Localization and the Creative Process of Hip-hop

            There is no doubt that Hip-hop culture is seen around the world.  Organically started in New York, the culture quickly spread as a means of self-expression and self-empowerment.  As the culture spreads, it meshes and mixes with the cultures already in place, whether it is on the exotic shores of the Marshallese or in your French neighbor’s backyard.  With each new culture it influences, Hip-hop continues to evolve and redefine what it is.  In other words, Hip-hop is accelerating – constantly changing speeds, switching it up, and spitting out a fresh new image.  Introducing Hip-hop into a culture and making it adapt is a process.  I believe this process is the essence of creativity and it only has three steps: inspiration, imitation, and innovation.  Looking at the Australian aboriginal hip-hop scene as an example of this creative process, we will see how hip-hop localizes and adapts.

            Inspiration is a term we can all relate too.  It happens when we see an amazing dance move or hear a great song, and it puts us in our place.  By humbling us, we realize our own shortcomings and also realize that it is possible for us to do it too.  Little G, an Australian aboriginal emcee, says she is inspired by her unique culture and heritage.  Initially, she says, “[she] was kinda ashamed of it,” but then “after learning about…the history of it all [she] was like, ‘Shit. What am I ashamed for? Shouldn’t I be more proud of who I am?’” (Stavrias 47)  ‘I wanna do that!’ ‘That’s so cool.’  These are the phrases that spark the journey and picking up Hip-hop culture is easy.  Because Hip-hop began in less fortunate urban neighborhoods, it is accessible to anyone.  You don’t need money to start dancing or writing rhymes.  The availability is key to Hip-hop’s rampant spread because if you need money to be Hip-hop, then it immediately ostracizes the people with fewer finances.  Every rap artist, b-boy, and emcee started for a reason and that reason is his or her inspiration.

            Imitation is the second step.  It can be seen as the learning part of the process.  “Hip hop’s emergence in Australia was one of replication.  Australian hip hoppers of the early 1980’s reproduced the music, dancing, art and clothing coming out of the Bronx.” (Stavrias 45)  Once the inspiration happens, you go out and try it yourself.  The young dancers on the street, having just watched Beat Street, test there bodies out to see if they can do the flash dances they just saw.  As the number of moves they learn increases through imitation, they begin to develop their own personal style, making the moves flow from one freeze to the next spin.  This is essential to the essence of Hip-hop – development of a style.  The imitation process will never end if creativity continues because as the dancer from the street watches more movies and dance videos and meets other dancers, his or her style will constantly change and develop.  So, it is hard to distinguish the boundary between the second step, imitation, and the final step, innovation.

            Innovation is the final product in the creative process.  It’s the creation of the personal style.  The great thing about Hip-hop is that everyone can easily have a unique style.  “The hip hop expression ‘keep it real’ refers to the importance in hip hop of representin’ as a criterion of authenticity, where representing one’s locality by being part of the culture is paramount.” (Stavrias 46)  Little G embraces her heritage and uses Hip-hop as a means to express her aboriginal culture saying, “with the hip hop music I sort of wanna teach the younger Indigenous kids, if they have that sort of thing about not wanting to learn, not wanting to be proud of who they are, through my music I want to say, ‘We do have a beauty. Be proud of it. Hold onto it.’” (Stavrias 48)  Keep it real, keep it authentic. 

            Hip-hop is a creative vehicle of expression that basically says you are who you are, accept it and rock it because there isn’t any other person who can rock it as hard as you.  Inspiration, imitation, and innovation are the essence of the creative process and you can see it in every creative hip hopper out there.  With every culture hip hop touches, it recreates itself because in order to keep it real, the hip hopper needs to localize his inspiration.  Imitation is needed to learn and pursue the inspiration, but if the hip hopper just imitates, they aren’t keeping it real.  No DJ can be Grand Master Flash, even if they tried.  Thus, innovation is necessary to keep it real.  Innovation involves taking the culture you were brought up in, taking what makes you who you are, and taking hip hop culture, then mixing all of that into a creative package that is uniquely yours and local.

A.T. Blog #3