The Impact of Hip Hop Culture on Professional Basketball

INTRODUCTION 

Since the inception of Hip Hop into the American environment in the early 1970s, Hip Hop has shown tremendous progress to a level where it has become a culture. The might of media, the Hip Hop culture and music continues to grow exponentially in the market. The consumer base is ever increasing, and the market is expanding at a remarkable pace. Presently, the media, sports and vast forms of entertainment such as Hip Hop music are among the major forces that transmit culture to the Black Americans. Notably, the Hip Hop cultures represent the voices of the generations of individuals from back in the nineties going forth. 

Hip Hop music is felt in many environments such as the gymnasium, barbershops, and other business-oriented environments for advertisement purposes. However, this culture has transformed from just being a marketing agent and promotion of awareness into being a fearsome cultural force. This is because it plays a significant role in building the identities of individual people and the community in general. Hip Hop is mainly confined to the black community. There is a perception that the African Americans in the United States were informed to use it as a medium through which they would share the national culture. With that notion in mind, the majority of the rap artists act as the voice of the present generation. In that respect, artists such as Tupac, Snoop Dogg Dr. Dre, MC Hammer and G-Funk served as the voice of a generation that needed guidance and direction in relation to identity and voice. 

Nevertheless, in the current world, it is believed that there is a strong symbolic connection between Hip Hop and sports (Turner, 2015) . In the American milieu, music and games are valued as they influence the society in many ways that happen to be similar (Caponi-Tabery, 2002). For instance, music is seen as a unifying tool. Research shows that a single hit has the same unifying magnitude as that of a championship game. A famous rapper called Drake supported the inseparable nature of music and sports. In his song titled “ Thank Me Now ,” Drake asserted that sports and music are synonymous. He added that people need them and so do them. The mutualism between music and sports has raised many adorable things. For instance, players have used Hip Hop to change and reenact the highlight reel radically. On the other hand, rappers use sports jersey as a fashion in their partaking. 

Among the many games that exist, there has been a close association between Hip Hop and basketball (Turner, 2015) . However, this association is due to racial inclination. In recent times, many scholars have been trying to figure out the relationship between race and basketball. Writers such as Boyd (2003) asserted that basketball is a sport where social segregation on racial lines becomes apparent. The author adds that basketball is a sport of the blacks as it was the only arena they would get a chance to express themselves. In that respect, basketball is now used as a platform to define culture and racial inclination. Therefore, this paper shall focus on the overall impact that Hip Hop has on professional basketball. 

CHAPTER 1: THEORIES RELATED TO THE IMPACT OF HIP HOP 

1.1Hip Hop and racism in professional basketball 

Currently, many basketball’s young Back players are embracing the norms and behaviors that are particular to the Hip Hop culture. However, Boyd (2003) stated that the portrayal by the players came in the context of performing for a primarily white audience and other subordinate members of the owners and executives of the White teams. Due to that trend, Boyd (2003) places the Black basketball players within a culture of Black artists whose performance and actions he says were regulated by the Whites. Boyd noted that the notion of the Black culture seems to be overriding what the culture speaks for itself. The norm usually shelves Black culture, making it conform to perceptions that might have already been put in place. This is opposed to when it is deprived the freedom to exist independently so that its representation is given off (Boyd, 2003). Based on Boyd’s analysis, the dominance of the Whites in the ownership, management and media are enough to justify the symbolic representations. Boyd notes that the players root themselves in the Black culture. However, NBA is working effortlessly to control the situation. 

Lane (2007) on the other hand shares the same concept with Boyd about the filtration of the black culture through a White prism. This is in relation to the complex association between Hip Hop culture and NBA. The writer notes that NBA has gained massive profits by establishing links that had already been created to relate itself with Hip Hop. On a lighter note, Lane argued that the league ought to be careful so that White fans should not be scared away with the aggressiveness and Black masculinity in the sport. The writer regrets that NBA is operating in two ways. It pretends to be curbing but at the same time peddling the Black authenticity. It appears as if NBA is managing the representation of the Black culture in Hip Hop carefully. Lane wrote that NBA is feeling the guilt of taking both directions. It supports players for looking “too street.” On the other hand, it manipulates and trades their swag to earn cash from the highlights of the reel from the players that are symbolic of the Hip Hop Culture (Lane, 2007). 

