Rap Wars

[Angel Amor]

Is Corporate America to Blame for Hip-Hop Violence?Criminal Activity Becoming Rap Music's Selling Point

By JAKE TAPPER and MARIE NELSON

April 22, 2005 — From Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Alice Cooper, musicians have long tried to project a "bad boy" image, often to help pique public interest in their music. But what's going on these days in the world of rap music — and its surrounding culture, known as hip-hop — is really something else.

The very first rap record — 1979's "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang — was a revelatory paean to fun and equality — with even a dash of patriotism. But here's the new message of rap and hip-hop, courtesy of the top-selling artist Curtis Jackson, also known as 50 Cent: "I put a hole in a n—— for f—-ing with me / Better watch how you talk, when you talk about me / 'cause I'll come and take your life away."

Is Corporate America to Blame for Hip-Hop Violence?

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It's telling that Jackson chose the moniker 50 Cent to pay homage to Kelvin Martin — a legendary Brooklyn stick-up kid from the 1980s, who is believed to have committed more than 30 murders and was also known as "50 Cent." This outlaw quality is not just an image from a music video on MTV or BET — it has, in some cases, become a reality.

On February 28, after 50 Cent criticized his former protégé, Jayceon "Game" Taylor, during an interview on New York City's popular hip-hop radio station, Hot 97, members of the two stars' entourages got into a confrontation that erupted with a spray of bullets.

In January, Irving Lorenzo, aka "Irv Gotti" — CEO of the major rap label The Inc. (formerly known as Murder, Inc.) — was indicted for his alleged ties to a notorious New York drug syndicate that according to prosecutors was "a crime partnership that dealt in three commodities: drugs, murder and money laundering."

In March, hip-hop diva Lil' Kim was convicted of three counts of perjury for lying to a grand jury about another hip-hop shooting.

Punches were thrown and a man was stabbed in November at the nationally televised awards show hosted by Vibe Magazine, which covers hip-hop culture. Feuds have long been a part of hip-hop, but are supposed to be kept in the realm of performance.

Clearly, something has changed in the world of hip-hop in the last 26 years.

Enter the Rev. Al Sharpton, former presidential candidate and civil rights activist. He is now leading a crusade against what he sees as an increase in violent criminal acts that are becoming hip-hop's major selling point. "We must do something about this pattern of violence that is then used to promote product and records," Sharpton told ABC News. "I think that that is the wrong signal to send to young Americans."

Sharpton says that record companies and radio stations often glamorize criminality and promote the feuds — sometimes with bloody consequences. He wants to hold the hip-hop industry accountable. "They ought to announce a 90-day ban on any artist who's found to engage in violence or allow those around him to engage in violence for the purpose of some kind of disagreement in the industry," Sharpton said.

Sharpton says if the government can get involved with steroids in baseball or obscenity in broadcasting, it should certainly involve itself when the marketing and promotion of hip-hop on the public airwaves results in violence.

for more go to abcnews.com and click on nightline

Edited April 25, 2005 by Angel Amor

[Angel Amor]

I was watching ABC World News Now and showing clips of Nightline report on it. And they were talking to Wendy Williams about violence in HipHop. She said that the reason for violence in hiphop is because that is what is selling today. She goes on to say that you can't take the thug out of a thug. Cause if you did change all that then all rappers will should like Will Smith.Iguess you can take that as a compliment. If your wondering why they are talking to Wendy about this she used to be a DJ on Hot97 or as she calls it Shot97. Now she works for the rivel of Hot97.

[Bracesup]

Man this sucks. Why can't people take rap lyrics just as entertainment and not personally? The greatness about most of the rap tracks is the violence surrounding it. Take that away, and rap will be dead permanently.

[bigted]

The problem with hip-hop right now is that they have too many rappers sounding similar to each other, most of the top charting rappers making songs with ignorant subject matter, not every rapper should sound like Will Smith but not every rapper should sound like 50 Cent either, there has to be more balance.

[JumpinJack AJ]

It isn't simply the music, it's alot of things. Lables need 2 be picky about who they sign. They'll sign anyone these days. Most these guys haven't been exposed 2 any more street violence than half of us on the board have, that's all they talk about. These rappers are filled with pride and have the big egos. They talk about all this violence and they wonder why beefs start. They think they are untouchable. Lables need 2 stop signing people like this.

