Old School 2 New School: How Hip-Hop Took Over the World

Fast Cars & Gold Chains

The age-old debate of whether art reflects life or life reflects art has always been pretty poignant for fans of this controversial genre. While even the most violent and aggressive artists claimed the be simply showcasing the realities of ghetto life, it’s undeniable that the greed, violence, and corruption of inner-city crime have piggybacked on hip hop’s success. The ‘90s to early ‘00s saw an influx of music business moguls, such as millionaire record owners, Suge Knight and Sean Combs, with extremely shady backgrounds.

The legendary deaths of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., in ‘96 and ‘97 respectively, did nothing to quell the lust for untouchable luxury that defined hip-hop at the turn of the century. Characterized by expensive cars, gold chains, and promiscuous women, the likes of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and Kanye West told a story of power, violence, and gunplay. Even breakout artists of the period, such as Eminem, were underpinned with constant references to being “gangsta.”

However, what most of white America had seen as a potential social crisis, soon ran its own course, and today hip hop has transformed again.