President Joe Biden acknowledged Hip Hop’s cultural impact on Tuesday (May 31).
Biden included Hip Hop in a proclamation about Black Music Appreciation Month, which takes place in June. The president mentioned rap as an example of Black music that’s left an indelible mark on America.
“Perhaps no music has had as profound and powerful an impact in shaping America’s musical score as Black music,” Biden said. “Intricately woven into the tapestry of our Nation, Black music enriches our lives and pushes the boundaries of creativity. Throughout the decades and across the country, Black music has fueled a myriad of genres — from rhythm and blues to jazz, gospel, country, rap and more. This month, we celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Black music on American culture and recognize the indelible impact it continues to have on the world.”
Biden asked Americans to honor Black musicians during Black Music Appreciation Month. He also commended artists who “used their songs to stand up to injustice, fight for equality and reflect a mirror on society.”
“For generations, Black music has conveyed the hopes and struggles of a resilient people — spirituals mourning the original sin of slavery and later heralding freedom from bondage, hard truths told through jazz and the sounds of Motown during the Civil Rights movement, and Hip Hop and rhythm and blues that remind us of the work that still lies ahead,” he said. “The music created by Black artists continues to influence musicians of all persuasions, entertain people of all backgrounds and shape the story of our Nation.”
Read Biden’s declaration in its entirety here.