Additionally, Lane states a series of negative and racially inclined incidents have prevailed, which made the league revise the connection it had with Hip Hop. The most common event was the 2004 brawl that occurred in Auburn Hills in Michigan State. The game saw Black players originating from Pacers exchanging blows with fans in the stands (Schoettle, 2007). Despite the fact that the league is still gaining profits owing to its connection with Hip Hop, there is the need for the executives to be cautious about the negative image that the culture paints about the sport. Notably, there has been a lot of terrifying acts whereby the Blacks angrily fail to accept societal mainstream. 

The analysis made by Lane has been very insightful and exciting just the way Boyd’s report was. Lane gives a clear view about how players plant their own culture and try to reshape an already existing connection between Hip Hop and basketball. He notes that the young Black males, without a doubt, represent the Hip Hop culture. Conclusively, Lane (2007) asserts that the league needs to examine itself to ascertain the cost-benefit relationship between its connections with Hip Hop. Through such analysis, NBA would be in a position to determine how race is going to be represented so that the league would be appealing to all fans. 

On the other hand, Baker (2000) had a different opinion to that of Lane. For instance, instead of analyzing the league in an attempt to demonstrate race, he examined the manner in which the racial image has been presented via the status quo in NBA. In spite of him being a writer of basketball movies, Baker’s analysis is very instrumental in understanding the image created by professional basketball. Baker (2000) stated that basketball reflects a universe that is racially segregated that luster over unfairness. The writer perceives that either political or collective influence will help to resolve the racial disparities. 

According to Baker (2000), Basketball represents a harmonious world whereby the Black Players have failed or succeeded in achieving their goals owing to the efforts they have put in. This notion eliminates the racial discrimination that exists at the societal level. It perceives that the best path to success is to play by the rules and to work extra hard while playing along with the status quo (Baker, 2000). In addition, Baker states that basketball ushers in a chance for fans to associate the players with certain familiar figures. This is an implication that racial segregation can be dealt with at individual level. In that respect, it was unnecessary to come up with radical programs to curb such inequalities in the society in general. 

Nevertheless, Baker’s analysis does not provide comprehensive information regarding how racial discrimination is happening within the basketball fraternity. The writer may be right to shun from the fact that players have played a role in building up social meaning. However, from Baker’s analysis, there is the need to note that, NBA players have an important part to play by setting a fair play on the court. That would be instrumental in ensuring the longevity of NBA in the league. Presently, the league is doing everything in its capacity to regulate their actions and all sorts of racial meaning they legalize. Nonetheless, the players also have the freedom to act in a manner that pleases them. This is an implication that the players are vital factors when establishing the manner in which race is reflected through sports (Hartmann, 2000). 

CHAPTER 2: MERITS AND DEMERITS OF HIP HOP 

2.1 Positive impact of Hip Hop 

Hip Hop has been integral to the black community in the U.S. as well as the society in general. It is more than music. In fact, Hip Hop is regarded as a culture. In the past three decades, Hip Hop has served as the voice of the Americans. This genre of music has been airing out people’s views hence acting as a voice. Those opposed to this type of music perceive that Hip Hop promotes aggressive culture as the music itself is offensive in nature. According to them, Hip Hop leads to increased rebellion. Nevertheless, despite the lyrics being provocative, it the music does not deviate from the fact that it is trying to air out the views of people who under normal circumstances cannot be heard (Libardo, 2010) . Hip Hop provides a rostrum for MCs and singers to express their opinions about their community, their government and the manner in which African Americans are treated in America for decades (Watkins, 2005). Such views are vital in uplifting the marginalized or rather the minorities who in this case are the black community. In addition, the entire society would benefit if they support the Hip Hop culture rather than criticizing it. 

