Why The Music Industry Should Stop Referring To Hip-Hop as "Urban"
The use of the word urban to describe Hip-Hop throughout music circles is a trend that needs to end. Minus the use of the word “urban” being used in place of terms like “ghetto” or “black,” the term urban isn’t an accurate depiction that describes where Hip-Hop fans reside. Using the term “urban” to describe the Hip-Hop genre essentially communicates that Hip-Hop is a genre to be made and consumed by people only in urban areas. It would be equivalent to using the term “fly over” to describe the country genre because stereotypically when thinking about country music, some may have the picture of a white dude in overalls hanging out in the back of his pick-up truck that he parked in the middle of a cornfield. This scenario, however, would only be possible in states like North Dakota or Nebraska, states that are referred to as “fly over states.”
Both scenarios aren’t the end all be all scenarios for both genres of music. So why is one genre subjected to be “professionally” named after the stereotypical areas in which it originates and the other isn’t? One can only imagine if it’s plain laziness on the part of the music industry to articulate the words Hip-Hop, an effort to combine R&B and Hip-Hop the two black-dominated genres of music or the next iteration of the term “race music” or “race records,” which were terms used to identify music created by black artists. Whichever theory you decide to go with, or if you go with your own theories (please send them to me @oldmilk00 on Instagram and Twitter, I genuinely want to know) I think we can all agree that the use of the term “urban” to describe Hip-Hop and R&B is simply wrong.
The negative connotation that comes with the word “urban” in describing areas where mostly black people live, or black art isn’t something to scoff at. Words are powerful, they’re the difference between someone being a problematic asshole and someone just being genuinely misinformed. The use of the word “urban” being thrown around in places that are mainly populated with old white men who already have their false mindset on what black people are in society, should be enough to get people to stop using the word altogether.
The fact is Hip-Hop is currently the number one most popular genre in the United States, and the trends of Hip-Hop’s growth are still trending a tad bit upward. With that being said, the genre should be respected like the number one genre amongst the youth that it is. So how do we fix this problem, someone who gets aroused when ideas of social change are presented might ask. It’s simple, stop using the word “urban” in professional circles, because the use of the word in those scenarios justifies the next person who uses it. I don’t think the words Hip-Hop or R&B are words that professionals should shy away from. Also, if you come across an artist you find difficult to place in the Hip-Hop or R&B boxes, just call them an artist. The music industry is trending towards a future where lines between genres are blurred anyway, so might as well start calling the talent, artists as a broad term now.
