Gangsta Rap Influence On American Culture
Falicia
English
Manipulation of Black Art
According to the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, gangsta rap is defined as “rap music with lyrics explicitly portraying the violence and drug use of urban gang life and typically expressing hostility toward whites, women, and civil authority” This definition could disturb many that attempt to find a clear understanding of a culture wrongfully portrayed. Gangsta rap was originally a form of expressing inequalities in society and has changed the way the social psyche is expressed in young people. Through the use of race, gender, violence, and freedom of expression, gangsta rap as it is portrayed contributes to the evolution in black culture.
In looking at the portrayal of gangsta rap through …show more content…
the perspective of author Michael Eric Dyson, he points out that “If the fifteen-year evolution of hip-hop teaches us anything, it’s that history is made in unexpected ways by unexpected people with unexpected results”(P. 391). Gangsta rap is used as a method to discuss racial inequality, whether it be twenty years ago or in the present time. The unity is its way of expressing issues affecting black culture in a publicized and at times ridiculed manner. In a world where African Americans have been oppressed into a life of slavery and are still considered a minority, gangsta rap assists in representing the issues that are greatly affecting a culture from expanding successfully. As is stated on page 391, “This is the world hip-hop would come to “represent”: privileged persons speaking for less visible or vocal peers”. Through lyrics, the story told is a real one full of positive and negative aspects of everyday life.
At the essence or core of hip-hop, there is an encounter of racism, which is expressed through the voice of fame. The rapper represents the survival of an everyday war of overexposure of drugs, prostitution, and violence. There is a social critic of how racism is portrayed as it often depends on the rapper in “power”. As the author states, “He was not hip-hop's most gifted emcee. Still, [Tupac] Shakur may be the most influential and compelling rapper of them all, he was more than the sum of his artistic parts” (p. 392). The unique style of Tupac in the 1990’s told a degrading story of how he was a witness to the everyday calamities of the neighborhood he lived in. As a witness and victim of racism, he was able to prove that his lyrics were real to many minorities and more important to those who believed rappers where portraying a role for money.
As the overexposure of rappers continues daily, the author expresses concern with the record companies who are profiting from at times young rappers who do not know the value system of what they should be receiving. They can be exploited “pawns in a ‘chess game of material dominance where their consciences are sold to the highest bidder” (p. 392). In essence, rappers can be manipulated by the amount of money they have never seen to put out a hit as opposed on focusing the issues that made them rap to begin with. It seems like a distortion of the black culture to a certain extent. Although some can be manipulated, other rappers are street savvy and are able to maintain a realistic view as well as producing a record worth listening to. What seems of importance is the balance of following the rules of a genre and reaping its rewards as well.
One of the ways in which rappers play into stereotypes is through the portrayal of women in music videos. Often time’s women are seen as tall, curvy, sexy women who are held by a man’s money or fame. Many of the women seen today are usually half naked in music videos and hardly ever have a role worth focusing on. As Mr. Dyson emphasizes, “It is doubly wounding for black women who are already beset by attacks from outside their communities to feel the thrust of musical daggers to their dignity from within” (p. 392). At the same token, the lyrics stated to express a woman’s portrayal is often times derogatory, such as the word “bitch”. It is almost common these days to hear this type of language being stated in rap songs throughout society. It negates a black woman’s role by oppressing her in a dishonest manner.
One article that refutes the notion that degrading black women is not universal is through the article Barbie’s Body May Be Perfect, But Critics Remind Us It’s Plastic by Angela Cain. It is strongly stated that women in general have always been misconstrued through the use of figures such as Barbie, in which her body dimensions are not proportional. Therefore, although wrongfully portrayed, black women can relate to the discriminatory effects of not having the right body size. As the author points out, this type of distortion can lead to eating disorders prominent in other cultures. As young women compare themselves to Barbie, black women compare themselves to the Barbie portrayed in music videos.
As “the visual media plays a big role in how women see their bodies. When you look at the cover of some fashion magazine, those models are airbrushed. Nobody looks that perfect. But the magazines makes you think they do” (p. 336). Although many cultural difference have been noted, women seem to have a universal notion of what perfection is and how to embody that through extremities. In a society that defines beauty, it is important to focus on the positive attributes of women in general, such as climbing the social ladder through academic success.