Despite the fact that some of the reasons that the opponents of Hip Hop opponents provide are genuine, it is undeniable that Hip Hop has been very influential in the U.S. For instance, Hip Hop has demonstrated to be the most efficient tool for creating social mobility and cultural affiliation particularly for the marginalized communities (Zirin, 2005). Hip Hop is a tool that goes beyond entertainment. It has acted as a platform in which societal injustices such as racial discrimination, poverty, dictatorship, resistance, and capitalism have been combated from the society. Throughout the American history, music has been a powerful methodology for creating social awareness. 

Additionally, Hip Hop reflects trends, unusual ideas, societal image and it inspires progress and movement along the social structure. In that respect, Hip Hop is believed to be a mixture of factious and spectacular events. However, Hip Hop is a contemporary music that responds to poverty, unemployment, and disempowerment. Above all, it is a rebellion against the dominance of the whites in the American economy as well as the psychological torture against people with color. Broadly speaking, the rise in popularity of this genre of music in the nineties can be associated with the social upheaval of significant proportions. Notably, the oppressed individuals were able to use Hip Hop music to communicate about their plight and inhumane circumstances that they were experiencing at that particular juncture. In so doing, they would express their rebellion against any form of oppression within their society. 

2.2 Negative Impact of Hip Hop 

Hip Hop has largely been criticized due to the fact that many people believe that it promotes racial discrimination and violence within the American community. The American media shows that Hip Hop music is rich in controversies surrounding it. Since the rivalry between the habitants of the East and West Coasts in America that saw the murder of famous rappers like Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G many people have been directly associating Hip Hop music to violence. Additionally, the rising popularity of this genre of music has also been twinned to the massive shootings that have been evident in American schools. For instance, the shooting that happened in Littleton in Colorado is one of the cases where the Hip Hop culture has gained heavy criticism. Owing to this trend, the media, and other political groups have been fast to blame Hip Hop for propagating violence among the youths in the society. Besides, rap has also been associated with sports-related violence. Notably, the aggressive nature of this music coupled with its purported direct influence to the youth is perceived to be the reason why teens demonstrate violent acts in some sports such as basketball. 

2.3 Connecting theory to practice 

Theories are mainly important as they provide information that is applied thereby enabling researchers to make meaningful conclusions from them. Theories have been used in many fields however this paper shall focus on the Hip Hop theories mentioned in the previous sections and how they influence professional basketball. Notably, theories are the essential ingredients that give researchers information that will guide them in formulating research questions. The research question will be either proved right or wrong after the study has been concluded. Essentially, the viability of a theory depends on how relevant that particular theory is. 

Theory and practice are in tandem. Without a theory, the practice cannot be efficiently undertaken. This is an implication that the data collected and the observations made without applying theory would not make any sense. Therefore, the relationship between theory and practice means that if the theory is altered, the method will also be affected significantly. For example, if the data collected is manipulated, the outcome of that particular research will also need to be modified. That, on the other hand, would render the findings from research to be unviable. Additionally, certain values come from practices, norms, and beliefs that people usually tend to embrace. Such values may involve the liberty of choice, care, and dignity among others. Therefore, it is clear that there are particular factors within the society and personal level that influence theories. 

Hip Hop was initiated in the American society in the 1970’s at South Bronx. Since its initiation, many MC’s and artists have come out strongly to pledge their allegiance to the Black culture. Notably, people wearing Afro or using Islamic names such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used to organize the Black culture movements. Most of their acts were symbolizing ethnic affiliations and seemed to challenge the notion that a particular race is superior to the others. In recent times, many Black players associate themselves with the Hip Hop culture, which is against the ideology of White dominance in the economy and other fields in the country. When analyzing the impact of Hip Hop in basketball the concept of “hidden transcript” comes into mind. This was the phrase used to refer to the oppressed groups. This phrase was often manifested in most Hip Hop songs in the United States. In most cases, these songs were dedicated to the Black working class youths so that they can realize their potential to influence the politics of the country. 

