Rapping rap: In a guest commentary on The Black Commentator, Akweli Parker cuts loose on the current icons of rap music for their musical messages that glorify guns and drugs, and denigrate middle class values of hard work and achievement. Here are a couple of excerpts, but it’s worth reading the whole entertaining, insightful essay.
…. as we reflect on African Americans’ achievements this February during Black History Month, I find myself wondering just a bit more than usual, and a little more angrily than usual, What in the hell is going on with our music? It’s been hijacked by one-dimensional caricatures who stand to significantly retard, if not outright roll back, the progress African Americans have made in the past half-century.
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Yeah, I realize many of our brothers are born into poverty and despair, with seemingly few options besides “the trade” or other underground economy activities. But how do you explain immigrants of color who come to this country with less than nothing, and parlay it into the American Dream?
I have a theory: it’s that black peoples’ most visible role models are entertainers and athletes, admirable folks, but not the true bedrock of the upper middle class - that would be engineers, doctors, businesspeople and intellectuals.
Call me naive, but whatever happened to the quaint notion of conveying some type of pedagogic message in urban storytelling?……….
Call me naive, but whatever happened to the quaint notion of conveying some type of pedagogic message in urban storytelling? MC’s like Grandmaster Flash, KRS-One, Public Enemy and Eric B. had it down. Somehow, they collectively managed to portray the gritty misery and violence of the streets, the sensuousness of black sexuality and that indispensable rap staple, shameless self-promotion, without promoting self-genocide.
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And so I make this simple plea: White people, since you are purportedly the largest purchasers of rap music - stop worshipping 50 and the nihilistic narcism of his music; same goes for other artistically devoid rap cartoons. Otherwise you’re encouraging them and setting back hard-working blacks. There are better rap acts more deserving of your money.
While I agree with this sentiment, I have a hard time believing the white community is the largest group of purchasers of rap music. But more importantly, if the black community thinks these guys are overrated, why don’t they come up with some better talent, support that talent, and clean up the image associated with rap music? It is a crying shame to have kids idolize people who only perpetrate the worst, most cynical ideas about women and hard work (except those cynics called neo-cons.)
It’s the record execs. Hip-hop’s no longer street, but has sold out to white corporate exces (who are screwing up the whole music industry for $$$-not just rap). And more disturbing is how many people buy into so much crap, commercialization & images. Of which you speak is only a small part. At least 2Pac was trying top take hip-hop back to the streets. The guy who missed 50 Cent 9 times should be shot himself, for having such horrible aim, in my opinion. :)
Oh, yeah. Support filesharing. Down with the “music business”.
The fact that rap music will never be gone is not a question, but the stupidity lies in those who worship it and abuse others rights by subjecting them to hear it by blasting it out of their vehicles, I dont care what people listen to in their own homes as long as I dont have to hear it rattle my own windows-parents: how about letting your kids play the music in their own home so you’ll have to hear it and not the rest of us