Crack-Cocaine Effects On African American Culture
How does Crack have a Negative Effect on the Black Culture and hip-hop Industry?
Franklin House
English IV Mr. Eustcha
8 May, 2013
Thesis: Crack-cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs known to mankind, especially to the African American race and it has affected the black culture in numerous ways like music, gang violence and Media Hysteria
I. Invention of Crack A. Crack B. Rick ‘Freeway’ Ross 1. C.I.A. II. Effects of Crack-cocaine on Black Culture A. Entertainment Industry 1. Music 2. Movies 3. Sports B. Gang Violence C. Prison Industry 1. Drug Laws 2. Prison Population D. Kids E. Media Hysteria 1. Stereotyping Black Males
How does Crack have a Negative Effect on the Black Culture and hip-hop Industry? …show more content…
“Either you slinging crack rock or you gotta wicked jump shot’’ (Notorious B.I.G.).
This quote shows the poverty and despair that the African American people felt. Crack to me has had an impact that can only be compared to slavery. Crack has dealt an enormous blow to the African Americans. When you are driving down the street and see a homeless black guy wearing mangled clothes on walking what do you assume? When you see a person asking for change at the neighborhood corner store what do you assume? Crack cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs known to mankind, especially to the African American race, and it has affected the black culture in numerous
ways.
What is Crack? Crack is a highly addictive and powerful drug that is made from powdered cocaine. Crack is made by dissolving powdered cocaine in a mixture of water and baking soda. The mixture is boiled until a solid substance forms. The mixture is boiled until a solid substance forms. The solid is removed from the liquid, dried, and broken off into chunks, this where the drug gets its infamous name. Crack exploded onto the scene in the mid to late 1980’s. It was first discovered in the mean streets of inner city Los Angles, California. It was first distributed by the drug lord god Rick “Freeway” Ross. Freeway Ross is the Michael Jordan of drugs; I had only two idols growing up Michael Jordan and Freeway Ross (Slim da Mobster). Donnell Ross, better known as “Freeway” Rick Ross was born January 30, 1960 in Oakland California. As a young man Ross moved to South Central Los Angles where he wanted to pursue his tennis career, but was unsuccessful at it, so he began to sell cocaine for his tennis coach. As Mr. Ross grew older he also grew wiser he started his own cocaine businesses, which grew to become one of the biggest drug empires in Southern California. Ross said one day he was approached by two ununiformed C.I.A. agents who offered to supply him with tons of cocaine for a cheap rate if he sold this new drug for them. In a prison interview Ross stated at the time he did not what the little rock was, but little did he know what it would become. Ross says C.I.A. agents gave him the method to make crack form cocaine. From 1986 to 1996 Ross was the biggest drug kingpin in America. He was moving several tons of cocaine a year, and doing without going noticed by law enforcement. Ross stated in an interview “I was making 2 to 3 million dollars a week, I was taking trips to Paris, Hawaii, and Africa every other week.’’ “I sell you drugs and they sell you lies ’’ (Ricky Ross). In this statement Ross is comparing two wrongs when he says he sells peoples drugs and the government sells people lies. This statement would come back to hunt Ross, in 1996 Ross was arrested by federal agents for trying to purchase 100 kilograms(220 pounds) of powered cocaine and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. While in prison Ross contacted Gary Webb who was a journalist for the Oakland Chronicle. These two went on to conduct numerous interviews with each other and planned on exposing the C.I.A. The two had moderate success with the issue and caused Ross sentenced to be reduced from life in prison to 25 years with a chance of parole. Gary Webb was killed in a mysterious single car accident on a dirt road. Until this day Ross says the C.I.A. had Webb killed. Ross may be the biggest factor of how crack came to be. The entertainment industry I think has been the most impacted industry by crack and no one can deny the effect is has had on the music industry. When the last time you heard a rap song and the rapper was has not talked about how much dope he has sold. When the last time you heard a rap song and the rapper was has not talked about growing up in the hood and seeing drugs all around him. “I sold crack and I don’t give a damn I had to do what I had to do” (Jay Z). “Used to sell crack so I could stack my riches’’ (Biggie Smalls). “Money in my pocket, gat in my drawers, crack in my jaws (Lil Wayne). Every rapper from Jay Z to Lil Wayne has admitted to selling crack. They all said they didn’t sell it because they wanted to they sold it because they had to, it was either sell crack or go hungry. Rap group W.U. Tang Clan is a rap group that consists of 9 artists and out of the 9 artist, they all have admitted to selling crack and they all are convicted felons with charges that consist of weapon and crack possession. RZA, rapper in W.U. Tang Clan stated in an interview ‘If I didn’t have the crack on me I wouldn’t have needed the gun.’’ Rapper Rick Ross, whose real name is William Roberts says he got his stage name and the persona of his brand and rap lyrics from drug king pin “Freeway Rick Ross”. In many of Ross songs he talks about selling drugs and how he is a kingpin. Since the crack era every rapper claims how he is such a big drug dealer and how he is such a killer. When you think of love movies what race comes to your head? When you thing of crack related or any drug related movie what race comes to your head? No movie embodies the crack era more than “New Jack City’’. “New Jack City” shows everything that is going on during the peak of the crack era. It covers issues that are still prevalent today such as drug usage among the black community, gang violence, and single parenting homes. During the crack era many black movies had something to do with crack and gang violence. Many black movies today still deal with the drug issue in the black family. ‘’He maybe the next Michael Jordan’’(Ed Bager). On June 17, 1986 University of Maryland basketball superstar Len Bias was the 3rd overall pick in 1986 draft. That night after the draft was over Bias decided to celebrate with friends. Bias and friends went home and one of his friends pulled out couple of grams of crack and a crack pipe. Bias feeling on top of the world he decided to smoke the rock and on June 19, 1986 the ball stopped bouncing for Len Bias. Bias not being a drug user of any sorts’ body could not take the chemicals and the reaction the drug had on his body he had a heart attack and died two days later. With this new drug on the market and tons of money to be mad, there was a war bound to happen. The crime rate during the crack era was at an all-time high. Between 1984 and 1994, the homicide rate for black males aged 14 to 17 more than doubled, and the homicide rate for black males aged 18 to 24 increased nearly as much(Wikipedia). “From sun-up and to sun-down all you would hear was gunshots and police sirens (Dr.Dre). With black people feeling economically depressed and everybody selling the rock and making money, more people could buy illegal guns from street dealers or firearm stores. These same guns would be used in a drive-by shootings, robberies, and murders. Based on 1998 murder rates, approximately one in every 12 black 15-year-old males who live in Washington, D.C., can expect to be murdered before reaching age 45(heritage.org). Another reason there was such gang violence was based on geography of the gang turf. The more turf you had the more money you made, and the more money you mad the bigger the empire, and the bigger the empire the more chances you had of becoming a king pin. Violence among the African American people is still a hot topic in today’s society. With everybody chasing the American dream, more and more people were incarcerated for drug crimes especially the black male. The prison industry started to become money making machine, the more people in jail the more money you make. With crack as the dominant drug at the moment in time, and congressional re-election .around the corner congress pushed for tougher drug laws and with tougher drug laws that means more people would be in prison and more people in prison means more money. Congress passed a bill that made crack more punishable than any other drug, and 5 grams of crack can result in 5 years in prison. In order to get 5 years in prison for cocaine you would have to have 600 grams of cocaine. About 10.4% of the entire African-American male population in the United States aged 25 to 29 was incarcerated, by far the largest racial or ethnic group—by comparison, 2.4% of Hispanic men and 1.2% of white men in that same age group were incarcerated. According to a report by the Justice Policy Institute in 2002, the number of black men in prison has grown to five times the rate it was twenty years ago. Today, more African-American men are in jail than in college. In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college. In 1980, there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college (infoplease.com). During this brutal time of drugs and violence there was much causality especially the children. Kids were dealt a deadly blow; their fathers were in prison or dead and their mothers were hooked on drugs or working all day and night. This left the kids fatherless with no parental guidance, and most of them would be attracted to the glamorous street life style, and the trends kept going they would have kids and they would go to jail and the trend keeps going. Foster kids were at an all-time high. Many of the kids were a lost cause and we as a society is still suffering from parents being in jail or parents hooked on drugs and single parenting homes. This drug has had an enormous of effect on our culture. The drug has hit hard and it can be felt everywhere. Nothing like this has ever happened to the black culture and had such a negative effect on it. I wonder will we ever recover.
