This piece of writing was written on September 22, 2021. It was an article response paper for MPADE 1015 Hip Hop Dance Culture @ NYU Steinhardt.
To understand hip hop, we need to understand its history. Greg Whitt described in his article, “Exploring The Intersection Of Hip-Hop And Social Justice,” young individuals of color in New York City during the seventies faced oppression and were unsatisfied with how they were treated by society. Eventually, this led to protests where people resorted to different kinds of violence. With the lack of resources, these people who “were disproportionately affected by racism, classism, and poverty” came together to create “rap music.”
Since 2014, citizens of Thailand have been living under the control of military dictatorship. Due to the influence of the military, the current constitution allows the government to misuse its power and silence the people who disagree. Although many Thai activists and students have tried to speak against the government, some were threatened and forced to disappear.
As a consequence, many young underground hip-hop artists who called themselves “Rap Against Dictatorship” gathered together and released the song “What My Country’s Got,” which became a big hit in the South East Asia community as their song has been watched more than 47 million times. The song was about collective frustration and the lyrics are affiliated with the social injustice in Thailand. The government attempted to remove the song but blockchain technology was used to prevent the video from being completely deleted.
DJ Scott La Rock’s manager, Scotty Morris was right: “In some respects, rap music and violence seem to go hand in hand, but it’s not the music itself, it’s the environment. Violence was here long before hip-hop.” Through different aspects of hip-hop and rap reflected how society works. Even though the language of music isn’t appealing to everyone it is a creative and powerful way for someone who has nothing but their body to produce songs in order to bring awareness to social problems. Songs like “Fight the Power” and “F*ck tha Police” are more than just songs. They are anthems that empowered people to fight for their rights.
I am grateful that Thai rappers like YOUNG-OHM, MAIYARAP, and many other artists have used their music to bring awareness to social issues. Without these individuals, we wouldn’t have such open representation in hip-hop culture to these problems since there wouldn’t be anyone brave enough. In general, it is important to recognize that music isn’t only a form of entertainment but rather the global messenger that unites us against adversity.
Hip Hop not only reflects the world as it is but also inspires us to imagine and work toward a better future. Through the beats and rhymes, hip-hop tells the stories of those who have been marginalized, amplifying their voices and demanding change. It is a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit and the unifying force of music in our collective struggle for a more just and equitable world.