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In spiritual traditions like Tibetan Buddhism, the concept of lineage refers to the unbroken transmission of teachings, wisdom, and blessings from teacher to student, stretching back to the originator of the tradition. This lineage ensures the purity and integrity of the teachings, as each generation of practitioners is directly connected to the source through their teachers. The importance of lineage in Tibetan Buddhism is profound, as it not only signifies the authenticity of the teachings but also embodies the living connection between the past, present, and future practitioners.

Similarly, in Hiphop culture, lineage can be understood as the transmission of styles, techniques, values, morals and philosophies from the pioneers and originators of the culture to the current and future generations. This notion of lineage in Hiphop is not just about the music or rhyming; it's also not just about the struggles, stories and social messages of its adherents. Hiphop is also about the diverse ethical and philosophical perspectives that have been passed down through its elements. Hiphop, since its inception, has been more than just entertainment; it has been a voice for the voiceless, a form of resistance, a tool for social change and a method of examining and developing character, integrity and virtue.  The lineages of Hiphop therefore, can be seen in the evolution of its forms, impact on society and influence of its diverse moral messages but also through the lens of the values they promote. For many years I’ve contemplated the lineages of Hiphop and have identified at least three:

1. The Party and Entertainment Lineage Started by Kool Herc:

DJ Kool Herc, born Clive Campbell, is often credited as the "father of Hiphop." In the early 1970s, he began hosting back-to-school parties in the Bronx, New York, where he developed the technique of extending the breaks of funk records to create a continuous dance rhythm. This innovation laid the foundation for breakdancing and emceeing (rapping), thus birthing Hiphop as a distinct musical genre. The lineage that Kool Herc started is characterized by the party and entertainment aspect of Hiphop, focusing on DJing, breakdancing, and the celebratory nature of the culture.

2. The Sociopolitical Lineage Started by the Ghetto Brothers and the Death of Black Benji:

The Ghetto Brothers, a gang turned music group from the Bronx, played a significant role in the early days of Hiphop by promoting peace and unity in the community. The tragic death of their peacekeeper, Black Benji, led to a historic peace meeting among rival gangs, significantly reducing gang violence in the Bronx. This event marked the beginning of a sociopolitical lineage in Hiphop, where the culture became a platform for addressing social issues, advocating for peace, and bringing about community change. This lineage is characterized by Hiphop's role in social activism, political commentary, and its ability to mobilize and empower marginalized communities.

3. The Lineage of Hiphop as a Tool of Spiritual Awakening, Self Awareness, Peace, Love, and Unity Started by Afrika Bambaataa:

Afrika Bambaataa, a DJ and community leader, founded the Universal Zulu Nation, an organization that used Hiphop as a tool for social change, spiritual awakening, and the promotion of peace, love, and unity. Bambaataa's vision for Hiphop was as a "culture of peace" that could transcend racial and social barriers and bring people together. This lineage emphasizes Hiphop's potential for personal and collective transformation, spiritual growth, and the fostering of a global community based on mutual respect and understanding.

Just as in Tibetan Buddhism where lineage ensures the transmission of authentic teachings and connects practitioners across generations, the lineages in Hiphop culture preserve the essence, values, and innovations of its pioneers. These lineages—whether focused on entertainment, social activism, or spiritual awakening—highlight the multifaceted nature of Hiphop and its enduring impact on individuals and societies worldwide.

The three lineages of Hiphop can also be correlated with the moral development theories of Harvard psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg by examining how each lineage embodies the principles and values at different levels of moral reasoning. Kohlberg's theory posits that moral development progresses through a series of stages, from pre-conventional to conventional and finally to post-conventional morality, each with its own focus on the basis for moral decisions. 

Preconventional morality is based on rewards and punishments, while conventional morality focuses on adhering to societal norms and expectations. Postconventional morality involves abstract ethical principles that may transcend societal norms and laws.

Examining one's stage of moral development or the moral stage of a society is crucial for understanding how individuals and societies make moral judgments and decisions. 

Understanding one's moral development stage can help individuals recognize their thought processes and decision-making patterns, allowing for personal growth and development. For societies, examining moral development stages can lead to a better understanding of societal values, norms, and ethical principles, which can inform policy-making and social change efforts.