Despite the fact that the dominant theme may be cultural politics, it would be imperative for individuals to find out the extent in which the real resistance was represented. The issue of Blackness and Hip Hop culture started as a symbol of resistance. For instance, the Erving’s Afro in relation to the 1970’s Black Power movements symbolized the resistance towards White norm culture. Nevertheless, in the 2004 Detroit Pistons NBA championship run, White fans seated in expensive seats held placards that had the writings of “Fear the Afro” (Bonilla-Silva, 2004). These fans also put on Afro wigs to honor the Ben Wallace who was the team’s center. At that time, the Afro had lost its resistance meaning, and it came to be viewed as a type of hair cut. Similarly, the association of the mainstream to the popular culture has shown tremendous variation since Hip Hop sprung from ghettos in urban areas. 

Apparently, Hip Hop flourished among the Black community who were regarded as marginalized groups owing to the poverty that was typical of them. In the 1990s, this genre of music was popular and become acknowledged nationally. Many recording studios started gaining interests in this type of music. The popularity of Hip Hop changed the nature of music in America in many essential ways. For instance, it made music to be formulaic in nature and limiting its theme to cultural space so as to communicate a political message (Bonilla-Silva, 2004). Popular music, notably, are produced in many recording studios and marketed to a variety of audience. However, the identity of this music is still confined to the Black people who are characteristically known to be the opponents of the mainstream. The dress code, mode of speech and code of conduct that linked with popular music are difficult to understand. For instance, it is not easy to tell whether it was adopted as a result of sociopolitical standpoint. It is also difficult to establish whether the culture originated and proliferated within the ghettos, which were characterized by crime, poverty, and unemployment. However, many people perceived that most of the culture being evidenced by the black community developed because the mainstream society overlooked their plights. 

The Hip Hop culture explicitly demonstrates this orientation. The manner in which the artists lower their pants is a reflection of their life in prison. Notably, they were not allowed to put on belts . Thus their pants were low waist most of the times. The culture of sagging, therefore, was symbolic of the criminal identity and a sign of rejecting the laws and norms of the mainstream. Most images that media use when referring to Hip Hop style reflects aggressive acts and indirectly shows police repression. This has made Hip Hop to be popular among young men who interpret that culture as a sign of rebellion against oppression (Logan, Stults, & Faley, 2004). In other words, when one is associated with the Hip Hop culture it means that he/she has adopted an illegal status. As a result, he/she may be subject to harassment by the police. 

Essentially, the cause of the so-called “Outlawed Status” is due to the fact that the Black youths were impoverished since they were disenfranchised economically and socially (DeVane & Squire, 2008) . According to the Hip Hop culture, individuals are supposed to keep it real. This means that they should not change the norms and their code of conduct after they have managed to move along the social structure. The same is expected even if they merited appeasing the standards of the mainstream (Boyd, 2003). Owing to the continued pursuit to be identified with the outlawed culture, majority of the Black players do not embrace the NBA’s idea of creating a harmonious playing environment that is free from racial discrimination. They continue to pledge allegiance to a culture that paints them as marginalized groups. They have utterly refused talks that suggest that the Blacks can be assimilated into the middle-class of the White Americans. 

In spite of the Hip Hop culture causing significant challenge to the league, the NBA has gained massive profits by extensively using Hip Hop music to market itself. Lane (2007) noted that NBA opted to embrace Hip Hop in early 1990’s. The sport thus used Hip Hop styles and symbols that were culturally significant in order to make its products to be more appealing. Notably, the effects of Hip Hop in basketball were profoundly felt in the 1990’s. The cheering leaders turned out to be city dancers. They were grooving and moving spirally to Hip Hop music. Besides, they were dressed in outfits that were typical of fly girls. During warm-ups, breaks in play and some moments of the game when the action was at the peak, the arena was filled with rap music. The designs of the uniforms, logos, and color, became typical of the Hip Hop culture. Following that event, NBA started licensing products that were Hip Hop themed. This included games such as the NBA Jam. Additionally, the NBA web page assembled highlight Hip Hop reels and moved that were downloadable (Benedict, 2004). 

