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Can hip hop be saved?

Stealing from other people is an American tradition as old as the Constitution. Among America's first counts include its theft of land from native tenants, its theft of people through systematic slavery, and its theft of ideas to accommodate a lack of national history. These historical offenses, of course, became habit and have made way to more recent accusations of cultural theft. In the 20th century, for example, mainstream pop culture has made a practice of shoplifting black music traditions for its own profit and enjoyment. First, white America "borrowed" jazz. Then it "borrowed" the blues, then rock and roll, funk, and most recently, Hip Hop.
It is this final ill-gotten gain that interests me most: Hip Hop. Why? Because Hip Hop is my culture. It is the foundation on which my frame of reference is built. Born a few years before me, Hip Hop has not only shaped my worldview, but has sculpted the era in which I live. One might say that instead of a double helix, I have two turn...

Posted by: Amy Hetzel

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