we want to admit that or not. 

    Before I finish, I want to make it known that my intention in writing this was not to convince you to listen to rap music. As I mentioned earlier, if you don’t like rap music, that is completely fine. My point in making this essay was to convince people to stop hating hip-hop so much. No matter how much you hate it, you can’t deny that hip-hop has been - and still is - incredibly influential. Along with this, I wanted to show how deeply disliking hip-hop to the extent that we explained can be anti-black because those opinions tend to put the black community into a box, whether it’s intentional or not. I know this statement is constantly repeated, but black people are not a monolith. This statement also goes for hip-hop and rap music. Not every rapper is the same, and not every rapper talks about the same things. To talk online as if all rappers are the same, knowing the majority of rappers are black, is a racist mentality. My intention in writing this was to give more awareness and hopefully change some people’s way of thinking. If you decided to listen to rap music as a result, that is great too. If no one could tell already, rap is one of my favorite genres in music, so seeing the genre being disrespected for no good reason and not being treated as real art upsets me. In the future, I want people to treat rap as an art form and as real music, just like any other genre. Finally, to those who read all the way through, thank you for listening to what I had to say. Rap music for life, y’all! LMAO 

- CD ★

☆ SOURCES ☆ - Click for more info!

• "The Pop "It Girl" who has been here the entire time." by Camryn Suzanne (YouTube Video)
• "Why KPop Loves Tinashe" by naomi cannibal (YouTube Video) 
• "Girl Group BLACKPINK on How They Were Inspired By TLC & Sing "No Scrubs" | April 2023 | TLC-Army.com" by Supernova Leon (YouTube Video) 
  
• "RM Reveals the Influence Drake & Eminem Had on Him, How BTS Used to Be ‘Mocked’" by Gil Kaufman (Article) 
  
• "Rap Music Isn’t Music" by Chase March (Article)  

☆ BONUS SOURCE (FOR FUN :) ☆

This also gives more insight into the K-pop discussion. Again, thank you guys so much for listening. <3