--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hip-hop is the last true folk art." description: "\"Hip-hop is the last true folk art.\" — Mos Def" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/mos-def-3481_art_hip-hop-is-the-last-true-folk-art-284595_2845954.png" --- # Hip-hop is the last true folk art. ![“Hip-hop is the last true folk art.” quote by Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/mos-def-3481_art_hip-hop-is-the-last-true-folk-art-284595_2845954.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/mos-def-3481_art_hip-hop-is-the-last-true-folk-art-284595_2845954.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/mos-def-3481_art_hip-hop-is-the-last-true-folk-art-284595_2845954.png) > “Hip-hop is the last true folk art.” [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hip‑hop continues the tradition of folk art by expressing community stories and struggles. **In simple terms:** Hip‑hop is modern folk art. Key Takeaway Recognize its cultural depth. Themes culture music storytelling identity Mood reflective proud Type cultural analytical When to use this quote - community events - educational curricula - media analysis Key Concepts folk tradition social commentary authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How does hip‑hop preserve community memory? - Can it stay authentic while mainstream? A Different Perspective Commercialization can dilute its grassroots roots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Folk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folk/) [Folk art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folk-art/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [Hip hop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hip-hop/) [Hips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hips/) [Hop True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hop-true-570113/) [Hops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hops/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [True Folk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-folk-3757967/) ## Related quotes > [The way you respect hip-hop is by being true to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-dicky/the-way-you-respect-hip-hop-is-by-being-true-to-yourself/) [Lil Dicky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-dicky/) > [I get freedom out of hip-hop. I get to be a true artist without any shackles or harnesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/i-get-freedom-out-of-hip-hop-i-get-to-be-a-true-artist-without-any/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [The novel is the first art form that is an honest-to-god commodity. That's what makes it different from both high art and folk art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-fiedler/the-novel-is-the-first-art-form-that-is-an-honest-to-god-commodity/) [Leslie Fiedler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-fiedler/) > [Folk art has never been much about politics; it's about action and utility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-mccombs/folk-art-has-never-been-much-about-politics-it-s-about-action-and/) [Cass McCombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-mccombs/) > [I absolutely love American folk art, can't get enough of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-spencer/i-absolutely-love-american-folk-art-can-t-get-enough-of-it/) [Lara Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-spencer/) > [As artists, we must not go down to the level of the masa; we should bring them up, intellectualize our languages, create classics out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/as-artists-we-must-not-go-down-to-the-level-of-the-masa-we-should/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [Folk rock was my real roots. I did a few gigs as a folk artist, in the style of Fairport Convention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-parsons/folk-rock-was-my-real-roots-i-did-a-few-gigs-as-a-folk-artist-in-the/) [Alan Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-parsons/) > [I would love to do something with Mohit Chauhan and other folk artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-bhasin/i-would-love-to-do-something-with-mohit-chauhan-and-other-folk-artists/) [Neha Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-bhasin/) > [Real popular culture is folk art - coalminers' songs and so forth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/real-popular-culture-is-folk-art-coalminers-songs-and-so-forth/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I really don't like being referred to as a folk artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-martyn/i-really-don-t-like-being-referred-to-as-a-folk-artist/) [John Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-martyn/) > [People still kind of think of me as like a folk artist, but on the first record, I truly was deferring to other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/people-still-kind-of-think-of-me-as-like-a-folk-artist-but-on-the/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [Everything that has ever been called folk art has always reflected domination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-adorno/everything-that-has-ever-been-called-folk-art-has-always-reflected/) [Theodor Adorno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-adorno/) > [I'm actually really obsessed with folk art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bastian/i-m-actually-really-obsessed-with-folk-art/) [Michael Bastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bastian/) > [I have no confidence issues with the impact or the quality of the music. No one in hip-hop, before this point and to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-have-no-confidence-issues-with-the-impact-or-the-quality-of-the/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) ## More by Mos Def > [I have mad brims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-have-mad-brims/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [And from the moment that I saw you, I knew you was trouble, But I disregarded detour signs, And did not stop til you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/and-from-the-moment-that-i-saw-you-i-knew-you-was-trouble-but-i/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [But even creeps deserve to live someplace halfway decent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/but-even-creeps-deserve-to-live-someplace-halfway-decent/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [If you're going to do Chuck Berry, you got to, you know, go all out, and the duck walk is just kind of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/if-you-re-going-to-do-chuck-berry-you-got-to-you-know-go-all-out-and/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [The ability to have somebody read something and see it, or for somebody to paint an entire landscape of visual imagery with just sheets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/the-ability-to-have-somebody-read-something-and-see-it-or-for/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I'm growing as an individual, but your always growing. All of my albums are snapshots of where I am artistically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-m-growing-as-an-individual-but-your-always-growing-all-of-my-albums/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I don't want to waste anyone's time or money. I want to give people some truth and positive heart lift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-don-t-want-to-waste-anyone-s-time-or-money-i-want-to-give-people/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [Man, I smashed her like an Idaho Potato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/man-i-smashed-her-like-an-idaho-potato/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I'm blacked than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-m-blacked-than-midnight-on-broadway-and-myrtle/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I'm not shy about heated debate or passionate discourse, but when people get crazy or rude, that's a buzz kill. There's got to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-m-not-shy-about-heated-debate-or-passionate-discourse-but-when/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I was taught when there's somethin' you can change around keep quiet, you got nothin' to complain about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-was-taught-when-there-s-somethin-you-can-change-around-keep-quiet/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I don't hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the people - and they're helpless with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-don-t-hate-nobody-i-hate-certain-conditions-that-are-inflicted-upon/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [It’s one thing to be the greatest; it’s another thing to be necessary. The best are the most necessary: those who take less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/it-s-one-thing-to-be-the-greatest-it-s-another-thing-to-be-necessary/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [We can be beautiful and feel beautiful about who we are everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/we-can-be-beautiful-and-feel-beautiful-about-who-we-are-everyday/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [Fame is like getting across the street. It's like, if there's nothing to be across the street for, it's a pointless destination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/fame-is-like-getting-across-the-street-it-s-like-if-there-s-nothing/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) [Explore all 129 Mos Def quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. 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