Wednesday, April 2, 1997
MUSIC:
Critics of gangsta rap ignore genre’s other, more constructive
voices
Recently the world of hip-hop has been the recipient of much bad
press for the over-representation of sex, drugs and violence in its
lyrics. Considering the parallels between the violence-prone lyrics
of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls and their murders, such criticism
is warranted. However, many of those leveling attacks on the
hip-hop community are blind to any positive points of hip-hop.
Political pimps like Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, and William Bennett
and their prostitutes in the black community, the Rev. Calvin Butts
and C. Delores Tucker, are quick to denounce and silence these
bearers of bad news. Their attacks reflect America’s unwillingness
to swallow the bitter medicine its racism has produced. The most
searing critics of this racism are the producers and target
audience of hip-hop  the African youth in America.
Hip-hop is the voice of African youth in America. It is a
continuation of the black music tradition  like spirituals,
blues and the jazz before it, rising deep within the soul of
African people. Through this medium black youth are able to express
their frustrations, hopes, disappointments and desires. Hip-hop in
its many manifestations is a narration of what it is like to be
young and black in America today.
As our reality, we are better able to relate and offer
constructive alternatives to the narrowly focused world of
so-called gangsta rap. Progressive or "conscious" artists such as
KRS-One, the Fugees and Jeru, among others, have been at the
forefront of condemning the player, pimp and hustler image while
infusing progressive political and social commentary into the world
of hip-hop. Yet, they do so with knowledge, and often first-hand
experience, of where their peers come from. Such artists are
frequently overlooked; perhaps this is because they don’t satisfy
the voyeuristic pleasures and stereotypical assumption of suburban
white youth and record company executives.
In order to critically view gangsta rap in particular and
hip-hop in general, it is important to understand where it comes
from. As the manifestation of the urban black youth experience,
hip-hop represents the good and the bad of our worlds. My
particular experience was more than, to quote Biggie, "slangin’
crack rock (or having) a wicked jump shot," but that doesn’t make
either reality more or less legitimate. It is counter productive to
condemn, without the benefit of understanding the environment that
produces such a bleak outlook on life. Hip-hop artists, conscious
or otherwise, are responding to the given circumstances of the
communities.
So-called gangsta rap has a particular place within the larger
world of hip-hop. These artists give voice to millions of
unemployable black youth left to survive on wits alone. The issues
most associated with gangsta rap, sex, drugs and violence are very
real problems among African people in America and this country as a
whole. America is ill-prepared to confront the multitude of
plaguing questions it faces, and gangsta rappers are brilliant at
throwing it in their face. The brash attitude, excessive violence
and disregard for law and order are merely the products of
America’s violence toward black people.
The problem with gangsta rap is that the issues of sex, drugs
and violence are seldom put in a proper perspective. Without the
appropriate political or social commentary, gangsta rappers give
the appearance of glorifying a lifestyle detrimental to the
personal and collective survival of African people in America.
Biggie Smalls was known to have been an ex-crack dealer who was
formerly incarcerated, and tales of past exploits pervade his
lyrics. Biggie, like other artists, expressed that such a lifestyle
was not the way to live. As I listen to the wanton violence and
corrosive nature of life on the streets, I am thankful for the
guidance my family provided. Yet, any personal satisfaction quickly
sours as I realize that there are millions of people who are
trapped in a parasitic cycle.
It is unfortunate that not even with fame and fortune could
Biggie and Tupac escape a violent demise. These deaths are very
telling reminders of the state of black youth. As correctional
plantations, courtrooms and morgues increase with black bodies, we
should pay close attention to the cries of gangsta rappers. Their
lyrics are on the pulse of those society has deemed unemployable
and incorrigible. The lust for money and material wealth is the
result of economic depravation and the perceived lack of
opportunity.
Through hip-hop music and culture, we have the ability to create
a new reality. Hip-hop has been the avenue many have traveled to
gain a greater understanding to the world. My own knowledge of
history, politics and culture has been greatly enhanced via
hip-hop. If I want to know what’s happening in Atlanta, all I have
to do is buy an Outkast album. New York, Nas. Cleveland, Bones.
Paris, MC Solaar. Black Nationalism, Public Enemy. Socialism, the
Coup. Hip-hop taken as a whole is a mirror of African people in
America. It reflects the multitude of issues we encounter and our
varied responses, both good and bad. As long as gangsta rap remains
the dominant force within hip-hop, the image of African people will
continue to be skewered.
Hip-hop deserves a comprehensive, critical and analytical look,
but this can only be done with a full knowledge of the conditions
that produce it.