Nevertheless, following some instances of aggressive acts, the league had to redress the connection it had with Hip Hop music. The notable example was the violence that occurred following the game between the Piston and Pacers. During this historic event, most of the television stations were broadcasting images showing the Pacer’s (Black basketball players) punching White fans on the stands (Schoettle, 2007). In addition, Benedict (2004) published a book that demonstrated that an estimated 40% of basketball players had committed many crimes. Benedict (2004) noted that this population reflected individuals who were either violent against women or drug traffickers. He goes ahead to state that such habits were characteristic of the Hip Hop culture. 

Owing to the bad reputation that the Hip Hop culture was implanting in professional basketball, NBA opted to terminate its relationship with Hip Hop. In order to establish a connection with the Whites, the league decided to hire Mathew Dowd. Mathew Dowd was a George Bush’s former campaign adviser in the 2004 campaigns that saw the president being reelected (Lane, 2007). Following the agreement that the executives of the league had reached in 2005, matters dealing with the dress code were discussed. That led to the banishment of baggy clothing, chains just name anything that reflects on the Hip Hop culture (Lane, 2007). 

The diverse audiences of the NBA can best explain the manner in which the league treats Hip Hop culture. The luxury suites that NBA often uses have been drawn from the Hip Hop culture. The broader audiences of the league -especially the younger fans - are more likely to fancy it. Nonetheless, since NBA does not want to offend its fans it is facing the challenge of recording labels and designing clothing that market the Hip Hop cultural products. such move implies that the products ought to be audience specific. Thus, the products should be particular for people who identify themselves with the cultural product or those who are comfortable with the outlaw status. Lane (2007) states that NBA has to be cautious with the way it is handling the Hip Hop images it is portraying. The writer added that treating Hip Hop as an adopted but restricted culture is excessively sentimental. 

Hip Hop cultural politics was established as a hidden transcript to refer to the oppressed (Collins, 2005). This culture strived to cease mainstream norms and values to attain the outlaw position. However, the oppositional elements have currently been embraced by the mainstream hence challenging the overall meaning of the Hip Hop culture. Essentially, and being specific to the NBA, the oppositional elements of Hip Hop have not been wholly absorbed as one may think. This is because the NBA is striving to clean its reputation and regulate the Hip Hop images so as to shun offending fans who lie in the middle and upper class. Nevertheless, the Blackness that is apparent in the league explicitly shows that the players are the primary representative of the Hip Hop culture. Therefore, the players who abide by the Hip Hop culture to “keep it real” will always prove to conform to the Hip Hop culture that the league is trying to shun. 

Most of the literature materials are entered on NBA’s use and transmogrification of popular music (Lane, 2007). However, the symbolic value and sameness of rap music as evidenced through the NBA such as race is still a hotly debated subject. Despite the fact that the league has currently been successful in managing the dress code of the players during team functions, Hip Hop culture is still apparent in the league. The way the players talk, act or conduct themselves is still reflective of the Hip Hop culture (Chang, 2005). That is an implication that they are still pledging their allegiance to their legendary outlaw status as the Hip Hop culture demands from them. 

Furthermore, the majority of the White population chiefly uses the Hip Hop products. Nonetheless, the product is still actively associated with the Black movement. Therefore, the more the players become associated with the Hip Hop culture, the more they emphasize the ideology of Blackness rebellion against the mainstream. Essentially, the outlaw position that Hip Hop implants to its members, explicitly speaks volumes about the exceeding experiences that the young black men have compared to their White counterparts. This is true because of the extreme conditions in which they were raised in couple with the manner in which they relate to the laws and other mainstream institutions such as the police. In that respect, the Hip Hop culture instills the need for a continued relevance of race in all activities in the society including games like basketball. 

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 

3.1 Research Question 

What impact does Hip Hop pose on professional basketball? 

