Hip-hop is a humanism

To some people, the mixing of hip hop and philosophy is like smoking a cigarette first thing in the morning – initially it sounds like a good idea but then develops into a morbid affair with a sick aftertaste and the smoker asking themselves why they had even bothered before breakfast. Even with such thoughts in mind, I still intend to pursue this unusual morning cigarette.

This epiphany (or pointless pondering) came about during the summer, when with no job and no money - but plenty of time - I needed a way of occupying myself. And so I found myself attracted to both hip-hop music and existential philosophy. The strong correlation I discovered between the origins of hip-hop and the principles of existentialism seemed much more than a coincidence.

Academics and philosophers have tried for years to define existentialism, so for me to even attempt such an act would be ridiculous (almost as ridiculous as the subject of this article) but I will try and share what understanding I have of this great development in thought.

From my reading, it appears that the core principle of existentialism is the idea that existence precedes essence. We exist as human beings first, and then through our actions we define our essence.

This is what the working class youth of the Bronx in New York felt when they first used spray cans to paint a new chapter in the history of art. It was the same feeling and same group that decided the conventional way of dancing did not express their new outlook on life or the momentum of their generation. Society and their circumstances had falsely subscribed visual art to the wealthy, yet it was their drive and desire to break free that caused this achievement.

Similarly the technique of DJ’ing and beat-boxing - first springing up in public basketball parks of impoverished areas in New York - came from a belief in the power of choice. Music, like art, was something for the higher classes and elite. Learning or buying instruments would cost money that this social-economic group could not afford. Even under such social expectations (or lack of expectations) the youth rebelled. Digging up records, turntables and microphones, the first few pioneers of hip-hop denied the future that society had designated to them and by doing so redefined music. Using the consumer-based surroundings that could have condemned them to a life of oppression, they created a new social wave – Hip-hop.

Like the above forms of hip-hop mentioned, rapping (or MC’ing) had its origins in a similar fashion. This form of hip-hop opened new doors, however, with its lyrical content. Many notable later hip-hop groups, such as NWA and Public Enemy, had their mind set on changing their position, not only as an art form but also as a political movement. Even the titles of their records, such as ‘Fight the Power’ (I think it wise not to include the titles of any NWA records…), provide an illustration of their willingness to change their position

As for existentialism, if we agree that existence precedes essence, then we are left with an overwhelming sense of freedom (in every damn sense of the word). An example by Soren Kierkegaard demonstrates the dangers of absolute freedom: a person standing on the edge of a cliff is not only afraid of falling off but more importantly they are afraid of throwing themselves off. It is at this point that existentialism appears a depressing philosophy (and the point at which a bunch of twelve year-old kids wearing black eyeliner decide to read Franz Kafka). Humans begin to feel, as Kierkegaard put it, ‘the dizziness of freedom’.

But it doesn’t stop there (so put the razor down). Following on from freedom is responsibility - a complete responsibility for ones actions, ideals and values. This is the heavy part as it is the responsibility along with the freedom that can be so overbearing for humans to accept. And since a person has absolute freedom over their acts of ideals, then there is no external authority to turn to. One can hear the echoes of responsibility in many classic hip-hop records, from Grand Master Flash’s ‘The Message’ to Run DMC’s ‘It’s like that’.

From this thought, Jean Paul Sartre – author of ‘Existentialism is a Humanism’ and the first to term his philosophy as existentialist – focused on three levels of the human situation. The first is anguish over a decision made; the second is abandonment as there is no external aid to turn to in relation to the decision; and finally there is despair at the outcome of the decision if it backfires. All of this has a deep resonance with hip-hop.

A reasonable example would be Tupac’s ‘Me against the World’. As was the trend of his time, Tupac was another pioneering hip-hop artist who spoke of his difficult upbringing and his decisions in life. These decisions included turning to crime and violence, and the anguish felt at such a decision is always recognisable in any of his records. It is, however, in ‘Me against the world’ that Tupac realises his abandonment with lyrics such as ‘Always do your best, don't let the pressure make you panic’, ‘Politicians and hypocrites, they don't wanna listen’ and of course, ‘It's just me against the world’. Tupac seems more optimistic than other hip-hop artists as his lyrics suggest a lack of despair and instead pride in his responsibility as heard in ‘Troublesome 96’ and ‘All eyes on me’.

Following on from previous thought, Albert Camus, novelist and philosopher, claimed that ‘there is only one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide’. When despair sets in along with the ‘dizziness of freedom’, suicide may seem an escape from this responsibility. Notorious BIG’s seminal album ‘Ready to die’ contained a more emotional climax than other artists. It is in the final track, ‘Suicidal thoughts’ that Biggie accepts the responsibility he had tried to avoid and it is in this record that we understand Camus’ statement in a hip-hop context.

With all this dreary talk, there is still something to be cheerful about - the beauty of freedom. The realisation that no boundaries are unbreakable and that the acceptance of responsibility can lead to an emancipation of the self. As the critically acclaimed hip-hop group Gang Starr explained: ‘Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge /You may not know the hardships people don't speak of/It's best to step back, and observe with couth /For we all must meet our moment of truth’.

I bet you’re guessing why I didn’t mention pimps or prostitutes, commercial pop choruses or annoying bass lines. I may have been slightly selective yet there is a reason to this. As Nas put it (somewhat in the spirit of Nietzsche) ‘Hip-Hop is dead’.

With this in mind, maybe the title of this article should be ‘Hip Hop was a humanism’ yet I still hold hope for a hip-hop revival. A final question may be why I chose hip-hop. Why do I feel that hip-hop is best suited to existential philosophy? Well it is precisely because Clapton is God that there was a void for a more human sound. It turned out that hip-hop was human; all too human.

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