As trite as it is to lead into a
post with a quote from the dictionary, please humor us for a moment. The
Webster’s dictionary defines “gangsta rap” as: “Rap music with lyrics
explicitly portraying the violence and drug use of urban gang life and
typically expressing hostility toward whites, women, and civil authority.” Though
the definition touches on elements of
gangsta rap, it completely misses the point. Gangsta rap isn’t a mindless barrage
of swear words and decadence without meaning, it arose from a distinct cultural
frustrations with black neighborhoods and their treatment by the dominating hegemony.
Gangsta rap
emerged in the wake of skyrocketing unemployment rates for black youth, and
neighborhoods that had been in continuously decline since the white flight of
the 60’s and 70’s. In 1982, 45% of black youth were unemployed and black
neighborhoods were plagued by media perceptions of gang violence (Kelly 192). This
fear led to intense policing of black youth—many who did not have jobs or safe
spaces to occupy their time in. LAPD’s “Operation Hammer” was an
unprecedentedly perverse attempt at curbing the “youth menace.” Operation
Hammer took profiling to a whole new level through picking up half of LA’s
youth, labeling them as “thugs,” and entering into their gang database—often
without any charge. Rappers like Easy E, Ice Cube, ICE-T and Dr. Dre responded critically
to this suppression through their own styles of rap and rhyme.
What emerged was “a window into, a
critique of, the criminalization of black youth”: Gangsta Rap (Kelley 185). Gangsta
rap is a challenge—a fuck you— to authority. It’s a “look at me and what I can
do.” It’s a “if you mess with me, I’m fighting back.” What gangsta rap fights
against is blacks’ own repression and criminalization by the media, police, and
neo-liberal governing practices. Albums like NWA’s Straight Outta Compton
challenged the hegemony like no other:
“No
one else, they claimed, was speaking for the brother on the corner but them—loudly,
defiantly and unapologetically. So Straight Outta Compton also marked the beginning of hip-hop’s
obsession with “THE REAL.” From now on, rappers had to represent—to scream for
the unheard and other wise speak the unspeakable. Life on the hair-trigger margin—with all of its unpredictability,
contradiction, instability, menace, tragedy and irony, with its daily death and
resistance—needed to be described in its passionate complexity, painted in bold
strokes, framed in wide angels, targeted with laser precision, A generation
needed to assisted its demons" (Chang 328).
But this fight wasn’t
one of Black Nationalism or empowerment. This was about the strength and anger
of the community. On the difference, Dr Dre states:
I wanted to make people go: ‘oh shit, I can’t
believe he’s saying that shit.’ I wanted to go all the way left. Everybody
trying to do this Black power and shit, so I was like, let’s give em an alternative.
Nigger niggerniggerniggernigger fuck this fuck that bitch bitch bitch bitch
suck my dick, all this kind of shit, you know what I’m saying (Chang 318).
Does this style of gangster rap exist today? How has it changed? How are these images of violence supposed to be viewed? By whites? Critics? Urban Youth?
Misogyny is
another aspect of gangsta rap that is critiqued and examined. Rappers often see
women as objects, not what they have to offer to them, but yet what they can
get out of them. In lyrics, gangstas obtain power over women by beating them
and calling them names—making a women feel less than what their worth. By
positioning women belong them, it assures the gangsta that he will have them
under control.
As mentioned in
“'Pimping Ain't Easy,' Women in the Male Gangsta Imagination,” men see women as
someone who is a whore, “always riding on a nigger's dick”. They are seen as
sex toys that are their just to give them pleasure and once their done they just,
“take the bitch out on the highway and drag her until she's damn near deaf.
Then take your pistol and shoot her right through her motherfuckin head.” The
woman isn't worth anything anymore or good for anything since she is all used
up by her pimp.
Women are
mistreated, disrespected by men because men do not want to understand them,
deals with their demands or have to do anything with them that isn't sex. Gangstas
want to keep control by making sure that the women is in need. Lyrics often
utilize manipulation of women to have sexual intercourse with them in exchange
of what they need. Men see all women the same as “bitches”, “whores”, “sluts”,
and “gold diggers”, as they think that they are superior to women since they
are considered the “pimps” and the ones who bring the income. Men are not
superior as they think they are without abusing women, manipulating them or
lower their self-esteem women can on with their life with need a man to be
there as a provider. If only women were treated or given the same rights as men
women would not look toward men to sustain themselves. Over all, in the reading
women are treated like animals that do not deserve any respect from their
“masters”.
How does misogyny play out in gangsta rap? What are some of the reasons that Kelley gives us?
BIG L- 95 FREESTYLE
Big L portrays
or represents what it means to be gangsta’ or criminal. He does so in such a devilish, crude, and
evil way in his tracks. Big L takes
explicit to a whole new level, but he does so in such an appealing way. In one of his songs tilted “Clinic,” he
states that is going to “kill a bitch” because this girl or “bitch” gave him
gonorrhea. Big L’s 1995 freestyle
represents Gangsta’ Rap more than any other song that I know of or at least “gangsta’
rap’s” definition in the Merriam Webster’s online dictionary. Most, if not all of Big L’s tracks have
something to do with the dictionary definition of Gangsta Rap. When it comes down to it, Big L ultimately
portrays gangsta’ rap in the most extreme and demonic ways.
A
whole bunch of crazy ass shit goes through growing teenagers minds. Especially when it comes to male
teenagers. Whether it comes from
videogames, music, or just thinking about stuff while lying in bed trying to go
to sleep at night, ideas are always running through these kid’s minds. I think that no matter what ethnicity one is,
everyone has “fucked up” thoughts. I
believe this is why gangsta rap has become so popular. It proves to the listeners that they are not
alone. Although in most cases nobody,
even a lot of times the artists rapping the lines, aren’t doing the violent
etc. things that they speak of in their songs.
It can be therapeutic for the anyone with similar thoughts to listen to
these type of gangsta songs.
Why is it that white kids love gangsta rap so much? Would it be as possible without the suburban white audience?
Big L – Danger Zone
Big L – Devil’s Son
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DujH8ZmeYUo
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