In the same way that women are wrongfully portrayed, black men are also thought of in a negative light. Due to the overexposure of rappers, men are also turned into commodities. Although many are not imitating life, rather recreating it through their music, it tends to create more stereotypes and visual images of what black men represent. It is almost a double standard, in which freedom of expression is portrayed, however, at what cost? The window in which we view gangsta rap is too narrow to define black culture. Instead, it feeds into the continuing oppression of a successful realm.
Far more crucial, however, is the positive effect of freedom of speech. “Throughout African-American history, creative personalities have sought to escape or enliven the role of race artist with varying degrees of success”, (P. 394) which is a constant struggle between what is said and what is meant. In other words, Md. Dyson, seems to express the undeniable conflict between the boundary of social responsibility and social acceptable rap. For example, censorship is often used to confront the issues being portrayed. “A crucial distinction needs to be made between censorship of gangsta rap and edifying expressions of civic responsibility and community conscientiousness”, (p. 395) which implies that gangsta rap can be demoralized by the denial of its every right. Just because society does not want to focus on the problems relevant in every culture, does not mean that one genre of music should be banned from telling their point of view no matter how graphic it may be.
“Gangsta rap often reaches higher than its ugliest, lowest common denominator, misogyny, violence, materialism and sexual transgression are not its exclusive domain. At its best, this music draws attention to complex dimensions of ghetto life ignored by most Americans. Indeed, gangsta rap's in-your-face style may do more to force America to confront crucial social problems than a million sermons or political speeches” (p.397). Ghetto life is most often emphasized through the use of violence. It is almost common to see a rapper be arrested or murdered in world of conflict. For example, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls were well known for a long time feud between east and west coast music. Both were murdered and neither killer has been caught. This type of feud is often related to the everyday war between gangsters throughout various cities, states, and hoods.
As violence is portrayed through music, it can also be noted that the influence of television has taken its toll on black culture as well.
In Televsion Violence and Aggression by Thom Curtis, family violence is researched. In its measure of violence, there was no “significant relationship between the violence that children witnesses in their parents’ spousal relationship and violence in the children’s own marriages” (p. 341). If this research is proven to be true, it is refuted by the lyrics being portrayed in music. According to many lyrics, the violence witnessed at home affects the cycle of violence being talked about. Therefore there is a discrepancy and question as to what type of population is being represented. Therefore, gangsta rap proves that their voice is not taken into account as is always being stated.
In another survey defining television violence, the amount of television watched and aggression were measured. Again, there was a small significant relationship between viewing habits and property damage. If there is not a significant correlation between violence and television, it can be concluded that gangsta rappers validate their point of view in eliminating a possible factor for increased aggression and violence. Therefore, violence can highly be correlated to the everyday struggles faced in ghetto life. It would seem unfair to suppress the voice of a realistic view in today’s
society.
The undeniable truth seems to be focused on gangsta rap. That is not to say that it is objective, since societal views are subjective in nature. What one family or individual go through does not always register across the board. It is ridiculed and criticized, yet respected all at the same time. Rap is a constant struggle of the boundaries it crosses and experiences that are portrayed. However, one truth remains the same; rap is a way of telling a realistic story what someone can be motivated to strive from. Many rappers come from poor households in which they struggle to reach success through passion. In the debate of gangsta rap, the unity of all culture is expressed in its essence; the flight for the American dream.
Although at times negative and ridiculed, the American dream is what many enter this country to succeed. Influential rappers such as Run from Run D.M.C demonstrate the positive aspects of what one can reach. Run, Joseph Ward Simmons, is a Reverend, who preaches success now through sermons and who in the past has marked hip hop in his own way. He has built an empire of success and hip hop was his stepping stone. That is a positive way of achieving the American Dream. Sometimes it is forgotten that not all rappers are “bad” and not all situations end the same. Joseph is a true example of the after-life of a rapper. He has proven to disprove negative portrayals and reap success in a positive light.
