Gangsta Raps Affect on our Society - Unpopular Culture

Gangsta Rap!!

 

In the 1970's, hip hop was introduced to America in the Bronx, New York City.  It was new, it was different, and it was exciting...it was a lifestyle.  However, since the turn of the century, Hip Hop took a turn for the worse and instead of this being an upbeat and ethnic wonder, it has slowly chipped away at the brain cells of our collective brain...especially in the music industry.  There has never been another genre of music that has affected the young adults of America in such a negative way.

When NWA came out with "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988, their music was banned on most radio stations, mostly because of the lyrics and the content in the lyrics.  Take for example, the lyrics of the song "F$%# the police", the song above, in which the group NWA encourages the listener to distrust our law enforcement because they feel that the police only arrest people based on race. Here's an example of the type of lyrics one can hear on this track by NWA. WARNING.. EXPLICIT LYRICS.

 Right about now NWA court is in full effect.
Judge Dre presiding in the case of NWA versus the police department.
Prosecuting attourneys are MC Ren Ice Cube and Eazy muthafuckin E.
Order order order. Ice Cube take the muthafuckin stand.
Do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth
and nothin but the truth so help your black ass?

Why don't you tell everybody what the fuck you gotta say?

Fuck tha police
Comin straight from the underground
Young nigga got it bad cuz I'm brown
And not the other color so police think
They have the authority to kill a minority

Fuck that shit, cuz I ain't tha one
For a punk muthafucka with a badge and a gun
To be beatin on, and throwin in jail
We could go toe to toe in the middle of a cell

Fuckin with me cuz I'm a teenager
With a little bit of gold and a pager
Searchin my car, lookin for the product
Thinkin every nigga is sellin narcotics

You'd rather see me in the pen
Then me and Lorenzo rollin in the Benzo
Beat tha police outta shape
And when I'm finished, bring the yellow tape
To tape off the scene of the slaughter
Still can't swallow bread and water

I don't know if they fags or what
Search a nigga down and grabbin his nuts
And on the other hand, without a gun they can't get none
But don't let it be a black and a white one
Cuz they slam ya down to the street top
Black police showin out for the white cop

Ice Cube will swarm
On any muthafucka in a blue uniform
Just cuz I'm from the CPT, punk police are afraid of me
A young nigga on a warpath
And when I'm finished, it's gonna be a bloodbath
Of cops, dyin in LA
Yo Dre, I got somethin to say

With the ban on the radio, kids were dying to find out Why it had been banned.    The album reached double platinum sales status, becoming the first album to reach platinum status with no airplay support and without any major tours.

This is what our youth had started to idolize

NWA

Almost 25 years later, today, there are droves of hip hop artists coming out with the same type of music.  In addition to lots of foul language, Gangsta rap groups like "The Geto Boyz" promote guns, violence and crime. For example, the song "Trigga happy Ni**a", the band raps the following:

 We needed money, so I robbed a liquor store
Down on your knees she hesitated, I kicked the whore
Wanna go for bad, bitch I go for broke
Pulled out the 9, think it's a game, she said nope
Out comes the manager, mother' thought I was bluffin him
She knew I was serious, so did he when I busted him
Come on motherf**ker I ain't playin' so give it up
She said the cops are comin', does it look like I give a f**k!
You're lucky I ain't horny, I'd be rockin' ya
She let down her hair, pulled up her skirt and said what's stoppin' ya?
Bitch you must mistake me for a lollygag
Cuz' if I get in that a*s, they'll haul me off in a body bag
Gimme the money, I'm tired of the waiting shit
She said the box is empty
I said ain't that a bitch
Back to the safe you better open it fast
I'm gettin' tired, I'm about to melt a cap in your a*s
I got all that money that I'm live, how you figure?
I'll forever be a trigga happy nigga


. In Eminem's song "Guilty Conscious", the rapper encourages the listener to rape a girl that he meets at a rave because she is on the drug ecstacy.  Again, WARNING EXPLICIT LYRICS.

Meet Stan, twenty-one years old. ("Give me a kiss!")
After meeting a young girl at a rave party,
things start getting hot and heavy in an upstairs bedroom.
Once again, his conscience comes into play... ("Shit!")

[Eminem]
Now listen to me, while you're kissin her cheek
and smearin her lipstick, I slipped this in her drink
Now all you gotta do is nibble on this little bitch's earlobe..
(Yo! This girl's only fifteen years old
You shouldn't take advantage of her, that's not fair)
Yo, look at her bush.. does it got hair? (Uh huh!)
Fuck this bitch right here on the spot bare
Til she passes out and she forgot how she got there
(Man, ain't you ever seen that one movie _Kids_?)
No, but I seen the porno with SunDoobiest!
(Shit, you wanna get hauled off to jail?)
Man fuck that, hit that shit raw dawg and bail..

Afroman promotes drinking and driving in his song "I drive better when I'm drunk" by rapping

" I don't know what you've been told
I've been drinkin since 12 years old
Started in 1988
Hangin at the liquor store real real late
I drunk a swallow, I drunk a cup
Drunk the bottle, I threw up
Over the years, I learned to pace it
Get kinda tipsy, but not that wasted
I like beer, but I love malt liquor
Cuz malt liquor, get me drunk quicker
Stop on the freeway, take a whiz
Hop in my Cadillac and handle my biz
I drive better drunk than I do sober
Cuz when I'm sober right
I think I can make through the, red light
Go, go, go, I hope I'm not dead right
But when I'm drunk, I know I can't
So I ain't, I drive like a saint
Drinkin is a class I did not flunk
I'm a Colt 45 certified drunk"

What started out at Rhyming and BeatBoxing, soon turned out to get darker and deeper into the corruption of our society.  How would you like to run into these hip hop enthusiats?

 It is no secret that the Youth of America are extremely influenced by our athletes, our music stars, and our television stars.  They are trend setters and they make impressions on society.  My concern about gangsta rap is that it glorifies unhealthy behavior and the impressionable youth of America can be swayed by the Bling they see on their favorite rappers and want to be like them.  So listening to their stories of the rappers encourages the youth to want to act in the same way that the songs they listen to promote. 

I really need to put a disclaimer in this Blog.  I listen to hip hop, and not all of the people that listen to hip hop turn into gangsters or wannabe gangsters.  I've gotten to the point where I can enjoy music, or sports or movies and not have to emulate the people performing them.  If you like hip hop, great!!!  Just don't go out and start dressing like you are some sort of rapper-you look ridiculous.