If today’s toothless hip hop could rediscover its bite, the soundtrack of New York could one day become the unifying sound of a nation
Every city has a sound. You can walk the streets and visit the sights, but until you listen you’ll be seeing the world in black and white. Music is colour; music is spirit; it’s the shape of a place’s dreams. New Orleans is jazz, Nashville is country, but New York will forever be hip hop.
In many ways, it’s the soundtrack of modern America too. Hip hop was born from the civil rights movement. It was about social justice. In the 1960s, Martin Luther King echoed the ‘We shall overcome’ song the protestors were singing in his famous speech; in the ’80s, NWA rapped “fuck tha police”. Then rappers railed against the N-bomb; later the word was worn as a badge of pride. If hip hop is now all about doing the stanky leg and partying like it’s your birthday, that’s because it’s become mainstream. It’s the Fortune 500. It’s pop tunes with swear words and gold chains. Now, as Black Lives Matter campaigners protest police brutality, and when an average of 44 people are murdered in the US every single day — most from the inner cities — hip hop raps about sex and money instead of hope and change. I decided to go back to its source, but I wasn’t going back alone.
Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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Denne historien er fra June 2017-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Annette Arjoon-Martins
RAISED BY HER INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHER IN GUYANA, SOUTH AMERICA, ANNETTE BUILT A FEMALE DRONE UNIT TO MONITOR MANGROVES
The Amazon to the Andes
THIS AUTUMN, PADDINGTON HEADS TO PERU ON THE BIG SCREEN - FOLLOW IN HIS PAWPRINTS FOR AN EPIC FAMILY ADVENTURE
Serra de Tramuntana
MAJORCA'S MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGE IS EVERY BIT AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE ISLAND'S COASTLINE - AND YOU CAN HIKE STRAIGHT FROM YOUR HOTEL
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Carlsberg's old brewing district has been redeveloped, offering creative new ways to enjoy Copenhagen
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An archipelago of 1,192 coral islands and 26 turquoise atolls looping across the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is home to resorts that cater to every imaginable taste, from barefoot escapes to designer digs. The most convenient to reach are located in the South Malé, North Malé and Vaavu atolls, within speedboat distance of Velana International Airport, while more remote atolls are accessible by seaplane or domestic flight. With easy access to the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Baa and Raa are especially popular. Those around the Equator, including Gaafu Alifu, offer a splendid sense of isolation, abundant marine life and brilliantly starry night skies.
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The central Romanian region of Dracula fame makes for an intriguing autumn break - sink your teeth into its crafts and culture after discovering its turreted castles.
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FROM OVERTOURISM TO HOW THE OLYMPIC GAMES AFFECTS HOST CITIES, HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST PODCASTS THAT EXPLORE THE WORLD
NICE
Historically a place where monarchs and aristocrats would escape the winter in favour of warm Mediterranean climes, this southern French city is at its best in the off season
BELFAST
In the Northern Irish capital, the healing and uniting powers of music and art are being used to reconcile the past, look to the future and bring communities together
