Gangsta Rap Essay

1082 Words5 Pages
Gangsta rap and American Culture Should censorship come at a price of complete social exile. In “Gangsta Rap and American Culture” Micheal Eric Dyson a baptist minister, father, and prestigious writer and educator explains his views on Gangsta rap both good and bad. Micheal Eric Dyson background allows him to understand how rap came to be. However Dyson doesn't agree with how the government accuses gangsta rap for the downfall of black youth. All in all Dyson's main points to his argument is understanding how rap came to be, the negative and positive images that gangsta rap portrays to the black community, and acknowledging that rap music shows true beliefs about growing up in bad black neighborhoods. Rap originated from the early '70s during the Rosetta stone of black culture. Jobs were being losses in the inner cities. Lack of social services in predominantly black rural areas opened up drugs and violence in black communities. Therefore rap came to be the main way of expressing social oppression in black communities. Rappers best represented lives that lacked love ,fewer opportunities, and disgust with law enforcement. Dyson argues his beliefs on rap and its representation “Representing history is within reach of those who seize the opportunity to speak for themselves, to represent their own interest at all cost. Therefore gangsta rap is always involved in controversial representation. Constant attacks on homosexuals and women show the battle between cultural differences in many of gangsta rappers. Gangsta rap is often known for its sexist lewd imagery. Weather its foul language or showing of guns in videos gangsta rap reflects a vicious lifestyle. It also portrays black relationships as nothing more than mere pleasure. Gangsta rappers refer to women as ho's and bitches often belittling black women to show how much they aren't needed in society. Dyson
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