Music can be a great indicator of a society's culture and values. What a community supports will ultimately show in the cultural representatives. Throughout the invention of modern music, we have seen across various genres the "vibe" or mood of a particular decade or community.
Reggae and Rastafarianism
When observing Jamaica from independence in 1962 to the early 1980s, we see a notable movement in Rastafarianism and reggae. The religious and social movement began as a reaction to slavery and the mass conversion to Christianity. The revolutionary idea of being descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel activated a section of the population of Jamaicans to cultivate a new identity in retaliation. Rastafarian ideals appealed to the lower end of Jamaican society for their two principles of love of God and love of neighbor. During the early years of Rastafarianism, the community was often at odds with Jamaican authorities. The conflict arose because of the contempt for the government, police, professional class, and the established church's management of the country. This relationship eventually led to a militant brand of Rastafarianism designed to protect their community. The movement developed music originally as part of worship and the affirmation of their ideology. As time passed, music became the chief communication medium of Rastafarism.
Reggae developed in 1968 as a social commentary. While featuring slow and heavy rhythms, reggae demonstrated a wider range of radical political and Rasta themes. By the mid-70s, reggae had reached an international audience, reinforcing many conscious movements for the African diaspora.
The reggae movement had many representatives, including Desmond Dekker, Burning Spear, and the most notable, Bob Marley. Bob Marley embodied the political and ideological values of the Rastafarians. Bob Marley is credited as the diplomatic bridge for reggae to the international world. The overwhelming support for songs like "I Shot the Sherif," "Zimbawea," and "Them belly full" captured the essence of Jamaican values at the time, so much so that these songs became a part of Bob Marley and the reggae movement's legacy. Jamaica's reggae characterized the culture during the '70s as a society that wanted revolutionary change.
Hip-Hop and West Coast Survival
Furthermore, looking at the early 90's hip hop, we get a similar story of music conveying society's culture and values. The hip-hop community leaders recognized the growing degradation of the foundational black community that started in the late 80s. Due to rising internal conflict and narcotic use, the community began to slide into societal collapse. Understanding the conditions that created this scenario, the leaders convene to create a plan to combat it.
Various big names came together to form The West Coast Rap All-Stars. The West Rap All-Stars released two songs in 1989 and 1990, "Self Destruction" and " We're All In The Same Gang," critiquing current affairs. These songs gain significant support, reaching gold status. This collaboration lent support to a new conscious movement in the early 90s. Following "We're All In The Same Gang," songs like "Fight the Power," " 911 Is a Joke," and "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" all charted within the same year. The movement peaked in 1992 with foundational black Americans participating in the LA Riots in response to continued social injustice done to the community. The trend continued to see efforts well into 1993, with lesser support lasting until 1995.
In these two communities, the music indicated what was most important for society at the time. What these communities valued showed in their music before any action occurred and after society resolved to act. The culture preferred climaxes when society decides upon representatives of the time. When a community finds that artists can reflect the sentiment and sound they like, they will eventually elect them as cultural representatives.
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