10 Ways Hip-Hop and Comic Culture Collide

Hip-hop culture and comic books are probably not things that belong together in your mind. There are numerous comic books created or inspired by hip-hop, however, including Ed Piskor's Hip-Hop Family Tree, and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels' self-titled graphic novel. But the relationship between the two cultures goes a lot deeper than what makes it to the page. From references in songs to personas, aliases, and art based on their favorite characters, hip-hop artists have a not-so-secret obsession with the world of comics, and it shows.

We wanted to explore the similarities and influences that both hip-hop and comic books have on each other, so to add more to the conversation, we spoke to Depth of Field Magazine editor Patrick Reed. Reed is a writer and self-proclaimed "scholar of all things pop and awesome." His online publication has lots of interesting articles about comics, film and television, concerts, and other cool events around the world. Reed also organizes and moderates panels at conventions, including the recent "Hip-Hop & Comics: Cultures Combining" panel at both San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con, which included rappers, artists, DJs, writers, muralists, and other people who find themselves immersed in both cultures. Check out our list of 10 Ways Hip-Hop and Comic Culture Collide.

In his introduction for the "Hip-Hop & Comics: Cultures Combining" panel at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con, Reed spoke about the foundations of both cultures and how they each have grown out of other art forms. "Comics spring out of pulps and comic strips and Big Little Books. Hip-hop pulled from jazz and funk and poetry, pre-existing forms of dance and martial arts, and a myriad of visual styles. Both cultures continue to take all these pieces and push them ahead, incorporating new forms and influences along the way and continually reinventing themselves."

Narrative is a huge part of rap, graffiti, and comics. Whether it's a song about flexin', a tag that reps your crew, or a comic that retells a character's origin, the story is often more important than the visual artwork, though in an ideal world they would work together to make a more powerful contribution to the zeitgeist.

We asked Patrick Reed if he thought that great hip-hop storytellers like Slick Rick or Jay Z would make great comic writers, but he wasn't positive that the talent would translate well. "I don't know. It's one thing to tell a story in song form, but another to construct a narrative and get the whole sequential medium down. Comics storytelling is a very specific skill that requires understanding of where the pieces blend and cross over. Now, granted, a good story is a good story, and it will work in most mediums given the proper attention and support, but comics tend to live and die on continuing narratives, not four minute slices of a world. That being said, I would totally buy an anthology of Kool G. Rap short stories."

In an article about the comic Rotten Apple by Sanford Greene and Chuck Brown, Reed wrote that despite not including any hip-hop elements written or drawn into its pages (rapping, breakdancing, etc.), the book is a "hip-hop comic" because of "the feel." We asked him to explain just what he meant by that:

"It's a huge part of both cultures," says Reed of the ritual of searching (or digging) through boxes and crates to find rare songs, albums, and issues. "There's a way that both constantly recycle the old to create the new. And it's easy to get tripped up. Both comics and hip-hop are littered with people who confused knowledge for creativity, who simply took old pieces and tried to evoke a feeling by using other people's toys, but the best writers/artists/producers/MCs/breakers/whatever are always the ones who know their history, build on the past, and try to bring what they love to life in new ways."

He also acknowledged that things have changed for diggers in both cultures because of changes in technology, which can be a double-edged sword. "The digital experience has further transformed things, making it easy to experience reading/listening to many important works. The gateway has expanded, and the worlds are more accessible to newcomers. Accordingly, more and more of that 'thrill of the chase' is looking for the unknown. If you can get all the legendary breaks and classic issues, the goal is different now; it's all about finding something funky on an old easy-listening record or a sample-able track on a Disney 45, and digging through the 50 cent boxes at comic conventions looking for something you've never seen."

Speaking of the changing tide and shifts in the cultures based on popularity, Reed said that Guardians of the Galaxy appearances and Starlord comics were "in the quarter bins" a year ago, and no one thought that those books would translate into the biggest film of the year. Of his personal experience, Reed said, "When I went digging for a copy of Eric Orr's Rappin' Max Robot, the first-ever hip-hop comic book (self-published with funding from Keith Haring in 1986), I found it for less than $10. That was two years ago. Today, Cornell University has recognized the importance of that book and acquired Eric's archives. Good luck finding a copy of that book at any price."

