Comin' up I was confused, my mama kissin' a girlMy favorite rapper used to sing ch-check out my melody
I wanna live good, so shit I sell dope
For a fo' finger ring, one of them gold ropes
Nanna told me if I pass I'll get me a sheep skin coat
If I move a few packs I can get the hat, now that'll be dope
Tossed and turn in my sleep at night
Woke up the next mornin' niggas done stole my bike
Different day, same shit, ain't nothin' good in the hood
I'd run away from this bitch and never come back if I could
Hate it or love it, the underdog's on top
And I'm gon' shine homie until my heart stops
Go ahead, envy me, I'm rap's MVP
And I ain't goin' no where so you should get to know me
Mr. Wilson said... Okay DV...
First thing I want to say is...primarily I am on your side but...
I do have to play devil's advocate about modern rap. You have to admit that most of the hip hop we get exposed to today, is not the raw expression of what is in the hearts and minds of these young and talented griots. What we get is sent through a filter meant to get the most units sold, even if its white kids. If you listen to "underground" hip hop, even the gulliest grimiest brothers seem real, human, and somewhat balanced. Mainstream (aka corporate-sanctioned) hip hop is marketing-driven, not art driven,
In 2007 rappers are on the slave block as they get presented as products and brands. I don't think 50 cent got shot 9 times with a real gun, but it makes for great marketing because he sounds invincible and untouchable. I bet 50 cent has gone to Jimmy Iovine with more than one record expressing how lonely and isolated he is, but Jimmy ain't letting the public see 50 as anything but an alpha male silver-back urban gorilla that solves all problems with dispassionate aggression. "Nigga get your ass back in the studio and murder somebody on the track...do you think Vivica liked you for your soul?"
Most of these young rappers are not being honest about how they are getting manipulated and pimped by these companies (although Jadakiss has made some notable references throughout the years). Most of the rappers you mentioned are coerced every step of the way through their creative process by the irresponsible and money hungry white-run corporations to express themselves the way they do. They don't even get signed unless they demonstrate that they are willing to be exploited, and once they get the contract, they must do what the label says or never get one word on a record, ending up broke as fuck. I will grant that some brothers are too brilliant to be completely nuetered and find a happy medium between pleasing execs and still saying something relevant (Jay-Z and Andre 3000), but many are just tyring to eat and will do and say anything (ying yang twins) they are told to. The execs will force the rappers to be or do anything that they think will results in album sales, and some shit is socially irresponsible. Suggesting to little black boys that affluence is the only way to demonstrate self worth is social irresponsible. Suggesting to little black girls, that their ability to make their ass cheeks clap together is more interesting than anything they could ever say is socially irresponsible. I am not saying this is the source of the problem, but it isn't helping.
DV, I know this for sure: something is missing. Rakim had swaggar, Biggie had charisma, Pac had heart, but the corporations hadn't locked things down so tightly then. Today, the images are skewed, unrealistic, 1 dimensional and there is much less diversity. Where are the fun happy but fairly clean rappers like kid and play and will smith? where are the political rappers like public enemy? where are lyrical monsters like big daddy kane? where are the new native toungues? where are the pharcydes, the black moons, the souls of mischiefs?
today's kids are identifying with Lil Wayne, and Young Joc but partly because they aren't getting exposed to anything else. we talked about exposure at dina's, and these kids are getting exposed to the same hyper agressive mysogynist image instead of getting exposed to a diverse range of rap heros and identifying with them all. i had eazy e, but i also had krs-one and they were both embraced by radio and mainstream outlets then. or is there really something different about this generation?
DV, just admit that something is amiss and in spite of the fact that rappers represent a liberated crotch grabbing alternative to looking up to corporate negros, the truth is almost every rapper you have named IS a corporate negro. and not only that, at least this corporate negro isn't owned and can take his brilliant understanding of info. theory and communications systems to another corporation if this one starts tripping. in other words, the truth is that given my education and experience, i have more options than 99% of rappers, but how would kids ever know that?
but basically, i am on your side against anybody that tries to demonize hip hop or any genre of hip hop. fuck anybody who says there is something wrong with gangsta rap. NWA was a blessing to me and expressed a hostility and rage I didn't even know I had as a good little southern boy. Although I wouldn't even want to hang with cats like Havoc and Prodigy if I knew them, I think my life is enriched by Mobb Deep because what they do is artful.
okay...chew on that...
5 comments:
Mr. Wilson put it down!!
well said mr. wilson!!
That 50 cent verse was pure poetry...it just would be nice if we had more balance on the radio and video channels
well said!
On another note..blogging is great for fine-tuning reading comprehension and writing skills. I'm notably quicker with the pen and pad these days!
Robyn, you are a NERD. :-)
There is not a rational person alive that would say that rap doesn't have any real value. Rap is poetry, and rappers are extremely perceptive, immensely talented people. The 50 Cent verse you cherry-picked out of all of the rest, of course, is compelling. But when you have 50 nakes women in the video with you, the message gets lost; or when you produce only 1 or 2 songs per album, what's the point?
Big J
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