Pros And Cons Of Gangsta Rap

1. Kelly characterizes gangsta rap as a window into, and a critique of, the criminalization of black youth. Its central themes revolve around a strong foundation in male dominance, as well as a portrayal of the plights in the black working class. Gangsta rap originated in low income areas such as South Bronx. People in these communities were facing major economic hardships due to the closure of factories, thus placing many of them in unemployment. This, along with the constant discrimination they faced, pushed many of the juveniles who lived in this situation to revert to another way to show the world what they are going through; and this was done through rap music. More specifically, gangsta rappers would scrutinize the way law enforcement agencies dealt with the youth of their community. They did this by emphasizing the unnecessary amount of police brutality they faced and how the police criminalized the black youth. While looked down
Dyson considers gangsta rap to be a way for the black community to reveal their voice. Ransby and Matthews, however, believe that gangsta rap can only be detrimental to the black community as a whole. Why? Because gangsta rap tends to show the nation a negative portrayal of the black community mainly because of the way they deal with their own family. Ransby and Matthews claim that through rap, women have been objectified and degraded. While Dyson agrees that rap tends to be very misogynistic, he also says that rap is not to blame. These views have been around prior to rap’s birth and while rap may portray this negative view, misogyny would not disappear if rap were to disappear. Gangsta music is similar to black conservatism in the sense that they both take on the patriarchal stance within the black community. I believe that Dyson ahs the correct viewpoint because he acknowledges the fact that gangsta rap can be detrimental to the outlook on black feminism, but still believes that the benefits of rap outweigh the