The Biggest Controversy in Hip Hop: Notorious BIG vs. Tupac Hip hop began in the South Bronx, New York City in the 1970s. Hip hop as a music and culture began when block parties became popular, particularly among young African Americans residing in the Bronx. Deejays at that time played popular songs on turntables and began breaking or "scratching" between plays to create their own beats. Hip hop served as a voice for inner-city youth who came from low-income families. The culture would reflect their way of life. As the hip hop years progressed, a new form of hip hop called "gangster rap" was introduced, which rapped about hyper-masculinity and violence. The biggest controversy in the world of hip hop happened between The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Both artists punched each other until their untimely deaths. The documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, was produced, written and directed by Byron Hurt and was released in 2007 by PBS. Mr. Hurt is an American activist, professor and graduate of Northeastern University, where he played American football as a quarterback. The documentary provides details on sexuality; violence, homophobia and hyper-masculinity in Hip Hop culture. Hurt, a longtime hip-hop lover, learned more, the more unexpected the lyrics, violence and sexism became to him, which influenced him to make the documentary Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. My interviewee, Chantal Jones, is a longtime admirer and lover of hip-hop. We have the same passion and love for music. I've known Chantel for almost three years. She is 18 years old and originally from St. Vincent and Grenadians, but has been living in the United States for over... middle of paper... she has suffered the same fate as Tupac. What we can take away from hyper-masculinity and violence in hip hop is that its hyper-masculinity is a bane to black males everywhere, the characteristic of hyper-masculinity that “the belief that violence be manly" is immoral for the community. think this way to bring yourself to be a man in the ears of your listeners we need music to uplift our people. Works Cited Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Dir. Byron Hurt. Perf. Chuck D. and JadakissGod Bless the Child Productions. 2006. Flim.Johns, Lindsay. “Hypermasculinity and the Black Male.” Hypermasculinity and the black male. Np, nd Web. 02 May 2014.Jones, Chantel. Telephone interview. April 9, 2014. Shakur, Tupac (Ft. Outlawz) – Hit 'Em Up." Rap Genius. Np, nd Web. April 21, 2014. The Notorious BIG – Who Shot Ya?" Rap genius. Np, nd Web. April 21. 2014.