3.2 Population 

The participants in this study were male basketball players from various institutions. They were selected randomly from different teams to avoid bias. In that respect, the information provided herein takes the views of both the Blacks and White persons who play basketball at various levels. Importantly, there was the need to follow the research ethics during the selection process to ensure that the outcomes from this research are viable (Helsel, 2011) . In that respect, the researcher adhered to informed consent ethic to make sure that the participants were aware of the researcher’s intentions prior to the commencement of the research. Notably, this was done early to enable them to understand their responsibilities during the research. Actually, this was important since it would give them the autonomy to do a self-assessment to ascertain their suitability for the study. 

3.3 Procedures 

Data Collection: The nature of this research required the researcher to collect information directly from the basketball players so as to understand how Hip Hop influences professional basketball. With that realization, the researcher administered questionnaires to the participants after agreeing with them on time, date and place where the interview will be conducted. The researcher considered each participant as unique entities during the research. Thus, they were taken to be the experts on the matter. In that regards, the information that they provided was highly valued. 

Apparently, the interview is one of the best methods that is widely embraced for qualitative research. In that respect, the questionnaire used for this research consisted of both open and closed questions (See Appendix 1). The open questions were chosen because the researcher wanted to capture the real emotions and the thoughts of the participants. That also allows the wealth of experience of the participants to be tapped thereby providing a valid information regarding their life tales relating to the subject under study. Additionally, that would deprive the researcher a chance to manipulate the findings from the research. 

Furthermore, the researcher used observation and direct integration to find a clear picture about some issues that are related to the Hip Hop culture. Notably, direct interrogation enabled the researcher to gain access to the information that the participant may think it is not important to provide in the interview sheet yet it is vital. The researcher also noted that engaging the participants directly helped in building a trustful relationship. The established trust made the respondents more relaxed . According to the American Psychological Association, (2002), building such trust is essential as it ensures that quality and original information is obtained that on the other hand would validate the research process. 

Data Analysis : Various methods can be used in data analysis. That includes the ANOVA, SPSS, and Chi Square among others. However, the results obtained from this research were solely interpreted using charts. This was due to the short time that was available to conduct the research. Nevertheless, the data was handled in ethically as suggested by McGin & Bosacki, (2004) so that the desired results would be obtained. According to Sales & Folkman (2000), handling of data in an unethical way will affect the honesty policy thereby invalidating the results. With that realization, the researcher embraced the ethical means to make meaningful inferences from the data collected. In this research, 50 participants were used. The researcher, therefore, believes that the results obtained will be reflective of the larger population that was not involved in this study. 

3.4. Limitations 

This study had the limitation of time. The impact of Hip Hop on professional basketball is a topic that requires more time and resources so that the results can be conclusive. For instance, this paper solely focuses on male basketball. However, more research ought to be done to ascertain if the same trend will be exhibited in basketball among the females. 

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS 

4.1. Similarity between Hip Hop and Basketball 

4.2 Hip Hop and Racial Discrimination 

4.3 Hip Hop and Dress Code 

4.4 Hip Hop and Basketball Related Violence 

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION 

The results obtained from this research correlates with most of the information gathered written by other scholars. It is apparent that, despite the NBA tireless efforts to terminate its association with Hip Hop, the Black basketball players are still propagating the culture of this genre of music. However, they cannot be blamed for their conservative ways since they believe it is through Hip Hop that they managed to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The findings herein will be discussed under the subheadings below: 

Association between Hip Hop and Basketball 

As aforementioned in the previous sections, the data obtained for this research took into consideration both the Black and the White respondents. The researcher was able to interview 50 basketball players regarding the impact that Hip Hop pose on professional basketball. The first question in the interview sheet sought to establish whether there was any form of association between Hip Hop and professional basketball. From the responses obtained from the survey, it was apparent that majority of the players believed that there is a correlation between this genre of music and basketball. 

Notably, out of the 50 participants who were interviewed, 31 stated that there was an association between Hip Hop and Basketball whereas 19 perceived that this connection did not exist. For those respondents who believed that this relationship existed added that majority of the basketball players since time in memorial have been on the forefront in promoting Hip Hop music. Some even quoted the likes of Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg as examples. 

