A new generation of rap in Argentina as a means to promote social commitment (by Belén)

 Rap music, which gained popularity in the USA towards the end of the 1970s, has been criticized worldwide. Critics have maintained that this music genre is negative for the youth since it glorifies topics such as violence, sexual exploitation and drug abuse. At the same time, critics have also claimed that rap is just pure entertainment. This is, in part, due to the belief that rap does not express any profound message to its listeners. Given this, rap is considered an inappropriate style for youngsters and it is shunned by adults.

Since its inception, rap music has quickly expanded to many different countries and it reached Argentina in the 1980s, where it was accepted and welcomed by young adults, but rejected and underestimated by adults. Nowadays, a new generation of talented Argentinian rappers has emerged to challenge all the prejudices around this type of music. Nicki Nicole and Trueno are among these new artists, but Valentín Oliva, a.k.a Wos, can be distinguished from the rest since he is known for the deep messages he transmits through his lyrics, by mentioning real-life situations that many Argentinians experience in their lives, Wos is having a great impact on young listeners. Valentín Oliva’s works show that rap music has the potential to be a powerful tool to encourage social and political commitment.

Wos’ case shows that rap is slightly shifting away from being considered just entertainment since it clearly expresses messages about the social situation of the country. Valentín Oliva uses his music as a tool to express how he feels about the social issues in Argentina, challenging the misconception about rap being just empty entertainment. In some of his songs, such as “Que se mejoren”, “Patada de canguro” and “Mugre”, we can observe how the rapper is able to expose the social differences, injustices, as well as the difficulties of living in a discriminatory society that most young adults experience. For instance, in the song “Que se mejoren” (May they get better), when Wos expresses that “cuando los que dicen que te cuidan son los que te matan” 1 , we can notice how he criticizes the hierarchical power relations established in Argentina. In this song, oliva harshly condemns some of the actions carried out by the Argentinian police force which are often connected not only to abuse but also with trigger-happy cases. Similarly, in one of Oliva’s most famous songs called “Patada de canguro” (Kangaroo kick), the rapper states that “No hace falta gente que labure más, hace falta que con menos se pueda vivir en paz 2". This extract demonstrates that the artist is not only talking about inequality and meritocracy in Argentina but also denouncing conformism.

One last example can be taken from the song “Mugre” (Dirt), in which Wos expresses, “El humo que nos venden sale cada vez más caro, nadie se hace cargo del ruido de esos disparos” 3 In this last extract, the artist is referring to the perpetuation of lies on part of the government as well as the police abuse.

As it has been described so far, by exposing dreadful situations that young adults experience, Wos is able to underline the injustices that take place in Argentina and his fans can feel not only motivated to reflect on these problems but also encouraged to commit socially and politically in order to make a change for the better.

Though rap music might still perpetuate an image that glorifies drug abuse and violence as in the case of the Argentinian rapper Duki; Wos’ case shows that rappers can be committed to shifting their messages, since he expresses the importance of learning about politics and society itself. Rap is a powerful medium for self-expression and for shared experiences and it can deeply appeal to and motivate young adults to speak out against injustices. Recognizing this capacity, Wos invites young listeners to be aware of these social problems and to let their voices be heard. Evidence of this can be found in his public speech. For instance, in one of his interviews the rapper has reflected:

Creo que se está rompiendo esto de que la política es de este grupo de personas, de esta elite de esta edad y de este lugar, y de pronto empieza a ser algo de los pibes, se apropian más, empieza a ser más compartido y a mezclarse con otras cosas, con la música 4

In 2019, in another interview, when talking about young politicians, Oliva has expressed:

Está bueno que la voz de muchos jóvenes esté siendo escuchada, y que estén siendo referentes, como Ofelia (Fernández). 5

In these two instances, Wos recognizes that young adults can be interested in politics and that their opinions and beliefs deserve to be listened to and accepted.

Valentin Oliva also uses his public presentations to speak to his young audience. For instance, in 2017, the first time that the Argentinian rapper competed in a rap battle in the Luna Park stadium, he could not help but denounce what was going on in Argentina back then:

Están pasando cosas muy crudas en el país. Hay mucha gente que se queda sin trabajo, acaba de desaparecer Santiago Maldonado así que, wacho, no hay que olvidarse de esas cosas. Hay que bajar a los fachos estos 6

Regardless of the negative image with which rap music has been associated worldwide, it is possible to perceive that rap in Argentina is clearly evolving and improving. Even though some adults still refuse to accept rap’s evolution since they believe that this music genre is pure entertainment and that it glorifies violence and drug abuse, many rap artists are showing that rap is not always isolated from the social and political reality of the country. Valentín Oliva recognizes his music as a powerful tool not only to express himself but also to reach young adults who struggle with injustices, inequality and discrimination. At the same time, Wos uses his music as a means to encourage the youth to resist and combat these problems. Wos’ case clearly challenges established misconceptions about rap music, and he shows that rap music can be used as a powerful tool to reach young adults and to motivate social and political commitment.

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1 When the ones that tell you they protect you, are the same ones that kill you

2 We don’t need people who work more, what is needed is that with less you can live in peace.

3 The bullshit they sell us is getting more and more expensive, nobody takes responsibility for the noise of those gunshots.

4 I believe that the idea that politics belongs just to one group of persons, the elite, is changing and soon it is starting to be something for the kids who appropriate it more, it starts to be shared and it is mixed with other things and with music.

5 It's great that the voice of many young people is being heard, and that they are becoming referents, like Ofelia Fernández.