The hip hop community has been inundated with a colossal windfall of “messy news” that has distracted from the power economics that could alleviate a host of issues in the communities that champion the genre. Not a segment of culture to be aesthetically limited — as hip hop can easily have an influence on a young Black male who was born in the culture or a young White male that discovered the nuances of the culture later in life, for example — hip hop’s reach spans various ages, genders, sexual preferences, races, and ethnicities.
When hip hop is down real bad, so are those who engage in its narrative daily. Although the passion is admirable, it could distract from the real-life responsibilities that are muddied by the latest rap beef or unthinkable rant. Case in point, the midterm elections and the radical politicians that are supporting legislation that may possibly be a major upset when executed in real time, such as what occurred during the onslaught of politics surrounding abortion, student loans, and police defunding, are taking a backseat to hearsay and fodder that includes the promotion of unhealthy paranoia and distrust. Ultimately, it’s deflecting from root problems, while dividing already minimized and marginalized groups.
For instance, one asinine theory that runs in the Black community specifically is the whole categorization of those that choose to be ignorant and act out destructively versus those that pursue upward mobility and the uplifting of the people. The simplification of a group of people based on behavior neglects the root causes of their choices and substantially, makes an excuse for withholding the resources and tools necessary to cipher aid to those in need. Yet, there’s a double-edge sword that influences some to make this differentiation, since outsiders make assumptions that the entire demographic bear the same mentality across the board, when that could be farther from the truth.
What it comes down to is politics. Street politics, corporate politics, government politics. The lack of engagement in these areas can leave a community starving and at the mercy of those who have their hand on the pulse of these dynamics. If there’s no involvement in the community, no stake in the businesses that serve in that community, or no say in the laws that affect the community, then deterioration (or even extinction) is inevitable.
The balance is tipping, but is anyone paying attention? Since the pandemic, the awareness of crime, if not crime itself, has certainly increased thanks to a heartless social media culture. Trending gun violence, robbery, and larceny have fueled Republicans to focus on campaigns calling for initiatives to mitigate crime, including hiring more police officers while funneling more funding to police departments to reverse the irresponsible call to divest in and defund the police, a movement initiated during the 2020 riots that was fostered by hasty emotional responses instead of rational and strategic plans that could effectively benefit people of color, not deprive them of safe living conditions and emergency assistance.
Another focal point for Republicans is inflation, something that many of them blame on President Joe Biden’s policies. It doesn’t help that a widespread engulfment of homeless encampments have emerged across the nation, while drug abuse attributed to the lack of border control runs rampant throughout impoverished neighborhoods. Despite President Biden’s rollout of modest stimulus payments and a tricky stunt that gave hope to students with promise of debt forgiveness with a too-good-to-be-true application process, the tough talk of Republicans is swaying free-thinkers’ alliance to Democrats.
Topping that, the federal reserve hiked interest rates by 0.75%, aiming for a borrowing rate at 3.75%-4% for the central bank.
“Inflation remains elevated, reflecting supply and demand imbalances related to the pandemic, higher food and energy prices, and broader price pressures,” reads a statement from the Federal Reserve. “The Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 3-3/4 to 4 percent. The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time.”
How does all of this affect the hip hop community? Well, if Republicans are offering a tight hold on the right to bear arms and carry, tax breaks, and the promise of a better economy, although void of a transparent plan on how to accomplish that, it is no wonder that the segment of hip hop that worships capitalism and weaponry that protects those gains will support the campaign that appeals to them.
In contrast, many of the Democratic party’s initiatives are domestic in nature, appealing to the emotion of personal choices, such as the right to choose an abortion, identify as one pleases, and most recently, to preserve democracy. In the midst of a struggling “middle class” and forgotten “lower class,” Democrats are cute with offering the decriminalization of marijuana without taking a hard position on reinstating the freedom and social standing of those charged with marijuana offenses and providing economic feasibility in the cannabis industry to marginalized people who may not have legitimate business experience, a high credit score, or connections to cultivate lucrative partnerships.
The overall sensibilities of the Democratic party is appealing because of the promise of finally establishing a nation that is truly equal and fair, but that marketing strategy is giving close call when it comes to the polls. The midterm elections are showing that Republicans are participating in early voting at a higher rate (33.5%) than in 2020, according to the U.S. Election Project. To be fair, Democrats have also increased to 43.9%, up from 40.8% in 2020, but it appears to be a response to reports of Trump supporters taking a more aggressive approach to voting.
When it comes to demographics, 65% of Gen Zers and millennials plan to vote, along with 67% of Black voters, 69% of Latino voters, and 89% of White voters, according to PBS. The statistics forecast a takeover of the House of Representatives by Republicans. The Senate is not as predictable, with four races in states, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada, possibly being the determining factors.
Should the Republicans gain control of these chambers, it will be a major threshold on President Biden’s proposed legislation. With voter suppression, such as voter ID laws, and intimidation, such as the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, looming elections, President Biden held a press conference at Union Station in Washington in which he warned the nation of potential upheaval about election results.
“As I stand here today, there are candidates running for every level of office in America – for governor, for Congress, for attorney general, for secretary of state – who won’t commit to accepting the results of the elections they’re in,” President Biden said. “We can’t take democracy for granted any longer.”
With all of this said, the hip hop community has an opportunity to rise above the distractions and educate themselves on tactics being used to sway our thinking, such as why rap lyrics are under attack in the courts or why we’ve lost so many prominent rappers to gun violence in the last few years. It’s also reasonable to question why the voices of less deserving to be heard members of the hip hop community are being amplified right around election time. This might be preaching to the choir, but don’t be surprised the next time the hip hop community is used as a pawn — or a distraction.
