Sports and Hip Hop Music

Written by vividimagery on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 10:54am in Articles Sports

Hip hop is one of the most popular forms of music and has continually developed since it's birth in the late 70's to eventually become seen as a `mainstream`, even dominant, form of music by the 1990s. Hip hop was initially popular with people living in built up urban areas, but its influence has spread and now Hip Hop holds one of the largest and most diverse listener bases from all around the world. Hip Hop is especially popular among young people where the music often deals with issues such as crime, relationships, discrimination, repression and the problems of growing up, all of which have a direct relevance to the lives of young people more so than to those of older generations. Hip Hop is used to entertain, express and also a form escapism and it is closely associated with many activities such as Skateboarding, Biking, Basketball, Parqour and Breakdancing, some of which have gone on to become mainstream international sports .

Another aspect of the popularity of hip-hop with young people, however, is the often inspirational, individual and optimistic nature of its lyrics, which may also be combined into a confrontational and antagonistic delivery. This is a quality that is also often found in many urban sports and extreme sports stars, meaning there is a crossover of personality of people from both backgrounds. As well as this, hip hop also developed in the same places that certain sports did. Basketball, BMX and skateboarding all evolved from people being creative and imaginative within their concrete urban environment, and early hip hop developed in a similar way, giving both fields a common ground.

What this means is that many people who have grown up around basketball courts or skate parks are also likely to have listened to hip hop at the same time. As a result of this, many people who are now professionals in their sports will have taken their interest with them, and this has influenced their professional image and attitude. Likewise, there are many hip hop stars who grew up playing sports, some have in fact stated that they had considered a professional sports career before becoming full time musicians. Within celebrity circles, many hip hop stars and basketball or BMX and skateboard professional riders will be seen socialising together, reinforcing the link between the two areas. One of the consequences of this link is that it is possible to buy brands that are associated with both interests. For example brands buying into brands like the mens clothing line Quiksilver, which you can purchase here, could mean you are buying it because of your interest in extreme or urban sports, or because of your musical taste, as a symbol of your individual outlook.