Growing up, I was always into music. My dad grew up listening to rock, and when I was born the same happened with me. Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeath. These were all groups who’s music I have listened to for a long time because of my dad. I’m not really that into hip hop music. Besides a couple Kendrick Lamar songs, I don’t really pay attention to the genre of rap/hip hop too much. After researching, I have come to the conclusion that rap and hip hop music is all about personal expression, and describing the struggles that one has went through in their lifetime, and how they have gotten past those struggles. In the following body paragraphs, I will be answering questions such as “How does this culture use media?” “What role does media play in this groups lives?” “What needs do media satisfy for this culture?”
Rap and Hip Hop cultures essentially use media in very similar ways. Media is not only used to show their music to the world, but also to promote themselves as artists. In lecture 12.1, it describes media culture as cultures using media to make sense of the world. I believe this statement is true for the hip hop and rap culture because if you’re in this business, you need to be on media to release, preview, and promote music. There are many more uses for media for the rap/hip hop culture, but the main ways they use them is the ways I listed above.
Media plays a huge role in this cultures life. If it wasn’t for the many types of media we have, these artists wouldn’t have outlets to share all of their music so easily on. If it weren’t for these medias, everyone would have to put their music on CDs, or cassette/vinyl tapes. Because of how easy it is for artists to release their music to the world on a variety of platforms, it make it easier for people to come to know that certain artist. In the article linked here, the author states that although media can have both positive and negative impacts on many things, media mainly helps the hip hop and rap culture, as it helps them spread their music, and gain a following. I agree with what the author has stated because the only reason I know of some rap and hip hop artists is because of how big they are in the media.
I believe the two needs that media satisfy for this culture are recognition and social. Rap and Hip Hop can be portrayed in the media both negatively and positively. In lecture 2.2, the slide says some groups are portrayed favorably, and other are portrayed in derogatory ways. Rap is presented in a positive way by artists promoting their music, and gaining comments and followers saying how much the fans are enjoying the music. However, rap and hip hop are also presented in negative ways. 
Pictured above is rapper XXXTentacion, who’s real name is Jahseh Onfroy. This is his mug shot from 2014, when he was charged with gun possession. Its pictures like this and news that spreads about this that put a negative image on the hip hop and rap culture. Onfroy was released. In June of 2018, he was killed leaving a motor sports store in Florida. He was 20 years old. His death was not only bad for all his fans and family, but furthermore but a bad image on the hip hop and rap culture. This is because the things he did during. his professional career got him killed, and that this could happen to any artist. Although XXXTentacion had a plethora of legal troubles, his past did not dwell on him, as even before his passing his music was being listened to over and over again by people all over the world.
I also think that media satisfies social needs for the rap and hip hop culture. As lecture 12.3 says, media enables us to socialize in myriad ways. While goes hand in hand with the hip hop and rap culture. this culture utilizes socialization through media, about media and around media. This culture revolves around media. If a well-know artist drops a new album, they promote it on instagram or twitter, which then gets people talking about it. The artists themselves talk about other artists and their opinions on them, and fans socialize about the artists.
To bring all my thoughts together, media has a variety of impacts on different cultures and groups and while some of those impacts may be negative, the positives outweigh the negatives because of how much media improves growth in the hip hop and rap culture.
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