Amy's Theory of Hip-Hop

Much like my theory of soap operas, I have a theory on why rap has always been stronger in certain areas and not in others.

The basic key to hip-hop is mixing. Mixing sounds, styles, people, etc. The reason it grew in New York is because NYC is one of the world's most diverse and mixed cities. Rap got played in Harlem, the Bronx, and downtown punk clubs. Artists like Blondie worked in the genre and used many of its sounds. The Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" is one of the most highly sampled songs ever. Two members of the art rock Talking Heads created that song.

I believe that areas with strong segregation either take longer to gain hip-hop (Chicago, Atlanta, Houston) or the areas are so sparsely populated that they never make any hip-hop of note.

Like NYC, Los Angels is a city with a variety of people, but it is more segregated therefore it took longer for rap to ferment there. The art of sampling means the DJ needs to know lots of music. The music needs to be mixed like the audience.

All of this trickles down to the fact that the vast majority of this country listens to music they could never create because they never mix with the other. To me, the real tragedy is that these people don't see what rap really brings and that is union. Like George Clinton said, "Free your kind and your ass will follow." If only the masses would listen.