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It has been suggested that this article be merged with Political hip hop and Talk:Political hip hop#Merger proposal. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2008.

Conscious hip hop is a type of hip hop that focuses on social issues. It is not necessarily overtly political, but treats of social issues and conflicts. Themes of conscious hip hop include religion, aversion to violence, African American culture and advancement, and the economy. Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" was an early and hugely influential political and conscious hip hop track, decrying the poverty, violence, and dead-end lives of the black youth of the time.

The audience for conscious rap is largely underground. Most conscious hip hop artists have not attained the same level of commercial success as mainstream hip-hop , though some notable exceptions to this are Gang Starr, Nas, The Roots, Common, Lupe Fiasco, OutKast, Talib Kweli, Tupac and Lauryn Hill.

Some conscious artists have criticized the name. Mos Def criticizes the label, saying:

They keep trying to slip the 'conscious rapper' thing on me...I come from Roosevelt Projects, man. The ghetto. I drank the same sugar water, ate hard candy. And they try to get me because I'm supposed to be more articulate, I'm supposed to be not like the other Negroes, to get me to say something against my brothers. I'm not going out like that, man."

Similarly, Talib Kweli confirmed in a recent interview with VIBE magazine that the title of his next album will be Prisoner of Consciousness, a reference to his constant labeling as a "conscious rapper".

See also

• Hardcore hip hop
• Political hip hop
• Abstract hip hop
• Acid rap
• Alternative hip hop
• Underground hip hop

External links

• UGO's Top 11 Conscious Rappers

References

1. Thompson, Amanda (2004-05-06). "Gender in Hip Hop: A Research Study" (PDF). Humboldt State University. Retrieved 2006-06-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. Brown, Roxanne L. "Todd Boyd's Lessons on the Rise of Hip Hop: Move Civil Rights and Historical Context Out of the Way" (PDF). The Center for Black Diaspora. Retrieved 2006-06-09. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
3. ("misnomer:Conscious Hip Hop vs Gangsta Rap?".

• Articles to be merged from July 2008
• Hip hop genres