Examining the moral development of the Hiphop world as well as our own moral development within the context of Hiphop’s 50 year influence through images, music, values and marketing education, messaging, sound and look can help us to clarify how we and the society of Hiphoppers are making decisions around how we care for ourselves, each other and our planet.  

Let's look at how the lineages of Hiphop may align with Kohlberg's moral stages of development.

1. The Party Entertainment Lineage Started by Kool Herc: Pre-Conventional Level (Stages 1 and 2)

This lineage can be associated with Kohlberg's preconventional level of moral development, particularly stage two, which is characterized by self-interest and the pursuit of rewards. Kool Herc's innovation in extending breaks in funk records to keep the party going can be seen as a pursuit of personal enjoyment and the immediate reward of an engaged and entertained audience. This stage is about direct consequences and benefits, much like the early Hiphop scene was about creating an enjoyable atmosphere for parties and gaining recognition and status within the community.

At this level, individuals act primarily out of self-interest and to avoid punishment. Early Hiphop, emerging from the economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of the South Bronx, often reflected the harsh realities of street life (as in the cultures of gang involvement and drug dealing) including themes of survival and immediate gratification. Lyrics from this era might align with Stage 1, where the focus is on avoiding the negative consequences of the streets, or Stage 2, where the pursuit of personal gain (such as respect, money, or power) is paramount.

2. The Sociopolitical Lineage Started by the Ghetto Brothers and the Death of Black Benji: Conventional Level (Stages 3 and 4)

 The sociopolitical lineage reflects Kohlberg's conventional level of moral reasoning, particularly stage four, which is focused on law and order morality. The Ghetto Brothers' transformation from a gang to a group advocating for peace and the reduction of violence in the Bronx demonstrates a shift towards maintaining social order and a concern for the wider community. This stage of moral development is about upholding laws and societal norms, which in the context of Hiphop, translates to using the culture as a means to address social issues and advocate for community change.

As Hiphop matured, it began to reflect a more conventional level of moral reasoning. Stage 3 involves good interpersonal relationships and gaining approval from others. Hiphop artists like MC Lyte and Queen Latifah, for example, began to use their platform to address issues like gender equality and social justice, reflecting a concern for societal norms and the well-being of the community.

Stage 4 is characterized by a respect for authority, maintaining social order, and upholding laws. Hiphop's engagement with sociopolitical issues, as seen in the works of Public Enemy and KRS-One, demonstrates a shift towards this stage. These artists used their music to critique social and political systems, advocating for change within the existing social structures.

3. The Lineage of Hiphop as a Tool of Spiritual Awakening, Self Awareness, Peace, Love, and Unity Started by Afrika Bambaataa: Post-Conventional Level (Stages 5 and 6)

 Afrika Bambaataa's vision for Hiphop aligns with Kohlberg's post-conventional level of moral development, particularly stage six, which is characterized by universal ethical principles and justice. Bambaataa's use of Hiphop to promote spiritual awakening and unity transcends conventional societal norms and laws, focusing instead on universal principles of peace, love, and social justice. This stage of moral reasoning is about ethical principles that apply to all humans and the belief in a shared humanity, which is reflected in the use of Hiphop as a tool for global connection and transformation.

The post-conventional level, which includes Stages 5 and 6, is marked by a more abstract approach to moral reasoning, guided by principles that transcend specific laws or social agreements. Stage 5 involves a recognition of the variability of personal values and opinions, and a concern for the welfare of others on a societal level. Hiphop artists who focus on global issues, human rights, and activism, such as Talib Kweli and Common, exhibit this level of moral reasoning.

Stage 6, the highest level, is characterized by universal ethical principles and the commitment to justice. While Kohlberg believed that few individuals reach this stage, Hiphop artists who promote messages of peace, unity, and universal human rights, such as Afrika Bambaataa with his vision for the Zulu Nation, could be seen as operating within this realm.

