For all humankind’s effort toward uniformity—whether in the name of equality or efficiency—human nature also finds a unique expression of individuality and culture.
I’m not talking about a caste system, but the rush for Beanie Babies in the 90’s, or the De Stijl art movement of the 20’s. Our vastly different perspectives and experiences shape our emotional reaction toward aesthetics of the eye, ear, body or space that resonate with our individual souls, spawning new combinations of old ideas, and giving birth to more new expressions.
Hip-hop has been telling us for years you can’t hold me down. Hip-hop is right. There is no limit to self or communal expression. This is the engine of culture, and we would do well to recognize its power and embrace it as the unstoppable force it is.