It is important to note that art liberates people during times of hardship by providing freedom and space to escape the chaos surrounding them. For example, it is stated that while the buildings were burning and neighborhoods were sinking in poverty, outdoor dance parties were held in the streets with disk jockeys and masters of ceremonies in order to connect the performers with the audience (Chang, 2000). In other words, “a loop (of beats) became a metaphor for freedom: through movement, dancers stretched within the space sculpted by the break” (Chang, 2000, p. 219). Thus, art not only harnessed creativity but also helped people to cope with the stress of their lives.
The current changing social and political culture in America’s street life sparked new themes and developments in urban art in order to convey the message and protest. It is stated that in response to police brutality and the harsh economic impact of the pandemic, “tags and murals were suddenly everywhere in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It was an amazing artistic expression of rage, pain, mourning, and trauma and someone needed to document it” (Uwagwu, 2020, para. 6). In other words, the graffiti culture was transformed into larger-scale murals, where the signs of distress within a street community are being expressed and voiced.
With a rise in the popularity of TikTok and K-Pop, it is possible that modified hip-hop genres might emerge on the basis of these mediums. More people are becoming content creators through various social media channels, which they can use to express their opinions and views of a wide range of stressors in American society and the global health situation. Therefore, TikTok challenges and K-Pop might change the direction of hip-hop evolution towards single and group performance, respectively. These dance styles are based on hip-hop but are not necessarily performed by professional dancers, which is why the format might become more casual and less physically challenging.
References
Chang, J. (2000). Born in fire: A hip-hop odyssey. Youth’s Music Forces.
Uwagwu, C. (2020). How the death of George Floyd sparked a street art movement? Smithsonian Magazine. Web.