Preview

Disturbing Similarities Between Gangsta Rap And Spike Lee

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
120 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Disturbing Similarities Between Gangsta Rap And Spike Lee
I think this comparison was made because there are some disturbing similarities between the two about how hip hop is immensely popular with white youth and how blacks are portrayed in a demeaning fashion. Spike Lee, a prominent commentator recognized this and criticized gangsta rap as a modern day minstrel show because they presented themselves in a stereotypical, unsophisticated, and ignorant manner purely for the entertainment of others. However, with that being said, I can see the other side of this argument. It could also be argued that gangsta rap merely describes the realities of the city life, and that these rappers are only portraying a character which acts in such ways they do not certainly approve of or

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Biggie vs Tupac

    • 1711 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout the nineties there was an movement in hip hop, the infamous East coast rap vs West coast between rap musicians. It was a separational movement that caused both sides to end the lives of two most influential rappers in the music industry, Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur. Both rappers with similar backgrounds have changed the music scene completely with one sudden movement. Known mainly for their rivalry against one another and compared because of the backgrounds, these two artist had quite a distinctiveness to one another. Notorious B.I.G and Tupac Shakur are great influential artist in the music industry and had similar backgrounds but distinctive enough to cause a separation that influenced the music industry then and now.…

    • 1711 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Timbaland quickly made a name for himself in the late-'90s hip-hop game as not only an inventive producer with an eccentric sense of beat construction but also as one of the most commercially proven producers. This unlikely synthesis of eccentricity and commerciality made him a hot commodity by the end of the '90s as America's top MCs -- Nas, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z -- paid…

    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To gaze into the lyrics of both Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur is like living in the ghettos of New York City where violence never stops. Both of these artists grew up seeing and living a life filled with violence. Gunshots and drive-byes, death and murder were a daily occurrence. Although the lyrics of both artists are simply telling their life stories and how hard it was to grow up in their “hoods” they contain vulgar, hateful, and sexual verses that send the wrong message to their listeners. Whether these listeners are teens or adults, white or black, they are continually sending notions of hatred and fear through their lyrics and actions. Ultimately, their lyrics, actions, and creation of the East coast West coast rivalry began promoting violence to whoever hears, listens, or watches them.…

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop became a very communal genre of music now a days. It is quite similar to Slave Narratives in different aspects such as the use of symoblism and coded mataphores. Symbolism is very essential in spirituals whereas the purpose of metaphores is to make an emotional link with the persons who listen. Moreover, Hip Hop culture and slaves share an identical mindset. (Eyerman, 2004, p.317)…

    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Growing up in the 1980’s and the 90’s I became a huge fan of Hip-Hop music. My friends and I used to sit around for hours listening to our favorite rappers on the radio and watching the videos on television. We would argue for hours about who was a better lyricist and why. Now as I have grown older and the music I have grown to love and still listen to has changed, I find myself asking a very good question. What has changed in Hip-Hop from the time I was started listening to now? The answer is as complex as it is simple, the music itself has changed. The Hip-Hop music of today seems to be more commercial as opposed to being artistic and message driven.…

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Although I thought they were two very different movies. To my surprise, 'Grease' and 'The Outsiders' do have some very similar characteristics. Even though the genres are different, they have similar themes. Not surprisingly, sound and lighting had almost no similarities. However; camerawork is very similar at various points of the two films.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Though many have protested that “gangsta rap” is to blame for its influence in the violence, female discrimination and violent behavior that take place throughout America, others argue that it is simply the other way around, implying that the artist is influenced by his own personal experience of being a part of and/or bearing witness to violence, drugs and crime that have taken place around him thus influencing him to express himself through lyric and rhyme becoming “gangsta rap”. This leaves us to question does gangsta rap music encourage violence or does violence influence what the artist raps about?…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The genre of hip hop music inspires use of the generalizing term “nigger”. Hip hop music allows the term “nigger” to be a normal thing to say. When nigger is used in a song it gives people of every race an excuse to use it. Certain words from song only can end up in a person’s vocabulary. In the song “Real Nigga Roll Call” by Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz, the variation of the word “nigger” is used over 95 times. After hearing nigger over 95 times in one song, the word is going to stick. Rappers should take responsibility for music they put out in the music industry. Rappers could be more positive and help a lot more people out. An…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Bergman Homework

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages

    They are similar because white people expressed identification with what people believe hip hop is an “African American cultural form. What is different though is that I don’t think anybody is using white racism for liking hip-hop everybody just enjoys the music.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gangsta Rap Thesis

