When the First Voice You Hear Is Not Your Own

Student Name

Professor Seifert

ENGW 102 Sec 00

31 October 2029

The Problems of Corporate America and Hip Hop

According to Glen Ford, “Corporations have been usurping and reshaping Black mass culture for decades -- hip hop is just the latest product line.” This is extremely relevant to the issues happening in hip hop culture today. The influence on hip hop culture and rap music has changed from being within the culture to forces outside of the culture. This has caused the influence rap music and hip hop culture has on its community to change as well. The idea of rap music and hip hop culture is being corrupted at the hands of Corporate America. In this context, the term “Corporate America” includes radio stations, record labels, and private corporations who have ties with both radio stations and record labels. Corporate America’s influence on hip hop has led to increased violence in communities where hip hop and rap culture have a prominent presence, increased misogyny in these communities, and mass incarceration in these communities

In order to understand why Corporate America’s interaction with hip hop culture and rap music has led to increased violence, misogyny, and mass incarceration, it is vital to understand why Corporate America altered hip hop itself. Radio stations and record labels play an extremely huge role in rap music. If a rap artist or any musician for that matter, wants their music to be known they want it on the radio. Record labels play the middle man between an artist and the radio. By using a method referred to as “pay-for-play” the record labels artists are signed under pay radio stations to play their artists’ music. (Reilly). With this being said, whatever the record label says goes. So, in order to please record labels and get more airtime on the radio, artists will alter their songs and messages in these songs to please their record label and continue to be played on the radio. However, the messages these record labels would like their...