As it should be in both cultures, the best art is created when people work together. MCs need producers, writers need artists, and b-boys need the DJs. Rap music has been moving further away from the DJ and MC pairings that helped define the culture back in the day, but there are people like DJ Premier and Royce da 5'9" who are bringing things back to where they should be. The best comics are the ones where the artists, inkers, writers, and everyone else involved are on the same wavelength and are not just contributing to a project in shifts, like a car on a conveyor belt.

There is also an easy comparison between rap groups and superhero team-ups. Both are amazing when the individual members feed off of one another and work toward a common goal, but when they don't, it's not fun for anyone.

Most superheroes keep their real identities a secret to protect their loved ones from harm, while graffiti artists do so because their art is still considered illegal in much of the world. 99% of rappers (give or take) have aliases that aren't meant to protect them from harm or legal trouble, but they do provide a sense of security in other ways.

During the San Diego Con panel, David Brothers equated listening to rap to having a secret identity because both things "give you strength." Brothers listened to Waka Flocka's "Hard in the Paint" to give his body the energy to make it through the Con weekend. "That's where strength comes from, you steal it from elsewhere. The secret identity thing is totally the same thing. It's sort of creating your truth, like this is me and I'm ultra confident and I can do whatever I want."

Brothers also wrote a great article about rappers like the Wu Tang Clan who have been inspired by heroes, secret identities, and other facets of comic culture. Check it out, after you've read this list.

"I'd say both comics and hip-hop started as primarily escapism," says Reed, adding that it wasn't until the 1980s that there was a shift toward "relevance." Comic legend Stan Lee once said, "Entertainment is one of the most important things in people's lives. Without it they might go off the deep end."

We can all agree that life sucks sometimes, so having an outlet (like hip-hop, comics, art, dance, etc.) really is as important as Lee makes it out to be. "There's a power in hip-hop music that is transformative," Reed continues, "and obviously comics have much of the same appeal. They thrill us, they pull us into their stories, they open up new worlds. We make friends in the communities, we share the things we like with each other. You lose yourself in a good story, you lose yourself in the music. And I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that many people also find themselves in the process."

A couple of the previous entries in this list alluded to this one already, but with both cultures, the communities are what keep people involved and what ultimately push them forward. Those involved with the cultures identify and connect with others like them, giving them a more defined sense of self. The same could be same for gamers and other subcultures.

A lot has been written over the decades about fandom and identity that can be applied to both hip-hop heads and comic book readers. Once someone has self-identified as being a member of either culture, the next step is to communicate (or perform) that identity to the world (read Erving Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life if you want the long version).

The performance is evident in the way we talk, walk, and dress, in the places we choose to hang out, and in the company we keep. Comic book readers don't have to wear suspenders and glasses and hang out in comic book stores, but there are other ways that they can let their geek flags fly, and the same goes for fans of hip-hop. Conventions, cosplay, concerts, festivals, meet-and-greets, signings, T-shirts, ringtones, haircuts, and tattoos are all ways that identity can be expressed, and with the exception of sports fans, these two cultures have the most vocal members.

The comic book and hip-hop industries are much larger now than they were even 10 years ago. With superhero movies making millions upon millions of dollars at the box office, and films and television shows planned out for the next decade, it has become less about the sale of books and more about what the companies can do with the characters to make more money.

Hip-hop culture is also a global phenomenon, with international b-boy battles still drawing huge crowds, sold out rap shows in every corner of the globe, new sub-genres emerging every day, songs being licensed for summer blockbusters, and graffiti artists being hired by unlikely brands to help sell their products. The business side of both cultures has definitely affected how/what the artists create (pressure and interference from labels/publishers, etc.), but not all of it has been bad. Both have benefited from the larger fan bases and have influenced other cultures visually and artistically.