Hip Hop and Racial Discrimination 

In relation to racial discrimination, the participants were able to reveal that Hip Hop was the main contributor of racism in basketball. However, many respondents suggested that the rate of racial discrimination has gone down compared to previous days. The findings herein were able to show that 27 respondents felt that Hip Hop acted as a rostrum for promoting racism in basketball while 23 stated that Hip Hop did not promote racism in basketball. Nevertheless, going with the majority, Hip Hop culture happens to be a drawback in all environments since of promotes social segregation along the racial lines (Netcoh, 2013) . 

As evidenced seen in the previous sections, the majority of the Blacks were marginalized, and poverty had become a part of their life. As a result, they opted to come up with a culture that would make their plights be addressed. As a matter of fact, Hip Hop proved to be that culture that would act as a vehicle to free the Blacks from oppression by the White community. In addition, basketball is also associated with the Blacks since James Naismith initiated it in 1891. In those days, basketball was seen as a game of the poor people (Thomas, 2002). Therefore, it was launched so that the poor boys in the streets can be informed on proper hygiene, respect as well as self-hygiene. Typically, it was a game that targeted the black community. According to brooks & McKali, (2008) the Blacks dominated the first basketball league that was initiated in the 19th century. However, this trend has been changing as time goes on. For instance, in the 29 th century, White immigrants dominated the basketball leagues that came up. This opposed to the traditional norm where Black dominance was apparent whenever such leagues were launched. 

Nevertheless, the notion of Hip Hop promoting racism in professional basketball in this 21 st century is still evident. Many people still perceive that the fact that Hip Hop, basketball the Black culture are related, the Whites are not privileged when it comes to this game. In spite of the NBA’s efforts to cease the Hip Hop culture in the sport, the very presence of the blacks in the courts still reflects on the Hip Hop culture (Chang, 2005). Notably, their way of talking and code of conduct are typical of the Hip Hop culture that the NBA is trying to face out. However, many Whites such as Eminem have currently been absorbed in the Hip Hop culture. This is an implication that the culture is likely to lose its meaning. Regressively, the virtues that the Hip Hop culture instills on the Blacks makes it difficult for them to shun away from it since this culture was their vehicle for freedom. 

Hip Hop and Dress Code 

The finding from this research has shown that 90% of the respondents feel that Hip Hop defines their dress code. On the other hand, 10% of the participants argued that Hip Hop does not determine their dress code. From the researcher’s observation, the majority of the respondents who had turned out for the interview had worn baggy pants. Besides, their pants had sagged. This was symbolic of the Hip Hop culture. However, it was difficult to associate a particular race with that trend since both the Blacks and Whites showed semblance in this aspect. Various literature associates the Hip Hop dress code with their criminal lives. Notably, the sagging of pants was a sign of protesting against the oppression they faced from mainstream institutions such as the police. Nonetheless, this trend has changed such that sagging has become a fashion in its own. 

Hip Hop and Basketball Related Violence 

Hip Hop has been an integral music genre since it was initiated. Regressively, many people currently associate it with violence and crime. This research, for instance, was able to show that Hip Hop was the main reason why professional basketball players were so violent in some cases. The majority of the respondents suggested that the manner in which this music is delivered triggers the darker sides in people since the artists use words that portray a particular culture is being targeted for destruction. As such, the artists were there to condemn such acts and inspire their kinds to rise to the occasion and use whatever means they can to resist oppression. 

Basically, the use of Hip Hop as a tool for freedom was highly embraced by the Blacks. The artists were urging their fellow Blacks to cease being second fiddle and stand up against oppression. As this paper has revealed, the majority of the Blacks were susceptible to arrests, unemployment, and poverty. Regressively, the rowdy culture has been transferred to basketball courts. In this research, for instance, 38 respondents suggested that the violence being exhibited in basketball is Hip Hop derived. A small population of 12 individuals argued that Hip Hop does not propel violence in basketball. 

