The influence of hip⁃hop music on society 嘻哈乐的社会影响

郭学友

嘻哈是一种重要的艺术形式，自诞生以来，嘻哈在时尚、语言、艺术、政治等各个领域产生了广泛的影响，也引起了一些争议。

[海词积累]

1.tracksuit n. （运动锻炼或休闲时穿的）宽松衣裤;运动服

2.infiltrate v. 潜入;渗透

3.controversial adj. 有争议的

4.momentum n. 动力;推进力

5.gangsta rap  冈斯特说唱乐（歌词内容通常与暴力、枪支、毒品和色情有关）

Since its early formation， the influence of hip hop on Western society is far⁃reaching and hip hop has been often referred to as a “culture”. It has a notable influence on fashion， art， language and Western society.

Fashion

Style and fashion has always been at the heart of hip⁃hop culture. Loose jeans， tracksuits， oversized jewelry and sneakers are all popular items of clothing that have been absorbed by mainstream fashion. Brands including Adidas， Nike and Tommy Hilfiger have played an important role in bringing hip⁃hop fashion to the masses.

Language

The whole expressions of hip hop have infiltrated mainstream culture. Words such as “phat” （cool）， “hood” （neighborhood） and “chill” （relax） have all entered everyday communication. The language of hip hop—or more specially its sub⁃genre rap—has also proved to be controversial. In particular， the word “nigga” used frequently by rappers is widely considered to be an offensive term but is commonly used in the rap genre.

Art

Graffiti（涂鸦） is strongly associated with hip⁃hop culture. The practice of graffiti gathered momentum in the Bronx during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was often used by political activists to send messages or make statements. Since the 1990s， graffiti has become more widely accepted as a recognized art form worldwide with the success of British?born artist Banksy and French duo（二重奏） 123Klan. Commercially， large corporations such as Sony have used graffiti in marketing campaigns. Graffiti has also infiltrated the gaming community with games like SEGAs Jet Set Radio.

Controversy

Gangsta rap， a sub⁃genre of hip hop， has often been criticized for sexual images of women， guns and a gang lifestyle，which have hurt the genre. Artists such as Snoop Dogg， Eminem and Death Row Records founder Marion Suge Knight have all been criticized for promoting a culture of violence. Gangsta rap artists are considered to be highly negative role models for young black males. Images and lyrics（歌词） promoting violence and sexism are also acknowledged to have had a negative effect on the perception of the young black male by the white community.

[Reading][Check]

What other influences of hip⁃hop music can you think of？

[Language][Study]

Complete the following phrases according to the text.

1.被当成                be                    to as

2.位于……的中心/核心    at the                   of

3.对……有显著的影响    have a notable influence

4.在……中起重要作用                      an important role in

5.特别;尤其                               particular

6.与……密切相关        be strongly                   with

7.因……受到批评        be criticized