The Philosophy of Hip-Hop

Amy Shearn
Momentum
Published in
1 min readFeb 8, 2021

--

Photo: South_agency/Getty Images

“Hip-hop is a lot of things,” Scott Woods writes on LEVEL, “but the least discussed of all its facets is how it operates as a philosophy.” Here is the philosophical analysis of rappers you didn’t know you needed, but absolutely do:

The music of hip-hop is loaded with as many ethical questions as it is moral imperatives, and the bulk of its practitioners adhere to at least one personal philosophy. (Rap has very few Dadaists.) In fact, the work and statements of some of our favorite rappers line up quite comfortably alongside philosophy’s greatest — and most notorious — minds.

Read all about how Lil Wayne is to Friedrich Nietzsche as Jay-Z is to Ayn Rand:

--

--

Momentum
Momentum

Published in Momentum

Momentum is a blog that captures and reflects the moment we find ourselves in, one where rampant anti-Black racism is leading to violence, trauma, protest, reflection, sorrow, and more. Momentum doesn’t look away when the news cycle shifts.

Amy Shearn
Amy Shearn

Written by Amy Shearn

Formerly: Editor of Creators Hub, Human Parts // Ongoingly: Novelist, Essayist, Person