Transformative Music: Using Music as an Instrument for Social Change

Transformative Hip Hop

Youth Movements Promoting Transformative Hip Hop

Make your own music!

Transformative Music Pages from Econ 243 Fall 2010

Transformative Music

This website recognizes artists who inspire transformation through the socially conscious and transformative message they convey in their songs.

Music has played a key role in movements working towards progressive social change throughout U.S. history. Some of the most important transformative processes which used music as a tool to create social change include the Civil Rights movement, anti-war movements, labor union movements, feminist movement, and more recently, the hiphop movement inspired by the Black Power movements of the 1960. Political folk music encompasses all of these movements.

Ironically, however, increasing commercialization of the music industry in recent times has resulted in song lyrics becoming more and more violent, sexist and racist, especially in hip hop.

We invite you to add to the list of transformative songs compiled below and submit suggestions of songs which you think convey a transformative message. Send us your lists of transformative songs to .

For each song, write about short paragraph about why you see it as transformative. We also invite you to submit examples of songs which you think contain lyrics that are violent and harmful to society, along with a brief description of why you think these songs are oppressive.

Make your voice heard ...

Contribute your transformative music to TransformationCentral!! We are looking for transformative music of all genres and all kinds of levels of sophistication. We are especially looking for songs about personal healing, finding yourself and your inner voice, speaking out, feeling and living your power, standing upto injustice, visions of a better world, and ways to make the world better.

We would love to hear your music and post it on transformationcentral.org. For help, ideas and inspiration on creating transformative music click here. By sending us your music you are agreeing to let us post it on this website to be played and downloaded free of charge by visitors. Below are instructions on how to send us your songs:

Email us the lyrics of your transformative song/s to along with a sentence explainingwhy it is transformative and any pictures of yourself/your group and any other transformative pictures you would like posted with your song.
Post a video of your music on YouTube at and e mail the link, the lyrics to your song and a sentence explaining why it is transformative.
Record yourself and/or your group using the free audio mixer software audacity.
If you already have a website email us a sample of your music and lyrics, with a link to your website, a descriptive sentence explaining why its transformative, and a picture of yourself /your group and any other pictures.