Culture: Skating and hip hop
September 28th 2006 08:57
I’ve recently taken up skating. Engaging in my new hobby leads me to think about the culture I’m only beginning to buy into. So how does skate culture stack up to hip hop?
Skate and hip hop culture has run parallel paths in the same direction for three decades, yet they’re also known as polar opposites of the street spectrum.
Stereotypically, skate culture is white and hip hop culture is... yep you’ve guessed it… black. For many people who don’t know much about the two cultures, it is very easy to mistake them as sworn enemies planning on ripping each other’s eyeballs from their sockets.
Traditionally, skating is synonymous with rock/alternative music, although the past decade and a half has seen the culture embrace an eclectic taste for beats.
Have a play of any Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game and listen to the soundtrack. The hardcore, guitar-charged rock songs scream throughout it, though there are some nice touches of reggae, hip hop and electronica.
Did you know that Pharrell Williams’ alternative artist name is ‘Skateboard P’?
Most recently, a rapper who is causing ripples in the hip hop world is Lupe Fiasco. You may know him from Kanye West’s ‘Touch the Sky’.
Skaters across the world are taking to Fiasco’s first single, ‘Kick, Push’. like fat, hungry pigeons to a piece of moldy, old bread crust. Here’s the video:
Great video clip don’t you think? That aside, it’s no surprise that the two cultures are beginning to mold. The similarities are undeniable.
- They are the two largest street cultures on Earth,
- They are both rooted in rebellion,
- Both cultures are inextricably linked to graffiti,
- And they incorporate bagginess and comfortability into their fashion.
It seems that skate and hip hop culture is on a first date. Will the relationship flourish into a lifelong marriage, or end in divorce? Well statistics are 50/50 in this day and age.
Take care and peace out…
A backside tailslide... niiiiiice
Stereotypically, skate culture is white and hip hop culture is... yep you’ve guessed it… black. For many people who don’t know much about the two cultures, it is very easy to mistake them as sworn enemies planning on ripping each other’s eyeballs from their sockets.
Traditionally, skating is synonymous with rock/alternative music, although the past decade and a half has seen the culture embrace an eclectic taste for beats.
Pharrell Williams aka. Skateboard P
Did you know that Pharrell Williams’ alternative artist name is ‘Skateboard P’?
Most recently, a rapper who is causing ripples in the hip hop world is Lupe Fiasco. You may know him from Kanye West’s ‘Touch the Sky’.
Skaters across the world are taking to Fiasco’s first single, ‘Kick, Push’. like fat, hungry pigeons to a piece of moldy, old bread crust. Here’s the video:
Great video clip don’t you think? That aside, it’s no surprise that the two cultures are beginning to mold. The similarities are undeniable.
- They are the two largest street cultures on Earth,
- They are both rooted in rebellion,
- Both cultures are inextricably linked to graffiti,
- And they incorporate bagginess and comfortability into their fashion.
It seems that skate and hip hop culture is on a first date. Will the relationship flourish into a lifelong marriage, or end in divorce? Well statistics are 50/50 in this day and age.
Take care and peace out…
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