English
Manipulation of Black Art
According to the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, gangsta rap is defined as “rap music with lyrics explicitly portraying the violence and drug use of urban gang life and typically expressing hostility toward whites, women, and civil authority” This definition could disturb many that attempt to find a clear understanding of a culture wrongfully portrayed. Gangsta rap was originally a form of expressing inequalities in society and has changed the way the social psyche is expressed in young people. Through the use of race, gender, violence, and freedom of expression, gangsta rap as it is portrayed contributes to the evolution in black culture.
In looking at the portrayal of gangsta rap through …show more content…
the perspective of author Michael Eric Dyson, he points out that “If the fifteen-year evolution of hip-hop teaches us anything, it’s that history is made in unexpected ways by unexpected people with unexpected results”(P. 391). Gangsta rap is used as a method to discuss racial inequality, whether it be twenty years ago or in the present time. The unity is its way of expressing issues affecting black culture in a publicized and at times ridiculed manner. In a world where African Americans have been oppressed into a life of slavery and are still considered a minority, gangsta rap assists in representing the issues that are greatly affecting a culture from expanding successfully. As is stated on page 391, “This is the world hip-hop would come to “represent”: privileged persons speaking for less visible or vocal peers”. Through lyrics, the story told is a real one full of positive and negative aspects of everyday life.
At the essence or core of hip-hop, there is an encounter of racism, which is expressed through the voice of fame. The rapper represents the survival of an everyday war of overexposure of drugs, prostitution, and violence. There is a social critic of how racism is portrayed as it often depends on the rapper in “power”. As the author states, “He was not hip-hop's most gifted emcee. Still, [Tupac] Shakur may be the most influential and compelling rapper of them all, he was more than the sum of his artistic parts” (p. 392). The unique style of Tupac in the 1990’s told a degrading story of how he was a witness to the everyday calamities of the neighborhood he lived in. As a witness and victim of racism, he was able to prove that his lyrics were real to many minorities and more important to those who believed rappers where portraying a role for money.
As the overexposure of rappers continues daily, the author expresses concern with the record companies who are profiting from at times young rappers who do not know the value system of what they should be receiving. They can be exploited “pawns in a ‘chess game of material dominance where their consciences are sold to the highest bidder” (p. 392). In essence, rappers can be manipulated by the amount of money they have never seen to put out a hit as opposed on focusing the issues that made them rap to begin with. It seems like a distortion of the black culture to a certain extent. Although some can be manipulated, other rappers are street savvy and are able to maintain a realistic view as well as producing a record worth listening to. What seems of importance is the balance of following the rules of a genre and reaping its rewards as well.
One of the ways in which rappers play into stereotypes is through the portrayal of women in music videos. Often time’s women are seen as tall, curvy, sexy women who are held by a man’s money or fame. Many of the women seen today are usually half naked in music videos and hardly ever have a role worth focusing on. As Mr. Dyson emphasizes, “It is doubly wounding for black women who are already beset by attacks from outside their communities to feel the thrust of musical daggers to their dignity from within” (p. 392). At the same token, the lyrics stated to express a woman’s portrayal is often times derogatory, such as the word “bitch”. It is almost common these days to hear this type of language being stated in rap songs throughout society. It negates a black woman’s role by oppressing her in a dishonest manner.
One article that refutes the notion that degrading black women is not universal is through the article Barbie’s Body May Be Perfect, But Critics Remind Us It’s Plastic by Angela Cain. It is strongly stated that women in general have always been misconstrued through the use of figures such as Barbie, in which her body dimensions are not proportional. Therefore, although wrongfully portrayed, black women can relate to the discriminatory effects of not having the right body size. As the author points out, this type of distortion can lead to eating disorders prominent in other cultures. As young women compare themselves to Barbie, black women compare themselves to the Barbie portrayed in music videos.
As “the visual media plays a big role in how women see their bodies. When you look at the cover of some fashion magazine, those models are airbrushed. Nobody looks that perfect. But the magazines makes you think they do” (p. 336). Although many cultural difference have been noted, women seem to have a universal notion of what perfection is and how to embody that through extremities. In a society that defines beauty, it is important to focus on the positive attributes of women in general, such as climbing the social ladder through academic success.