The artists need 2 watch what they say. They have no idea how many young, impressionable minds are out there listening 2 every word they say. There's also a bunch of teenagers who should know better who buy in2 that kinda music and try2 be something they aren't.

The media also buys in2 this crap and put it out there. They put every negative story they can find (or invent one) and put it out there.

I've always been a strong minded individual, so even at a young age, i didn't really listen 2 that stuff. I've been complaining about commerical Hip-Hop for over 10 years the way we usually do on this board. But back in the day, artists not only rarely talked about violence, but they were responcible and offered solutions, not just talking about it.

For years people like LL Cool J, TLC, Arrested Development, JJ+FP, etc have addressed this issue (and they are the ones who struggle 2 get the sales they did earlier in their careers).

Let's sum it all up, it's the labels' fault, the artists' fault, the media's, and even the fans of people who buy that kinda music. The sad thing is, people who buy 50 Cent's music buy it cuz it's "hot"...but alot of those people know his lyrics and image are bogus. Those are the fans i blame.

[Guest lambertj3]

aj i agreed with u up untill the last part getting shot, doing drugs , time and gangsta **** which can be verified by tons of people aint' bogus but his music is hot and teens should stop trying to act like something they are not

[bigted]

It isn't simply the music, it's alot of things.  Lables need 2 be picky about who they sign.  They'll sign anyone these days.  Most these guys haven't been exposed 2 any more street violence than half of us on the board have, that's all they talk about.  These rappers are filled with pride and have the big egos.  They talk about all this violence and they wonder why beefs start.  They think they are untouchable.  Lables need 2 stop signing people like this.

The artists need 2 watch what they say.  They have no idea how many young, impressionable minds are out there listening 2 every word they say.  There's also a bunch of teenagers who should know better who buy in2  that kinda music and try2 be something they aren't.

The media also buys in2 this crap and put it out there.  They put every negative story they can find (or invent one) and put it out there.

I've always been a strong minded individual, so even at a young age, i didn't really listen 2 that stuff.  I've been complaining about commerical Hip-Hop for over 10 years the way we usually do on this board.  But back in the day, artists not only rarely talked about violence, but they were responcible and offered solutions, not just talking about it.

For years people like LL Cool J, TLC, Arrested Development, JJ+FP, etc have addressed this issue (and they are the ones who struggle 2 get the sales they did earlier in their careers).

Let's sum it all up, it's the labels' fault, the artists' fault, the media's, and even the fans of people who buy that kinda music.  The sad thing is, people who buy 50 Cent's music buy it cuz it's "hot"...but alot of those people know his lyrics and image are bogus.  Those are the fans i blame.

:werd: Well this basically comes down to balance, every mc major labels sign these days is a wannabe 2Pac and Biggie, I think the deaths of Biggie and 2Pac opened up the flood gate even more for commercial trash to come in, the veteran artists started to get dumped even more, now the only ol' school cats on major labels are LL and FP, that's a shame too and more thug rappers got signed, even Dr. Dre all he's doing is signing thug rappers, why can't he sign more variety to his Aftermath? Major label execs are loving it 'cause these kids are really eating up what they're being spoonfeed, catchy beats and hooks, they listen to so much of it that if you put a song on the radio that's a lil' bit creative, they won't request it, look at "Bridgin' The Gap", that was arguably the most creative hip-hop single in years, but it got no airplay and even Nas is starting to fade from the spotlight, he's signing new artists like Quan to his independent label, but they're getting no buzz 'cause Nas' sales are slippin', KRS-ONE signs a bunch of young talent to his independent label but of course they ain't gettin' no buzz 'cause KRS-ONE ain't sellin' that much either. Glorfying violence ain't gonna solve anything like I said before, it's giving this negative sterotype that all black people live in the gutter, which is not true, but the kids might believe that since that's all they see in the music videos, we need to see a different side of black people too in the spotlight, that's why some civil rights folks are mad at the way society is now, 'cause they fought so hard to get blacks out the gutter and we throw ourselves there again! :nono:

Edited April 26, 2005 by bigted

[mfuqua23]

That last sentence astounds me, cuz it's seems so true. Can U imagine if our generation had to deal wit civil rights the way those b4 us did? It'd be total choas. Even back then, we had a balance. Not in just music but our views on how to get equality. Malcolm was militant. Martin was peaceful. But it was all towards the same goal. Equality.

