Other Peoples' Property: HipHop's Inherent Clashes with U.S. Property Laws and its Rise as Global Counter Culture

Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, Forthcoming

Florida International University Legal Studies Research Paper No. 09-04

50 Pages Posted: 18 Dec 2008 Last revised: 15 Jul 2009

See all articles by Andre L. Smith

Andre L. Smith

Economic Justice Law Review; Howard University School of Law

Date Written: December 18, 2008

Abstract

Because of hiphop's inherent clashes with property laws, many worldwide adopt hiphop as a culture in opposition to property owners. For many of the world's poor and subjugated, hiphop represents a non-propertied group successfully and stridently challenging the propertied and the social order maintaining their wealth. Surely, Public Enemy's Fight the Power promoted hiphop globally as an art form capable and worthy of adoption by those struggling for economic or social justice. But hiphop's worldwide appeal has less to do with its capacity for expressing political messages and more to do with its inherent opposition to property laws. It is the symbolic nature of hiphop's many current and historical battles with federal, state, and local property laws that inspires the world's poor youths to rap about their particular tribulations, breakdance, write graffiti, adopt hiphop fashion and language and express their opposition to their respective social systems through hiphop culture.

Keywords: hiphop, music, norms, culture, fair use

Suggested Citation

Smith, Andre L., Other Peoples' Property: HipHop's Inherent Clashes with U.S. Property Laws and its Rise as Global Counter Culture (December 18, 2008). Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, Forthcoming, Florida International University Legal Studies Research Paper No. 09-04, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1317856

Andre L. Smith (Contact Author)

Economic Justice Law Review ( email )

United States

Howard University School of Law ( email )

2900 Van Ness Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
United States

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