Works citied
Boys N The Hood.. Dir. John Singleton. Colombia Pictures. 1991. DVD.
Dangerous Minds. Dir. John Smith. Hollywood Pictures. 1995. DVD.
Deep Cover. Dir. Bill Duke. New Line Cinema. 1992. DVD.
Evans, Jerry. Personal Interview. 16 December. 2011
Jay-Z. “The Rock.” Blueprint .2001 CD
Lil Wayne. “LaLaLa”. Tha Carter 3. 2008. CD.
“Marion Berry and the Washington Post.” The Weekly Standard 26 Nov. 2007: 2-3. Print.
Menace II Society. Dir. Albert Hughes. New Line Cinema. 1993. DVD.
New Jack City. Dir. Marion Van Peebles. Warner Brothers. 1991. DVD. Owens, Johnny. Personal Interview. 16 Dec. 2011.
Ricky Ross. “Crack rules.” Ashes to Ashes. 2011. CD.
Snoop Dogg.” Deep Cover”. Deep Cover Sondtrack. 1991. CD.
Watkins, Betty. Personal Interview. 16 December 2011
Wallace Christopher. ”The Crack Commandants.” Ready to Die. 1995. CD.
Franklin House
English IV Mr. Eustcha
8 May, 2013
Thesis: Crack-cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs known to mankind, especially to the African American race and it has affected the black culture in numerous ways like music, gang violence and Media Hysteria
I. Invention of Crack A. Crack B. Rick ‘Freeway’ Ross 1. C.I.A. II. Effects of Crack-cocaine on Black Culture A. Entertainment Industry 1. Music 2. Movies 3. Sports B. Gang Violence C. Prison Industry 1. Drug Laws 2. Prison Population D. Kids E. Media Hysteria 1. Stereotyping Black Males
How does Crack have a Negative Effect on the Black Culture and hip-hop Industry? …show more content…
“Either you slinging crack rock or you gotta wicked jump shot’’ (Notorious B.I.G.).
This quote shows the poverty and despair that the African American people felt. Crack to me has had an impact that can only be compared to slavery. Crack has dealt an enormous blow to the African Americans. When you are driving down the street and see a homeless black guy wearing mangled clothes on walking what do you assume? When you see a person asking for change at the neighborhood corner store what do you assume? Crack cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs known to mankind, especially to the African American race, and it has affected the black culture in numerous
ways.
