The media and music industry have influenced changes within rap music, very much different from what was started from hip hop culture in the late ‘70s. Whether these influences have changed rap and hip hop for the best or worst is debatable, but I have found that the following extra-musical examples have allowed hip hop culture to live on in today’s society: fashion, sports, and media (movies and television).

When discussing women in hip hop, I’ve found that though it is 2018, people still have a difficult time accepting feminist views and values as well as criticism that is made toward the toxic masculinity that is still prominent in the genre (though not exclusive to hip hop). I would like to present two female artists that I feel challenge the “image of a ‘super moral’ black woman” and “hetero-patriachal notions of what a ‘good Black woman’ should be”.

In the past few years, the entertainment industry has experienced a boom with streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Apple Music; so what actions has Spotify made in order to their leading position in a market with such strong and growing competitors as well as the looming alternative of piracy?

Korean hip hop is a genre that has been around for many years, but in the last few years has grown interest internationally, alongside the very well known genre of K-Pop. However, "authenticity" seems to always be in question in the world of hip hop and its connection to appropriation of the genre by non-black rappers, such as Eminem.