Lately, I've been listening to stuff from 90-91. I can't believe how diverse Hip-hop was. Even tho Pac was more mid-90s, I'd still say 1990 was the best final year of an overall viewing of Hip-Hop. What Ice Cube said, what Public Enemy said, what JJFP said, Digital Underground, Kid n Play, Special Ed; I mean the list just goes on and on.

[sonic1988]

Lately, I've been listening to stuff from 90-91. I can't believe how diverse Hip-hop was. Even tho Pac was more mid-90s, I'd still say 1990 was the best final year of an overall viewing of Hip-Hop. What Ice Cube said, what Public Enemy said, what JJFP said, Digital Underground, Kid n Play, Special Ed; I mean the list just goes on and on.

oh hell yeah!!!!!

I heard that, I barely listen to the new stuff unless it is from an old school atrist. the diversity is there but it just dosen't make it!!! will smith, biz markie, and the beastie boys all have made records in the last 2 yaers but only the beastie boys have had any real success because their album went platinum.

[bigted]

That last sentence astounds me, cuz it's seems so true. Can U imagine if our generation had to deal wit civil rights the way those b4 us did? It'd be total choas. Even back then, we had a balance. Not in just music but our views on how to get equality. Malcolm was militant. Martin was peaceful. But it was all towards the same goal. Equality.

Lately, I've been listening to stuff from 90-91. I can't believe how diverse Hip-hop was. Even tho Pac was more mid-90s, I'd still say 1990 was the best final year of an overall viewing of Hip-Hop. What Ice Cube said, what Public Enemy said, what JJFP said, Digital Underground, Kid n Play, Special Ed; I mean the list just goes on and on.

Well music is expression of life and the problems in music can relate to the problems in society, everybody complains but not many offer solutions, that's why things are the way they are. Hip-Hop is basically just like pop music now, it's more of a buisiness than it is a culture, people are more money greedy now. Just like Chuck D said in a 2002 PE song "Get Your S*** Together":

"AINT EVEN GONNA FIX MY MOUTH TO SAY CHICKENS

TOLD YALL IN TERRORDOME THE CLOCKS TICKIN

FROM ALL SIDES COME THE WICKED

GOVERNMENTS

FUNDAMENTALISTS

BUT HOW YOU GONNA

KILL THE INNOCENT?

BETWEEN TERRORISTS

AND CIA HIT LISTS

LIKE MY MAN UNO SAYS

BEWARE THE FALSE PROPHETS

GOTTA BE SMARTER THAN THIS

THEY SAY WAR IS A PROFIT

WITH LOVED ONES MISSED

BUT DEATH IS A DEBT

NONE OF US AINT SEEN WAR YET

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR

WAR IS HELL AND HELL IS WAR

ALL THEM BLING BLING THANGS THROW EM IN THE RIVER

ALL THAT THUGGED OUT SH*T YALL CANT DELIVER

SEEN FOUR PLANES KILL EVERYDAY FOLKS

GUESS 911 AINT NO JOKE

WALL STREET CRYIN BROKE

WAS IT GOD

OR THE DEVIL ITSELF

WHO SPOKE?

OLD VAMPIRES

HIT THE NEW EMPIRE

HAD THE SKY COOKIN

BROOKLYN HAD NO OTHER CHOICE

BUT TO STARE AND KEEP LOOKIN

CITY SMILE

MISSIN TWO FRONT TEETH

WHILE SOME OF YALL

STILL TALKIN THEM LITTLE ASS BEEFS

OVER WHO, WHAT SOUNDSCANNED

THIS MONTH YOU SOUND SCARED

GUESSIN WHERE THE PARTY AT?

WHILE DOWNTOWNS WONDERIN

WHERE THE BODIES AT?"

[bigted]

Hey I just came across this passage in the "Where You're At?" book I've been reading recently, talking about how Japanese kids try to sound gangsta with no gangs there:

"But some rappers are, like, wannabe gangsta and they rap about thug life in Japan. But there are no gangs here. There are teenage kids who fight and steal cars, they shoplift, stuff like that, but most of it's total fantasy. No doubt a lot of kids here are so influenced by the media that they don't have a critical view of magazines or music videos. They read stuff or see artists and they just take to it without any questions..."