Hip-hop culture began in the Bronx, New York, in the 1970s. Block parties hosted by the innovative DJ Kool Herc included rap and break dancing, which were alternatives to gang activities.
Early rappers "battled" one another with words, not guns. Rivalries between groups like the Sugar Hill Gang and the Furious Five were playful and included recording songs together, full of boasts.
Pride in one's hometown was another early source of positivity in rap. Shoutouts, or calling the names of neighborhoods or towns, were common at house parties and on records.
Rap continues to help young urban males to express feelings. Professor Murray Forman, a media studies professor, says that rap has a positive influence by helping young blacks to detail cultural perspectives.
Rap music can have positive effects on political and social awareness. Artists like Public Enemy, Mos Def, and the Roots have continued a tradition of questioning urban public policy and politics through rap lyrics.
Another overlooked positive aspect of rap is purely musical. Forman says that creativity has spurred musical innovation in rap.