Traditionally, mainstream media portrayed the leadership of this generation as legacy children, known more for their famous last names than their accomplishments and wannabe activists who despite not having tangible agendas for Black empowerment or solid community support nonetheless looked good on camera.

In the 1980s and early 1990s rap artists, like Public Enemy, KRS-One, X-Clan and Paris, reacting to the negative effects of the economic and political policies of the Reagan-Bush administrations,

The cult of celebrity that permeates American society has helped the post-civil rights generation lose sight of its priorities, viewing politics through a pop culture lens

Therefore while rap artists certainly have a role in the movement for racial equality, the work of defining and implementing a political agenda, should be left to post-civil rights generation activists, organizers and politicians. It is these people and not rap artists, who must work to affect legislative changes on issues such as: police brutality, attacks on affirmative action, environmental racism, educational equity and juvenile justice system abuses. With the arrival of a nascent class of millionaire rap artists and hip-hopreneurs, creative people can now expand their roles beyond pontificating to include financially supporting political and community efforts.

To paraphrase Public Enemy front man, Chuck D, we do not need hip-hop doctors or hip-hop politicians.

The commercial success of "conscious" rap artists along with the laziness of mainstream media helped to spawn the raptivist.

Another grassroots organization that has been created in recent years is, Project Spitfire. This organization was founded by Henry Mann and aims to pair young musicians with professional producers who help them record songs and videos. Spitfire also provides artists with a $100 signing bonus, photo shoots, and publicity. Spitfire aims to sign young artists who speak of change and alternatives. Their goal is to sign artists who can teach the youth that there are alternatives to gangs and violence. Mann wants to give young rappers an avenue to tell their stories and past lived experiences in hope that it will instill change in the youth culture.

Many rappers rap about poverty and their struggles in inner-city America while growing up.

Hip hop has been vital in promoting social and political awareness among the youth of today. Rap music educates people from several different perspectives and raises many social issues. Rap is channel for people to speak freely about their view on political or social issues and by doing so, it engages teenagers to become concerned and aware of these issues. This is important in making the youth aware of the world around them and the conditions they face in society, enabling individuals to discuss ways in which they can make a positive change within society. A few of the issues that hip hop has created awareness in are racial discrimination, individuality and the importance of education and believing in your dreams. Hip hop also is a reflection of the soul and mind, and is a solace for both the artists and listeners who may be struggling with the same issues. 

PROGRAMSRap and hip hop is being used within the social work field as a form of therapy. Hip-Hop Therapy uses hip hop culture and music to engage youth and address their issues in therapy. The goal is to get youth patients to reflect on their past experiences by connecting with hip hop lyrics.

ELEMENTary Hip Hop Skool, which aims to use hip hop to get young people involved in community building.

The truth of the matter is that there is rap music that is positive and can serve the purpose of improving social consciousness by increasing awareness of some of the issues that many residents of our nation’s inner cities face.

Some aspects of the mentioned themes are true and contribute to the negative stereotype but there is another, hidden side to rap music that needs to be exposed. Although it has been seen as largely negative, hip hop has had a myriad of positive influences on society.

The reality is that rap music is greatly misunderstood. The media often portrays rap music as negative and focuses on rap music more when it is related to something undesirable.

Because of a 2009 federal law that gave the agency more power over the tobacco industry, the $128 million price tag will be paid for by tobacco companies.

, Ne-Yo is already mirroring the same type of production resume having tweaked songs for the former Destiny’s Child leader, Blige and Rihanna, plus others. In addition to manning the soundboard, both artists have had a successful career as a solo recording artist.

 Nicki Minaj vs. Lil’ Kim Both ladies got their start as the first ladies of hip-hop groups — Lil’ Kim rapped with Notorious B.I.G. in Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Nicki Minaj stole the show in Lil Wayne’s Young Money crew. But, this comparison is in the wigs, and it didn’t take long for Kimmy Blanco to get her claws out after she decided Ms. Roman Zolanski stole her look. Minaj’s ability to blend hip-hop and pop has shot her to the top of the charts faster than Lil’ Kim could change her wig, but the old-school femcee wasn’t going down without a fight. Kim released the ‘Black Friday’ diss-tape — a play on Minaj’s platinum debut ‘Pink Friday’ — with a not-so-silent shot at her new-age counterpart. On the album cover, she brandished a sword and showcased a decapitated head donning a pink wig. Can’t we all just get along?

Rappers who smoke together, stick together, as is often the case with Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. Both aren’t shy about their puff-puff-give mentality, rapping about the sticky icky that binds them together. While Snoop blazed his niche in the early ’90s gangsta rap scene, the younger Pittsburgh native channeled the same vibe after clam-baking the pop-rap scene with his 2010 ‘Kush & Orange Juice’ mixtape. Hip-hop’s latest Cheech and Chong are getting ready to unleash a stoner comedy titled ‘High School’ and have released a handful of toker tracks together that praise the 4/20 deity — ‘The Weed Iz Mine,’ ‘That Good‘ and the latest being the laid-back ‘Young, Wild & Free.’

Not since Wu-Tang Clan has there been a hip-hop group as difficult to tally as West Coast troublemakers Odd Future.

Jay Electronica vs. KRS-One

Old school artists mainly used samples whereas new school ones started producing live drum sets and complex melodies having been influenced by the many music styles of the mid-1980s.

Hip hop culture is known for its negative reputation. It is often thought as an entrance way into gangs, illegal drug activity, and malicious behavior. In today’s culture it is important to lead kids toward a positive direction in life but the hip hop culture of today is not steering youth in that direction. This is because hip-hop has moved away from what it was supposed to be used for. This genre of music was supposed to be used to for personal expression and growth not to create negative images for the youth and encourage them to change their behaviors and beliefs. Hip hop was supposed to give hope to the youth.

The golden age is noted for its innovation – a time "when it seemed that every new single reinvented the genre,"[1] according to Rolling Stone. Referring to "hip-hop in its golden age",[10] Spin's editor-in-chief Sia Michel said, "there were so many important, groundbreaking albums coming out right about that time",[10] and MTV's Sway Calloway added: "The thing that made that era so great is that nothing was contrived. Everything was still being discovered and everything was still innovative and new".[11] Writer William Jelani Cobb said, "what made the era they inaugurated worthy of the term golden was the sheer number of stylistic innovations that came into existence... in these golden years, a critical mass of mic prodigies were literally creating themselves and their art form at the same time

As of October 13, 2015, 767 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 36 states. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Alaska (16), Arizona (118), Arkansas (11), California (205), Colorado (18), Florida (1), Hawaii (1), Idaho (24), Illinois (9), Indiana (4), Iowa (6), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (5), Maryland (1), Minnesota (38), Missouri (12), Montana (15), Nebraska (7), Nevada (14), New Mexico (31), New York (6), North Dakota (6), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (12), Oregon (21), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (3), Texas (38), Utah (53), Virginia (1), Washington (24), Wisconsin (42), and Wyoming (7).

But new government data show schools in four more states have since put aside concerns and resumed buying the controversial produc

Currently, USDA allows these beef products to contain up to 15 percent lean finely textured beef without labeling requirements, but last year the department said it would allow voluntary labeling.