Hip Hop as a "Pop Explosion"

<Tab/>The criteria for a "pop explosion" are varied yet specific, remaining consistent throughout generational gaps. The qualities of a true pop explosion are subjective and may very depending on whom one asks. But Griel Marcus of Rolling Stone has cited the enduring qualities that define a pop explosion. Marcus states that a pop explosion creates a: cultural upheaval of class and race; distinguished youth subculture; change in the way people …

…for ongoing inequality. As controversial and popular as it is, hip-hop is the next step in the evolution of rock 'n roll. As the protest music of an oppressed people, the history lesson for the sheltered suburban teen, the only hope for an escape from the ghetto for a gangsta rapper... hip-hop has had profound effects on urban cultures at home and abroad. Works Cited Mayhew, Malcolm. "The Height of Hip-Hop." Fort Worth Star-Telegram, January 2004.