Renaissance vs. Rap

Everything is relative.

In the latter part of the 15th century, there began a cultural revolution known as the Renaissance. This artistic rebirth changed the way people lived and thought for the next century and a half. In the last decades of the 20th century, a new voice in music has arisen. This voice called Rap represents the cries that emanate from the urban areas of Western civilization. Superficially, no comparisons can be drawn between Rap music and the Renaissance but if there is an understanding of the cultural impact that each ascertained then the connection is clear.

The Renaissance began as a rebellion against the medieval church. The church during the middle ages controlled every aspect of the people under its jurisdiction. All forms of art, from painting to music, were evaluated using the church s standards of acceptability. Therefore, if the church did not agree, it was prohibited. In an effort to escape this lack of creativity an explosion of artistic imagination occurred. Secular music was no longer look upon as damned. Courts often had two sets of musicians. That way if the occasion called for holy music and secular music the feat could be achieved. This creative overflow caused the production of more music that ever before. And with the advent of the printing press, music was now distributed by the masses. The impact of the Renaissance was tremendous in making new boundaries and advancing music as a whole.

In the late1970 s, Rap was making its first strides in becoming a major music power in America. Coming from humble beginnings, it has evolved over the last two decades into a domination force in this culture. At its early stages, Rap was confined to exclusively to African Americans but that too has changed. By the 21st century a substantial percentage of listeners of Rap are not black. Due to its nature and content Rap has been heavily criticized by politicians, religious leaders, and parents. However, with the recent popularity of social conscious Rap, those complaints have run out of fuel. Rap has allowed African Americans to stake their claim on the music industry that they have always been a part of.

The major connection between Rap music and the Renaissance lies in their function. The Renaissance served as an outlet of creativity that had been suppressed for century. Rap serves the same purpose, providing a way to rise above the racial complications that America presents. Other similarities rest in the aftermath of these occurrences. The Renaissance gave birth to music as seen presently just as Rap as given birth to brand new genres of music and new ways of musical thinking. Upon close examination, Rap is actually a mini-renaissance in its own right. Expressing a new form of chant, tying African Americans back to their ancestral roots.