What they sell is a “trap” to young people involved in street activity.
Without a doubt, I believe that I could visit every hood across the U.S. and ask every boy under the age of 16 who their favorite rappers are right now and they’ll name someone who told a story of “beating a treacherous street life” and now they’re wealthy, in the company of women from all over the world.
Yeah, right!
Now, let me give you a brief hood history lesson. A great percentage of young AA teenagers in the poorest areas of major cities across the U.S. (AT THE VERY LEAST) get high off of marijuana, drink, have sex, have gang affiliation (whether they’re in it; it’s a neighbor or classmate), has assaulted someone before, and countless other things. I didn’t grab this information from a history book, I took it from observations. Not only that, I grew up in the streets. This is what I remember.
Moving right along.
So, these kids are actually living under these conditions. True- some of them are choosing this lifestyle, while others are sort of a product of negligence, with parents who exist in the flesh but don’t in their presence. In other words, their parents don’t give a fuck or can’t give a fuck, because of their lifestyle (drug, alcohol or whatever addictions).
Welcome to the hood.
So, here you have this generation of AA and minority young people, whom also make up so many of the 106 & Park viewers, soaking in the lyrical and visual talent of the worlds “greatest emcees” – over and over and over again. Why? Because the urban radio stations – adored by this same group play the same sh+t over and over and over (you get the point).
So, this music these rappers make for the “masses” sort of entail these stories where the artist used to dabble in the “crime/street/drug life” and now they bask in a luxurious lifestyle of success. Who is watching? Children who don’t have any direction to start. I can’t respect a “fairytale rapper”, because too many children are actually losing their life on the streets, where no luxury lives. Too many ended up in this lifestyle due to no opportunity, so a rapper with opportunity must do better.
Now I’m not denying the rappers whom actually involved themselves in high risk criminal activity by default, now rap about moving past these issues. No, I’m not speaking on them. I’m speaking on the rappers who never did any of that, but plan on painting a picture to the masses, just because of what their “voice” sounds like or how they look/dress.
I can’t respect a fairytale rapper because most of them are AA men. Do you know how many AA role models the streets are missing right now and here these guys go? Why paint an image in your music that you went through something, while trying to offer guidance, but you never was “there”?
I can’t respect a fairytale rapper, because their art is what waters down the hip hop industry. The stories have no validity, because any man can grow a beard, a belly, learn slang and spit street music, but the person behind the words doesn’t exist.
I can’t respect fairytale rapper, because hip hop started out as an art that required no “story” effort. The be-boxers and street-corner rappers simply rapped about everyday things and the art was formed. Natural art requires no thought preparation, because memories live within. True ones at least.
Seems to me, that it’s all about who got the most money, most hoes, most jewelry, most drugs, cars, and other things that can go with us in the dirt. There is a huge identity crisis going on with grown ass men rappers. So, how the hell are these guys leading the youth with music lyrics?
I don’t know, but I can’t respect it. Now, I must say, even some of my favorite rappers are probably falsifying their image, I haven’t seen any completely valid proof as of yet. So, I suppose I treat all story-telling artists “innocent until proven guilty”, when it comes to their previous lifestyles. *side eye*
I just can’t respect it, so I checked the issue.
Feel free to comment. What do you think?
Chakara is our Lifestyle Editor and accomplished author who has penned several books and her contribution to Hip Hop Enquirer is monumental because of her no holds bar approach to keeping it real as it relates to the culture of hip hop and how it has influence our current generation of youths.
Follow Chakara on twitter@KaraPublishes