In summary, the party entertainment lineage of Hiphop corresponds to Kohlberg's preconventional stage of moral development, where actions are driven by self-interest and immediate rewards. The sociopolitical lineage correlates with the conventional stage, where the focus is on maintaining social order and fulfilling societal roles. Lastly, the spiritual awakening lineage aligns with the postconventional stage, where actions are guided by universal ethical principles and a vision of global unity and peace. Each lineage of Hiphop culture thus embodies different aspects of moral reasoning as described by Kohlberg's stages of moral development.

Discussion

Far from being an exercise in intellectual masturbation, analyzing, understanding and contributing to Hiphop’s moral sense is important . When you take into account the prevalence of those who experience suffering -- from violence, physical and mental health issues, substance use disorders, and other personal and public health concerns -- as a result of modern Hiphop-centered values; and that those suffering range anywhere from emcees to producers, fans of Hiphop to its contributors, it becomes clear that a discussion around morality in Hiphop is warranted. Hiphop's moral evolution can be seen as a reflection of the broader societal changes and the individual development of artists within the culture but hindrances to intentional moral development within Hiphop should be discussed as well.

Association with lineage informs Hiphoppers of the values they align themselves with and informs their perspective and behavior. Although lineage is no determinant of a person’s genuine values or how they display them, maintaining an awareness of one’s Hiphop lineage can serve as guideposts for how one shows up in one’s everyday life.

In many ways I will always belong to the lineage of Kool Herc. However, its the lineages of Black Benji and the disgraced and dethroned Bambaataa - that emphasized Hiphop being a means of organizing, educating and mobilizing poor and disaffected people of color and Hiphop being another name for and experience of our innate Being - that I follow, because they are the lineages that I feel focus the most on how to use our relationship with Hiphop to benefit humanity.

When I contemplate Black Benji (who I never met ) I think about the power of one person dedicated to not giving up on others who even at the cost of his life attempted to bring peace to his community.

When I contemplate the contributions of the Zulu Nation I think about how liberating a people starts with freeing oneself from the tyranny of another’s epistemology, cosmology and ontology.

When I contemplate the lineage of Kool Herc I think about how Hiphop used to feel fun, safe (in that the message to harm others or oneself in the music was a rarity) and connective and how I only have that feeling now if i’m around people my age and listening to music of the 80’s and 90’s. I also think about the number of people attached to Hiphop at its morally lowest expressions who are no longer aware of Hiphop being a party because the concern is no longer to have fun but to wilfully engage in harmful thinking, speaking and behaving while ignoring the responsibility for scrutinizing the morality of our music and cultural values.

In many ways Hiphop appears to have regressed morally. It’s hard to look at Kohlberg’s early stages and not see 80-90% of mainstream Hiphop’s values. Whether through intentional moral development through using Hiphop centered methodologies or just plain old moral development through examination and change of one’s values, those that align themselves with the lineage of Herc would benefit from a revisiting of the healthiness (or lack thereof) of their affiliation with their entertainment-centric lineage. There are healthy egocentric values; self awareness, confidence and humility all come from having a healthy relationship with our egos AND that can come from one’s relationship with Hiphop. It is never that our ego must die or be wilfully mistreated in favor of a “higher self”. Our responsibility is to never forget that it’s ok to have fun but never ok to get so lost in it that we forget why were there in the first place.

As there are healthy and unhealthy aspects of the preconventional stage, there are also healthy and unhealthy expressions of Kohlber’s stages of conventional and post conventional moral development. Far too many at the Conventional stage of development are caught up in group think, unhealthy cultural nationalism, group ego, ostracization of racial or ethnic groups and other behaviors that don't contribute to a healthy ethnocentrism. Similarly those with worldcentric values are prone to overgeneralization, idealism over pragmatism and neglect of individual needs in favor of the needs of the all.

Reviewing one’s relationship with their lineage can help to realign them with their current values, explore former or new values and change behavior to respond to present centered needs. Bringing awareness to what informs our values through the lens of HIphop is one way we use Hiphop to promote purpose, meaning and a well lived life.

Hiphop Alive

Hiphop Alive

Justin F. Miles is the founder of Hiphop Alive and pioneering practitioner, theorist and educator at the intersection of Hiphop culture, mindfulness and contemplative studies. He is the leading voice championing the use of Hiphop infused contemplative modalities to foster resilience, emotional intelligence, and community empowerment.