Conclusions 

In conclusion, Hip Hop is an important genre of music not only in America but also in other parts of the global. Notably, since its inception, Hip Hop music have been instrumental in marketing certain sports products. In addition, popular music has been there to speak for the oppressed people in the society. In America for instance, this genre of music has been used to appreciate the role of democracy whereby various artists have composed lyrics to support their presidents. However, this research shows that Hip Hop culture promotes racism and violence in professional basketball. Through this culture, many Black people perceive that basketball is part of their culture, therefore, the Whites who oppressed them ought to consider other games. Besides, many Blacks used the culture to propagate violence during championship games. 

Summary 

Concisely, the Hip Hop culture in professional basketball needs to be checked so that the sport can attract a wider fan base. Hip Hop should not be used as a tool for segregating the different races in the state. Rather, the artists should embrace this kind of music to promote the game for them to be deemed professionals in the industries. 

References 

American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 57 (12) 

Baker, A. (2000). “Hoop Dreams in Black and White: Race and Basketball Movies” in Basketball Jones: America Above the Rim , edited by T. Boyd and K. Shropshire. New York: New York University Press 

Benedict, J. (2004). Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA’s Culture of Rape, Violence, and Crime. Harper Collins. 

Bonilla-Silva, E. (2004). “Racialized Social System Approach to Racism” in Rethinking the Color Line, edited by C. Gallagher. New York: McGraw-Hill. 

Boyd, T. (2003). Young, Black, Rich and Famous: The Rise of the NBA, the Hip Hop Invasion and the Transformation of American Culture . New York: Doubleday. 

Brooks, S. N., & McKail, M. A. (2008) “A Theory of the Preferred Worker: A Structural Explanation for Black Male Dominance in Basketball” Critical Sociology 34(3) 369-387 

Caponi-Tabery, G. (2002). “Jump for Joy” in Sports Matters , edited by J. Bloom & M. Willard. New York: New York University Press. 

Chang, J. (2005). Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation New York: St. Martin’s Press 

Collins, P. H. (2005). Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender, and the New Racism New York: Taylor and Francis. 

DeVane, B., & Squire, K. D. (2008). The meaning of race and violence in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Games and Culture , 3 (3-4), 264-285. 

Hartmann, D. (2000). “Rethinking the Relationships Between Sport and Race in American Culture: Golden Ghettos and Contested Terrain.” Sociology of Sports Journal. v. 17 

Helsel, D. R. (2011). Statistics for Censored Environmental Data Using Minitab and R: John Wiley & Sons 

Lane, J. (2007). Under the Boards: The Cultural Revolution in Basketball . Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 

Librado, D. (2010). An instrument of resistance: Rap music and Hip-Hop culture in El Alto, Bolivia (Doctoral dissertation). 

Logan, R. J., Stults, B. J., & Farley, R. (2004). “Segregation of Minorities in the Metropolis: Two Decades of Change.” Demography 41(1):1-22. 

McGinn, M.K. & Bosacki, S.L. (2004) Research Ethics and Practitioners: Concerns and strategies for novice researchers engaged in graduate education . Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 5(2), 

Netcoh, S. (2013). Droppin'Knowledge on Race: Hip-Hop, White Adolescents, and Anti-Racism Education. Radical Teacher , (97), 10. 

Sales, B.D., & Folkman, S. (Eds.). (2000). Ethics in research with human participants . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 

Schoettle, A. (2007), October 6. “Players Benched for New Pacers Ads: Unusual Campaign Tries to Win Back Fans.” Indianapolis Business Journal 

Thomas, R. (2002). They Cleared the Lane: The NBA’s Black Pioneers . Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 

Turner, T. (2015). German Sports Shoes, Basketball, and Hip Hop: The Consumption and Cultural Significance of the Adidas ‘Superstar’, 1966–1988. Sport in History , 35 (1), 127-155. 

Watkins, C. (2005). Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. Boston: Beacon Press 

Zirin, D. (2005). What’s my Name, Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States . Chicago: Haymarket Books.