    • 1513 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In the 1980s, we saw many different genres of music emerge, genres such as Pop, Rock, and R&B. But a new genre emerged that sparked a lot of controversy: “Gangsta Rap” otherwise known as Hip Hop. Rappers/Rap groups such as NWA, Run DMC, Big Daddy Kane, and more changed the industry with catchy tunes and lyrics that talked about hard topics like slavery, violence, and police brutality. These lyrics sometimes caused major conflict, whether between races or with civilians and police. Hip Hop was very controversial in the 80s. “Gangsta rap” has caused a lot of controversy, many people protested this music in the late 80s and 90s due to the message within its lyrics and what those lyrics conveyed. Many accused “Gangsta Rap” for promoting things such as crime, killings, profanity, drugs, sex, racism, and more. But Gangsta rap doesn’t influence this type of lifestyle; it’s telling a story/conveying a message of the individuals who wrote the lyrics.…

    • 1513 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    New School Hip Hop

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Major record companies wanted to sign up hip hop group to their label, but they didn’t want to sign the disc jockey of the group. The record companies felt that they should not have to pay someone that was not performing on the record. A lot times, a producer from the record company would strike a deal with the MCs, by telling them that they are doing all the work, and the fans are screaming their names, not the disc jockey. So MCs would get the contract and the Disc Jockey was cut loose, making this the end of Disc Jockies or MCs, and the birth of the rapper. New school rappers these were making from $100,000,000 to $200,000,000 an album. Now the rapper was headlining show and filling football stadium seats. The rapper that used to be the MCs for the disc jockey, began paying the disc jockey to spin or play music for him or her at a concert. Hip hop is now known all over the world, sung in many different languages. The lyrics of today’s hip hop rappers are not like the MCs of yesterday, Rappers now talk about how much money they are making and disrespecting women in their songs. Some rappers like tell how they made it from the drug game to the rap game, while rappers talk about the use of drugs and types drugs they prefer to use. A rapper’s lyrics often reflect the violent lifestyle of American inner cities afflicted with poverty. The “N” word is used a lot in today rapper’s…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Satire

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Hip hop serves as a form of unity and a crutch for some. Kids tend to always be looking for an adult figure in their life. Some have many others have none, but just about all look up to those in media. Rappers are a part of a multi-billion dollar industry their reach stretches from clothing to cars. Rappers tend to be that adult figure in most urban communities. These kids look up to see their favourite music stars are like themselves. Popular rap star Kendrick Lamar grew up in Compton, one of Americas worst hoods. Now he is a huge star and has fame and fortune. The youth in situations like this see him as a form of inspiration. They aspire to be great like their favourite hip hop stars; they want to pull themselves out of the ghetto. This impact on youth is a great positive for the genre, and a great story for it to. For some the music that they can identify with the most is a way for other to connect. Much like people connect through sports or other interests, hip hop serves as the same tool. Friendships form through these social bonds provided by the music of this genre. With the formation of these friendships they often lead to positive results. For example Taylor and Taylor note that “Early hip hop has often been credited with helping to reduce inner-city gang violence by replacing physical violence with dance and artwork battles.”(qtd About Hip Hop Youth Subculture, 1) These outlets and groups help in reducing violence and instead promote creativity. Music of any genre is a form on entertainment. Rap is no different; these kids are escaping into the world of music. With these kids staying away from gangs and violence they are more likely to grow up to be functioning members of society. While the rap stars are not the sole reason for this they are definitely a part of the solution as opposed to the problem. There are many examples of rap artists helping the youth in a community whether its “Drake and P Reign playing…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip Hop Planet Analysis

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In James McBride article “Hip Hop Planet”, he introduces the reader to many issues that are affecting society, including violence, social class, and racism. McBride ensures that he includes hip-hop’s history, in order to explain that the musical genre began as an attempt to avoid or prevent teen gang involvement. Additionally, social class is present in hip hop culture because many of the artist's success determined by the resources that they have when beginning their career as a DJ. Lastly, race is revealed to play a large role in hip hop culture due to the fact that many rappers include lyrics about racial injustices, as well as tension between people of different cultures. Although McBride introduces different arguments throughout his essay,…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hip-Hop lyrics describe extremely violent acts that include guns, beatings, and murder. The songs seem to be condoning this behavior and are mostly performed by African American males. By seeing a black man singing lyrics such as, “I’m just waiting for a fool/ so I can use his blood for my backyard pool” (The Terrorists f/ Point Blank, “Dead Bodies” 1991) or “Crack that jaw, what’s more bring it/ Ill rip your fuckin’ arm out the socket if you swing it” (Apache “A Fight” 1992), endorses the idea that African Americans are prone to violence and killing.…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women In Hip Hop Culture

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hip Hop has gotten too hard core, it’s only about misogynist and materialism. Back in the day rappers had more to talk about than guns, money, jewels, cars and women. In today’s Hip Hop, it glorifies the ghetto, gangs, guns, money and jewelry which reinforces the tradition of the black stereotypes. Gangster rap is described as the angriest type of rap music where it glamorizes sex and violence. N.W.A was one of the most controversial rap groups in the world of hip hop who are known as the creators of “gansta rap”. The group was an influential force in the Hip-Hop culture because of their harsh music which questioned the government and the police. In all Hip-Hop music video you will always see a female flaunting her assets. These women are often called…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays