RAP MUSIC Popular culture is defined as the ordinary culture people make for themselves (McLeish, 1993). From the nineteenth century onward the term popular culture took on new meaning, referring to pop culture as somewhat beneath higher culture (1993). In other words, things that the common people enjoyed were looked down upon as opposed to say, opera, cricket or intellectual pursuits. Popular culture belonged to the common man whereas the higher forms of entertainment were enjoyed by the upper crust. High culture is what those with refined tastes like (1993). Popular culture includes things enjoyed by the masses (1993). Such pursuits might include bowling, baseball, rock music and movies. Yankelovich Clancy Shulman says that most of today's pop culture reflects "neotraditionalism" or a synthesis of positive aspects of traditional values along with personal freedoms that came forth in the wake of the sexual revolution and women's rights movements (Huey, 1991). In order to understand pop culture one must understand the difference between culture and counterculture (1991). The dominant culture embraces normative behavior whereas a counterculture develops its own set of rules. Ordinarily, pop culture breaks barriers and springs from discontent; rap music emerged from the ghettos where life is tough (1991). Rap music certainly falls into the category of popular culture but has quite a bit of significance. In fact, rap music or hip-hop, is a genre that originated in the seventies in New York City (Columbia, 1993). The term rap emanated from sixties lingo, the word "rap" meaning conversation (1993). In the sixties and seventies, people would have rap sessions as opposed to group counseling, for example. Rap music consists of chanted; street poetry that is often improvised (1993). The rap is accompanied by music in the disco or funk area (1993). While some admire the creativity that rapers employ, others criticize the genre for promoting violence and misogyny (1993).
