Final answer:
In the mid-80s, hip hop crossovers, primarily by white artists, drew a wider base of listeners but raised questions of cultural appropriation. The global diffusion of hip hop faced technological and cultural barriers yet became a significant cultural and political force. The topic addresses the assimilation and adoption of Black music by various social groups and the complexities arising from these exchanges.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the mid-1980s, hip hop began to draw a wider base of listeners through hip hop crossovers largely made successful by white artists. This phenomenon raises questions of cultural appropriation, where artists of one culture adopt and use elements from another culture's music. The use of elements from black music in other genres by white artists has been discussed by Wesley Morris (2019) and highlights the ability of black music to articulate the history and experiences of Black people, a sentiment that often appeals to other social groups as well. Cultural appropriation can be contentious as it sometimes leads to accusations of minority culture exploitation, particularly when it involves profiting from cultural elements without proper acknowledgment or understanding of their historical and cultural significance.
Moreover, cultural appropriation often intertwines with racial issues, as it did in the context of hip hop's expansion during the '80s, reflecting concerns over the dynamics of power and privilege between different racial and ethnic groups in the field of music. While hip hop indeed became a global phenomenon, this did not always occur without resistance due to various technological, cultural, or social barriers, including cases of censorship and physical violence against music stores in places with conservative or authoritarian regimes.
Despite these struggles, hip hop's diffusion is a testament to contagious and hierarchical diffusion patterns, where the genre initially spread throughout nearby locations before being adopted in larger cities and eventually international locales. This process of diffusion underscores the complexity and impact of hip hop as a form of artistic expression and social commentary, deeply embedded in the fabric of cultural and political movements such as Black Lives Matter and even spurring the creation of political parties like the Green parties.