In the same way that women are wrongfully portrayed, black men are also thought of in a negative light. Due to the overexposure of rappers, men are also turned into commodities. Although many are not imitating life, rather recreating it through their music, it tends to create more stereotypes and visual images of what black men represent. It is almost a double standard, in which freedom of expression is portrayed, however, at what cost? The window in which we view gangsta rap is too narrow to define black culture. Instead, it feeds into the continuing oppression of a successful realm.
Far more crucial, however, is the positive effect of freedom of speech. “Throughout African-American history, creative personalities have sought to escape or enliven the role of race artist with varying degrees of success”, (P. 394) which is a constant struggle between what is said and what is meant. In other words, Md. Dyson, seems to express the undeniable conflict between the boundary of social responsibility and social acceptable rap. For example, censorship is often used to confront the issues being portrayed. “A crucial distinction needs to be made between censorship of gangsta rap and edifying expressions of civic responsibility and community conscientiousness”, (p. 395) which implies that gangsta rap can be demoralized by the denial of its every right. Just because society does not want to focus on the problems relevant in every culture, does not mean that one genre of music should be banned from telling their point of view no matter how graphic it may be.
“Gangsta rap often reaches higher than its ugliest, lowest common denominator, misogyny, violence, materialism and sexual transgression are not its exclusive domain. At its best, this music draws attention to complex dimensions of ghetto life ignored by most Americans. Indeed, gangsta rap's in-your-face style may do more to force America to confront crucial social problems than a million sermons or political speeches” (p.397). Ghetto life is most often emphasized through the use of violence. It is almost common to see a rapper be arrested or murdered in world of conflict. For example, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls were well known for a long time feud between east and west coast music. Both were murdered and neither killer has been caught. This type of feud is often related to the everyday war between gangsters throughout various cities, states, and hoods.
As violence is portrayed through music, it can also be noted that the influence of television has taken its toll on black culture as well.
In Televsion Violence and Aggression by Thom Curtis, family violence is researched. In its measure of violence, there was no “significant relationship between the violence that children witnesses in their parents’ spousal relationship and violence in the children’s own marriages” (p. 341). If this research is proven to be true, it is refuted by the lyrics being portrayed in music. According to many lyrics, the violence witnessed at home affects the cycle of violence being talked about. Therefore there is a discrepancy and question as to what type of population is being represented. Therefore, gangsta rap proves that their voice is not taken into account as is always being stated.
In another survey defining television violence, the amount of television watched and aggression were measured. Again, there was a small significant relationship between viewing habits and property damage. If there is not a significant correlation between violence and television, it can be concluded that gangsta rappers validate their point of view in eliminating a possible factor for increased aggression and violence. Therefore, violence can highly be correlated to the everyday struggles faced in ghetto life. It would seem unfair to suppress the voice of a realistic view in today’s
society.
The undeniable truth seems to be focused on gangsta rap. That is not to say that it is objective, since societal views are subjective in nature. What one family or individual go through does not always register across the board. It is ridiculed and criticized, yet respected all at the same time. Rap is a constant struggle of the boundaries it crosses and experiences that are portrayed. However, one truth remains the same; rap is a way of telling a realistic story what someone can be motivated to strive from. Many rappers come from poor households in which they struggle to reach success through passion. In the debate of gangsta rap, the unity of all culture is expressed in its essence; the flight for the American dream.
Although at times negative and ridiculed, the American dream is what many enter this country to succeed. Influential rappers such as Run from Run D.M.C demonstrate the positive aspects of what one can reach. Run, Joseph Ward Simmons, is a Reverend, who preaches success now through sermons and who in the past has marked hip hop in his own way. He has built an empire of success and hip hop was his stepping stone. That is a positive way of achieving the American Dream. Sometimes it is forgotten that not all rappers are “bad” and not all situations end the same. Joseph is a true example of the after-life of a rapper. He has proven to disprove negative portrayals and reap success in a positive light.