Social Media isn't that different than Hip Hop.

Disclaimer: This post has been rolling around in my head for more than a month now and after reading if you feel let down because you figured after all that thinking it should have been better I need to explain that I have an enormous amount of pressure regarding this post because I told my friend Julia L. (who is a Hip Hop know it all) I was writing it and she spooked me by saying that I was all wrong. I am not sure I hit my points very well but hopefully I will make her proud with my viewpoint :)

Social Media is one of my passions. I talk about it a lot and love to gather other peoples opinions on where it is going and how they use SM. One of the most interesting recent conversations I had about this was with my friend Howard Greenstein and his viewpoint that companies need Social Media translators and tour guides. There is no way I could do his idea any real justice here so I urge you to find him and let him explain it to you...and while I totally agree with Howard, in my head I formed a different way of looking at it that doesn't quite explain it as well but it seems to make sense to me. <--- this is called setting expectations.

I think Social Media is not that different than Hip Hop.

Ya see when I say Social Media most people immediately think of FaceBook...and when I say Hip Hop most people think of Rappers.

To people not living or working in the Social Media space they assume that the entire Social Media experience revolves around Facebook because FB has the most broad reach but in fact Social Media is a movement...you could even go as far as to say it is a culture because it is many different things to many people. Social Media is a tool, and people have to remember it is a powerful one that allows you to speak, listen, learn, teach and engage people you could never reach 15 years ago. There are great ways to use SM and poor ways and there are some really good people doing some really interesting things.

So how does this fit into Hip Hop?

Well following the same logic...to people not living or working in the Hip Hop space they assume that the entire Hip Hop experience revolves around Rap Music because that has the most broad reach but in fact Hip Hop is a movement...and a culture because it is many different things to many people. Hip Hop is about the Music (MC's and DJ's) but it is also about the people and the art and of course the dancing. Hip Hop (the culture) is more than any one of the aspects that make the whole.

I could go on and one about how both were started by young people looking for a way to communicate and spread messages...and how both have introduced a lot of noise into the world but if you cut through it there is some real gold there...and don't get me started on the egos and feuds.

Like Social Media, there is more to Hip Hop than meets the eye.

So what does it all mean?