Music has long been an essential element in mankind’s efforts to connect with cultures, people, and environments different then their own. In the 2001 critically acclaimed novel, The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-American Culture by former Source Magazine editor Bakari Kitwana issues in regards to the culture of Hip-Hop and its connection to economic, social, political, and spiritual experiences of African Americans is assessed. Through an in depth analysis Kitwana investigates what he believes is the present state of the hip-hop generation, which he claims is African-Americans born between 1965 and 1984. He uses hip-hop music as the foundation for a larger analysis of issues after the civil rights era. Kitwana’s…show more content… This generation he claims was born from 1965-1984. Those who came the generation before he says defined the hip-hop movement but were not generations themselves. Arguably, such dates could be adjusted and Kitwana’s only support for choosing these particular dates is that he personally believes that this generation greatly differs from their parents’ generation in social, economic, political and cultural views. Kitwana also suggests that there are subgroups within this era that may have different interpretations of what hip-hop is but he fails to analyze how their different interpretations may place them in further sub categories of hip-hop culture. This failure to identify how the older hip hop generation and the younger hip hop generation have similar core similarities and exactly how they are different appears to be a misstep on the part of…show more content… He calls for the establishment of a political agenda to support poor minority communities and also encourages the reader to see how hip-hop can not only be movement like it was in the 80’s and early 90’s, but how it can be used to gain political power. Kitwana believes that the entire hip-hop generation would be behind coming together as a political force as long as the policies of the American government stay neutral, "[Hip-hop generations] believe that if indeed America has a healthy colorless policy at home, it ought to be reflected in its...similar commitment to restoring order and building an economic infrastructure in Black urban communities at home" (pg. 182). By coming together as a large political organization Kitwana theorizes that such an movement would, "help secure victory on issues that matter to hip-hop generationers, not lead youth...media attention on issues of police brutality, prison incarceration, unemployment, economic development and so on [for black communities]" (pg. 193). The political agenda that Kitwana describes that such an organization spurred by hip-hop and their socioeconomic components is inspiring and intriguing. Such an organization would truly be a movement of momentous proportion. It may be difficult for Kitwana’s audience to be completely committed to such an idea