What is Crack? Crack is a highly addictive and powerful drug that is made from powdered cocaine. Crack is made by dissolving powdered cocaine in a mixture of water and baking soda. The mixture is boiled until a solid substance forms. The mixture is boiled until a solid substance forms. The solid is removed from the liquid, dried, and broken off into chunks, this where the drug gets its infamous name. Crack exploded onto the scene in the mid to late 1980’s. It was first discovered in the mean streets of inner city Los Angles, California. It was first distributed by the drug lord god Rick “Freeway” Ross. Freeway Ross is the Michael Jordan of drugs; I had only two idols growing up Michael Jordan and Freeway Ross (Slim da Mobster). Donnell Ross, better known as “Freeway” Rick Ross was born January 30, 1960 in Oakland California. As a young man Ross moved to South Central Los Angles where he wanted to pursue his tennis career, but was unsuccessful at it, so he began to sell cocaine for his tennis coach. As Mr. Ross grew older he also grew wiser he started his own cocaine businesses, which grew to become one of the biggest drug empires in Southern California. Ross said one day he was approached by two ununiformed C.I.A. agents who offered to supply him with tons of cocaine for a cheap rate if he sold this new drug for them. In a prison interview Ross stated at the time he did not what the little rock was, but little did he know what it would become. Ross says C.I.A. agents gave him the method to make crack form cocaine. From 1986 to 1996 Ross was the biggest drug kingpin in America. He was moving several tons of cocaine a year, and doing without going noticed by law enforcement. Ross stated in an interview “I was making 2 to 3 million dollars a week, I was taking trips to Paris, Hawaii, and Africa every other week.’’ “I sell you drugs and they sell you lies ’’ (Ricky Ross). In this statement Ross is comparing two wrongs when he says he sells peoples drugs and the government sells people lies. This statement would come back to hunt Ross, in 1996 Ross was arrested by federal agents for trying to purchase 100 kilograms(220 pounds) of powered cocaine and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. While in prison Ross contacted Gary Webb who was a journalist for the Oakland Chronicle. These two went on to conduct numerous interviews with each other and planned on exposing the C.I.A. The two had moderate success with the issue and caused Ross sentenced to be reduced from life in prison to 25 years with a chance of parole. Gary Webb was killed in a mysterious single car accident on a dirt road. Until this day Ross says the C.I.A. had Webb killed. Ross may be the biggest factor of how crack came to be. The entertainment industry I think has been the most impacted industry by crack and no one can deny the effect is has had on the music industry. When the last time you heard a rap song and the rapper was has not talked about how much dope he has sold. When the last time you heard a rap song and the rapper was has not talked about growing up in the hood and seeing drugs all around him. “I sold crack and I don’t give a damn I had to do what I had to do” (Jay Z). “Used to sell crack so I could stack my riches’’ (Biggie Smalls). “Money in my pocket, gat in my drawers, crack in my jaws (Lil Wayne). Every rapper from Jay Z to Lil Wayne has admitted to selling crack. They all said they didn’t sell it because they wanted to they sold it because they had to, it was either sell crack or go hungry. Rap group W.U. Tang Clan is a rap group that consists of 9 artists and out of the 9 artist, they all have admitted to selling crack and they all are convicted felons with charges that consist of weapon and crack possession. RZA, rapper in W.U. Tang Clan stated in an interview ‘If I didn’t have the crack on me I wouldn’t have needed the gun.’’ Rapper Rick Ross, whose real name is William Roberts says he got his stage name and the persona of his brand and rap lyrics from drug king pin “Freeway Rick Ross”. In many of Ross songs he talks about selling drugs and how he is a kingpin. Since the crack era every rapper claims how he is such a big drug dealer and how he is such a killer. When you think of love movies what race comes to your head? When you thing of crack related or any drug related movie what race comes to your head? No movie embodies the crack era more than “New Jack City’’. “New Jack City” shows everything that is going on during the peak of the crack era. It covers issues that are still prevalent today such as drug usage among the black community, gang violence, and single parenting homes. During the crack era many black movies had something to do with crack and gang violence. Many black movies today still deal with the drug issue in the black family. ‘’He maybe the next Michael