The article also emphasizes that white people are not credible within rap music, because hip-hop shows the rap artist’s social struggle. One artist that does not try to imitate the African-American struggle is Eminem, who has gone through the same hardships as any other hip-hop artist. There is also a point that is brought up where hip-hop music’s majority is made up of white listeners and buyers. Attention to the white society is crucial, because it will always stand as the dominant culture. Hip-hop is best identified with the African-American culture.
The Depressing Case of Richey Edwards If you asked even the most passionate American music buff who Richey Edwards was the answer would most likely be a resounding “I’m sorry, who?”. However, in the United Kingdom he is known as the lead guitarist and musical genius behind the notorious Welsh band, the Manic Street Preachers. He also suffered a terrible array of demons that can be derived from clinical depression. “People say to the mentally ill, ‘You know so many people think the world of you.’ But when they don’t like themselves they don’t notice anything. They don’t care about what people think of them.
His first album, 2pacalypse now, was a success among many of the underdogs of America. It made Tupac one of the first socially conscious rappers of the early 90’s because the album spoke on many of the problems going on in society. Many people were able to relate to Tupac, regardless of where they were from. Though Tupac was a born leader, he had many legal problems as well. He had constant run-ins with the law which made his leadership very controversial.
The term “selling out” plays a big role in the dichotomy of underground and mainstream music across all genres and I will explain more about this term further on in the essay. Consumption and commerce interface with rebellion and expression in many ways according to Wahl (1999). Historically, hip hop didn’t gain much commercial success in the mainstream until the influential act ‘Run-DMC’ made their way onto the scene. Their album ‘Raising Hell’ in 1986 was the first hip hop product to go gold in the US. As Wahl (1999) points out, this was largely due to their hit single and cover of Aerosmith’s 1975 song, ‘Walk This Way’.
Obviously, there was police brutality involving African Americans in the time that this movie was portrayed, and that was the major turn-off of “Song” to the major studios. Kaufman wouldn’t support Melvin’s picture and why should he? The white man, and the white man only was the hero and all other races and even women were inferior as portrayed by the movies. Van Peebles was hired for a 3 picture deal at Columbia pictures at the expense of his own dignity. He didn’t want to do that.
The word “nigga” is one of the most popular words of hip hop enthusiasts. Contrary to the traditional derogatory meaning of the word, hip hop enthusiasts use the word as a term of fondness. People can also hear a Caucasian, Oriental, or Latino hip hop enthusiasts saying, “TJ is my nigga,” which stands for “TJ is a good friend.” The language of the Hip Hop culture changes constantly. What might be a cool statement today might be “played out” (outdated) in a year. Young African Americans have adopted the style of dress of upper class Caucasians as a manifestation of their lack of power in American society.
The 1960s is the decade where many changes occur, music would change people’s way of thinking, the war that just kept destroying families and people’s life because no one would surrender. And the group of people who protested against all this violence. Our important music history in the 1960s “The Beatles” were Number ones “Life is very short and there's no time, for fussing and fighting my friend. I have always thought that it is a crime, so I will ask you once again: try to see it my way, only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong. While you see it your way, there is a chance that we might fall apart before too long.
We understand that the lyrics are offensive, that doesn’t add to his argument that they are detrimental to society when considering the counter argument that society produces the music, not the other way around. McWhorter offers a very interesting personal attack on Sean “P. Diddy” Combs in which he
I think that we could stop this type of demoralization by putting a law out saying you can only have so many explicit tracks on an album, and then the rapper will not get as much publicity for what they have been rapping about. I think that if rappers started rapping about things of value, and something that meant something to them, then the songs would be a lot more respected by not only woman, but their fellow competitors. In addition to this, if the competitors heard a new song by competition that wasn’t degrading or inappropriate, then maybe that rappers fellow rappers would want to put out a song or album that is not so degrading. All in all I believe that young black males would be respected an abundant amount more if they rapped about things of meaning in their life, instead of objects. In addition, they should completely just stop making women objects in their songs.
Critics of baggy pants are the modern day prejudice whites. 50 years ago, whites felt they were the superior race overall and anyone that doesn’t have the corresponding features are ignorant and useless to society. Today, non-saggers are very judgmental; they feels anyone that doesn’t have their pants snug on their waist line are uneducated, counterproductive people. Just because one man wearing a white shirt is illiterate, doesn’t mean everyone with white t-shirts are illiterate as well. My advice to everyone is to just roll