Punk vs Hip-Hop

[Chris Jahn]

Punk and rap started about the sme time for the same reasons and (in the US at least) on the same coast.

Ive always thought the paralell was interesting and whats more interesting is how they went opposite directions at first, met back in the middle and now seem to be seperating again.

Meaning, in the early days, punk was about nothing but staying far away for the mainstream and truning its back on financial success in order to promote the DIY ethic. were as in raps early days they (not all of course) would have done anyhting to "make it" then rap DID make it, were as punk jsut stayed...well, punk.

then some funny shit happend in the late nineties and early 2000's and punk (or at least a watered down version of it) got HUGE, and now in a "im so punk that its ironic and funny to do the oposite of my values" way, small bands are trying to get big, and then conversly there is obviously a movment in hip hop (yes i know its alway been there so no need to tell me, its just more up front now) to back away from the limelight and worry more about content.

Basically, just like punk, the crap is on the radio and the good stuff is not being heard.

Thats just the begining, i could go on forever about how they both started and how much they are exactly the same, especially during the early and mid eighties with the politics of reagan, basically PE and any punk band worth there salt shared the same views.

And economically, the back ground is the same, poor white kids from south london and washington DC being fed up and wanting to do there own thing with very little musical knowledge but a lot of heart, and then poor black kids from the bronx doing the same thing.

i could go on and on, what do yall think

[gullyjewelz]

i agree, at least to the extent of my knowledge allows me to trust what you say as true. i think the comparisons extend beyond punk n rap - but regardless i think as long as there is a small niche of folk who actuallly listen to a variety of genres for the lyrical expression - such appreciation will always be present, all be it, such appreciation will probably remain . . . minimally cognizant