Critique 4: Chapter 4

                This chapter of The Hip-hop Wars was another I enjoyed because of how it linked social issues to other larger causes. This is similar to what chapter 3 did however chapter 4 speaks much more broadly about American culture as opposed to just black culture, so I am able to understand and relate to it more. While I found most Tricia Rose’s points thought provoking the one I had an issue with was her first which was that black people have a long standing association with violence and sexual deviancy. While this may be true in some circles at this point in time it is only extremist that still link rap and black people as one cause of corruption of youth and this is because rap does not equate to being the same as black people as a whole. I don’t think her point is completely invalid I just think she makes it sound more important a factor than her other mentioned issues. I found her discussion on the emergence of youth culture and its marketability to be far more convincing. How emerging youth culture also related to the change in family values and how the same changes in values were related to the distribution of wealth were also interesting points. It helps that Rose can tie all these points together so well and really helps her prove her point that hip-hop must be a progressive movement that draws on true American values such as equality and justice.