Now that we’ve laid some groundwork for discussing Hip Hop, I’d like to jump into the first lesson we can learn: Listen to People’s Struggles. I work with a lot of urban and rural youth, many of whom are a part of the hip hop culture, some of whom are not. At times, there are youth who share some of the same comments that many adults share, “that music is so negative.” My caution to them is that, though it is okay to disagree with some of the content, it is important to listen to a person’s struggle when they are sharing it.
Song writing is an art form, and it often involves vulnerability and the bearing of one’s soul to some degree.  Now, not all songs are like this (Nelly’s song Grillz would be a good example, and I’m sure you can think of others in different genres), but many are to varying degrees. There are many hip hop songs that talk about violence, drugs, hustling, gangs and other issues, but through the lyrics you hear the struggles of a person trying to find meaning and purpose.

Tupac (I’ll probably reference him more in these posts) has many songs that talk about struggle. Here is an excerpt from Dear Mama:

They say I’m wrong and I’m heartless
But all along I was looking for a father, he was gone
I hung around with the thugs and even though they sold drugs
They showed a young brother love

And then there is the Notorious B.I.G. who sings in Juicy:

I never thought it could happen, this rappin’ stuff
I was too used to packin’ gats and stuff
…
Puttin’ 5 karats in my baby girl’s ears
Lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool
Considered a fool ’cause I dropped out of high school
Stereotypes of a black male misunderstood
And it’s still all good

I referenced these two songs for a particular reason. One of the local Hip Hop stations (101 the Beat), consistently plays those two songs throughout the day (probably the only two songs they play that are more than a year old). In other words, these are songs and lyrics that many people connect with. They are struggles many people today still understand and share.

What songs do you know that contain lyrics of people sharing their struggles?
(It doesn’t have to be exclusively Hip Hop)

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