Gaining exposure in the music industry has always been difficult. For artists of color, however, this struggle has always been more strenuous. Beginning in the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, society, although welcoming of the styles of African-American artists, had done little to credit these artists for their hard-work and originality. Consequently, the issue of white artists gaining more popularity for African-American songs ran rampant in the twentieth century. Over time, and with the progress of the Civil Rights movement, African-American artists received overdue credit for their work. However, the economic struggles of many urban areas and the people within them continued. African Americans and other minorities endured – and still endure – a disproportionate amount of these struggles, and this was reflected in music produced at the time. Around this same time, throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, is when rap and hip-hop technique was first developing, and has since developed into the art form we know today. A common theme in these early days of hip-hop/rap, songs contained political messages condemning the conditions of urban slums. These early struggles laid the foundation for hip-hop and rap, which has taken on an important role in responding to current political issues, personal struggles, and popular culture.