Jordan’’(Ed Bager). On June 17, 1986 University of Maryland basketball superstar Len Bias was the 3rd overall pick in 1986 draft. That night after the draft was over Bias decided to celebrate with friends. Bias and friends went home and one of his friends pulled out couple of grams of crack and a crack pipe. Bias feeling on top of the world he decided to smoke the rock and on June 19, 1986 the ball stopped bouncing for Len Bias. Bias not being a drug user of any sorts’ body could not take the chemicals and the reaction the drug had on his body he had a heart attack and died two days later. With this new drug on the market and tons of money to be mad, there was a war bound to happen. The crime rate during the crack era was at an all-time high. Between 1984 and 1994, the homicide rate for black males aged 14 to 17 more than doubled, and the homicide rate for black males aged 18 to 24 increased nearly as much(Wikipedia). “From sun-up and to sun-down all you would hear was gunshots and police sirens (Dr.Dre). With black people feeling economically depressed and everybody selling the rock and making money, more people could buy illegal guns from street dealers or firearm stores. These same guns would be used in a drive-by shootings, robberies, and murders. Based on 1998 murder rates, approximately one in every 12 black 15-year-old males who live in Washington, D.C., can expect to be murdered before reaching age 45(heritage.org). Another reason there was such gang violence was based on geography of the gang turf. The more turf you had the more money you made, and the more money you mad the bigger the empire, and the bigger the empire the more chances you had of becoming a king pin. Violence among the African American people is still a hot topic in today’s society. With everybody chasing the American dream, more and more people were incarcerated for drug crimes especially the black male. The prison industry started to become money making machine, the more people in jail the more money you make. With crack as the dominant drug at the moment in time, and congressional re-election .around the corner congress pushed for tougher drug laws and with tougher drug laws that means more people would be in prison and more people in prison means more money. Congress passed a bill that made crack more punishable than any other drug, and 5 grams of crack can result in 5 years in prison. In order to get 5 years in prison for cocaine you would have to have 600 grams of cocaine. About 10.4% of the entire African-American male population in the United States aged 25 to 29 was incarcerated, by far the largest racial or ethnic group—by comparison, 2.4% of Hispanic men and 1.2% of white men in that same age group were incarcerated. According to a report by the Justice Policy Institute in 2002, the number of black men in prison has grown to five times the rate it was twenty years ago. Today, more African-American men are in jail than in college. In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college. In 1980, there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college (infoplease.com). During this brutal time of drugs and violence there was much causality especially the children. Kids were dealt a deadly blow; their fathers were in prison or dead and their mothers were hooked on drugs or working all day and night. This left the kids fatherless with no parental guidance, and most of them would be attracted to the glamorous street life style, and the trends kept going they would have kids and they would go to jail and the trend keeps going. Foster kids were at an all-time high. Many of the kids were a lost cause and we as a society is still suffering from parents being in jail or parents hooked on drugs and single parenting homes. This drug has had an enormous of effect on our culture. The drug has hit hard and it can be felt everywhere. Nothing like this has ever happened to the black culture and had such a negative effect on it. I wonder will we ever recover.
Works citied
Boys N The Hood.. Dir. John Singleton. Colombia Pictures. 1991. DVD.
Dangerous Minds. Dir. John Smith. Hollywood Pictures. 1995. DVD.
Deep Cover. Dir. Bill Duke. New Line Cinema. 1992. DVD.
Evans, Jerry. Personal Interview. 16 December. 2011
Jay-Z. “The Rock.” Blueprint .2001 CD
Lil Wayne. “LaLaLa”. Tha Carter 3. 2008. CD.
“Marion Berry and the Washington Post.” The Weekly Standard 26 Nov. 2007: 2-3. Print.
Menace II Society. Dir. Albert Hughes. New Line Cinema. 1993. DVD.
New Jack City. Dir. Marion Van Peebles. Warner Brothers. 1991. DVD. Owens, Johnny. Personal Interview. 16 Dec. 2011.
Ricky Ross. “Crack rules.” Ashes to Ashes. 2011. CD.
Snoop Dogg.” Deep Cover”. Deep Cover Sondtrack. 1991. CD.
Watkins, Betty. Personal Interview. 16 December 2011
Wallace Christopher. ”The Crack Commandants.” Ready to Die. 1995. CD.