As most of you who read this blog know, I love hip hop. All I do is walk around and quote lyrics all day. It's like every time an album comes out, I have to run to the store and buy it. Like a fiend. (lol) This is why I call myself a hip hop head. So this post will be coming from the vantage point of a self proclaimed hip hop head. But even if you don't really care for hip hop, this post will be a little more than my rants on hip hop being dead. So please ride with me through "My Thoughts".
When hip hop first came on the scene, it was used as a tool for inner city youth that felt their voices were unheard. This new genre of music gave a direct link from the "hood", if you will, to the ear of America. Over a quarter of century later, hip hop's original purpose has still held true. But as anything else over time, it has changed. Now, of course, evolution is inevitable. But if you, like myself, are a fan of hip hop, you'd notice that there is a wide gap between where hip hop was founded, and where it is today. Now, I don't remember the exact date when this distance started, but I vividly remember hip hop being fun and cool and the turning violent and dangerous when N.W.A. burst on the scene. (No disrespect to anyone, this was just my observation)
Not to step on anyone's creative expression or voice, but this is where I felt hip hop morphed from something positive and fun to something negative and destructive. But all I continue to hear is, this "new" form of "hip hop" is a reflection of the lives of the artist who put these songs on wax. Dictionary.com (this is where I usually go to look up words lol) defines reflection as "the act of reflecting". (didn't we learn that you weren't supposed to use the word in the definition? lol) So I went to the word reflect and it's definition is "to reproduce; show". Now, I will admit that a few of these artist have really lived the lives that they are rhyming about. (the majority of them aren't but that's a whole 'nother issue that I will address in a later post) But the way that they are portraying their lives is in a manner that makes you wonder, why aren't they still living this way?
Basically, (to get to the point lol) I was listening to track 4 on T.I.'s latest album, "Paper Trail". One line that stuck out to me was "...let me issue this statement, no way should reflection be mistaken for glorification". The definition of glorify is, "To honor with praise, admiration, or worship". Now, I can't say that I've heard every hip hop/rap song in the world (even though I know the words to alot of them lol), but almost all of the ones that I have heard, that are supposed to be a reflection, are also praising these lifestyles. For instance, to go back to one of T.I.'s first songs, "Dope Boyz", he went through the whole song talking about life in the "Trapp". He might not intentionally tried to glorify his actions, but the song made it cool to be a "Dope Boy". (which is why everybody and they Mama are running around calling themselves "D Boys")
The problem that I am having with this glorified reflection, is that the youth of America are being negatively influenced by it. They hear how much fun it is to ride around armed and they try to emulate it. Or they hear that selling your hope for other peoples despair should somehow garner a badge of honor. Artist think just because they throw out the diclaimer, "I'm just rapping about my experiences" that it's okay to irresponsibly lead kids down the wrong path. A few years back I heard artist's refer to their rhymes as "crack". (Cocaine mixed with sodium bicarbonate and water) Maybe this name is appropriate because it's destroying our community with the same rapaciousness as the drug itself. You might feel different, but hell, "It's Just My Thoughts, Just What I Was Feeling at the Time"
Oh Yeah, shot out to Va'meka, Bobby, and Sheronica for the insight on the construction of this post. I really appreciate it! Now, stop pattin' yourselves on the back before I politely ask you to kill yourselves lmao
5 comments:
I feel you on this post man. I'm sitting here listening to Jay-Z on the Prelude Intro to Kingdom Come. I think this track clarifies the distinction between glorification and reflection more than any other rap song. He is basically saying that everything these rappers are talking about he has already done. Then, he takes you to present tense and says some slick shit like, "I just sent a million dollars through a hands free, thats big money talk. Can you answer me?" He reflected on where he came from and glorified where he came to, ya dig?
Yo Lamont, I just went back over and read this post, and I think I failed miserably at what I was trying to say. The point I was trying to make was, all these artist come out so hood and gangster, talking about how much dope they sell and how many people they kill, that they make the youth of America think it's cool to do so by how they make it sound in their rhymes. Then when someone calls them out on it, they say, "I'm just putting my life experiences on wax". But it's so irresponsible to me because alot of the kids who don't grow up in the hood listen and try to emulate this stuff. This is why you have gangs in suburban America. Makes absolutely no sense to me.
I cannot say that ALL rappers intentionally glorify the 'hood' life, but the hook is the hook and it is hard to convince people when their songs are promoting the behavior-- the 'reflection' is also a resume of street cred. When TI is saying "I'm the Dope Man N*gga, The Dope Man N*gga" (that joint crank...) and say this is a reflection of his past life and experiences, it is difficult to separate the former from the present when the hook is in the present tense. Unfortunately, young minds are impressionable which is why it is imporant to monitor what your children are watching and listening to.
On the other hand, as a responsible adult, I must say Jeezy keep me 'high' and TI make me wanna 'kick it wit a stand-up guy; Jay's lyrics are mind boggling, and Weezy keeps me goin "WEEEOOOHWEEOOOHWEEE". LOL. Funny enough, I was working on a poem and a post this morning called 'Why I Hip-Hop In Neo-Soul'. It's still in the work, but its really ironic how this is the current topic of discussion. Sorry (long winded) I say all that to say, 'Yeah, I agree with you.'
I totally agree with your post and your comment above. Young minds are very impressionable and left alone without positive influence, those young minds sometimes will venture into places they should not be as a result of pop culture influence. It's not just hip hop that is the problem but our culture as a whole. I mean hip hop artists have caught much flack over the years about how they have portrayed women, particularly black women in their lyrics yet we have shows like Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, I love New York and now Ray J is on the bandwagon. We all have a past so there is nothing wrong with reflection but when these young people are our audience we, as adults, need to be mindful that we are, whether we know it or not, are all influencing someone coming up after us by our actions and words. My last point and i know im all over the place but that's why old fashioned family values are necessary. As a 21 year old, respectful, college educated woman, I know i'm not a bitch, whore, and someones sex object. I also know that the bad guy, often times the cool guy, is not the guy to go for at all as a result of GOOD PARENTING in the midst of growing up on the unforgivingly mean streets of Southeast, Washinigton DC. Both Hip Hop and Pop Culture failing our young people but so our families are moreso than anything because they aren't equipped with the tools to realize that Jeezy's reflections are not necessary glorifications but just entertainment.
PLEASE LOOK PAST MY TYPOS LOL above
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