Thug Culture Is Destroying Black America
The United Lake of America: Did We Make the Splash or Did Rap Make the Ripple?
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?
One author argues that “gangsta rap” is at fault. In her essay “Thug Culture Is a Cancer Destroying Black America”, Cynthia Tucker claims that “This ‘so-called’ music and the lifestyle it glorifies is a malignancy destroying black America”(327). Tucker makes a reference to rapper Clifford Harris Jr. (aka T.I.) in her essay, high-lighting his arrests for his continued involvement in illegal activities after having already been given a second chance from the criminal justice system (326-327). Tucker continues to reveal …show more content…
With that said, how can Americans assume that “gangster rap” created and/or influenced something that existed long before its time? Before rap was even born, there were American gangsters who relied on a life of violence and crime to gain power and wealth. Acts of violence were committed along with crime and the defiance of laws, all while implying that with it comes wealth and success. So what may I ask influenced these American history gangsters to lead that lifestyle? It is quite clear that they couldn’t possibly have been influenced by “gangsta music” seeing as how rap simply did not exist
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?
One author argues that “gangsta rap” is at fault. In her essay “Thug Culture Is a Cancer Destroying Black America”, Cynthia Tucker claims that “This ‘so-called’ music and the lifestyle it glorifies is a malignancy destroying black America”(327). Tucker makes a reference to rapper Clifford Harris Jr. (aka T.I.) in her essay, high-lighting his arrests for his continued involvement in illegal activities after having already been given a second chance from the criminal justice system (326-327). Tucker continues to reveal …show more content…
With that said, how can Americans assume that “gangster rap” created and/or influenced something that existed long before its time? Before rap was even born, there were American gangsters who relied on a life of violence and crime to gain power and wealth. Acts of violence were committed along with crime and the defiance of laws, all while implying that with it comes wealth and success. So what may I ask influenced these American history gangsters to lead that lifestyle? It is quite clear that they couldn’t possibly have been influenced by “gangsta music” seeing as how rap simply did not exist