DMC On Violence In Hip-Hop: 'Something Has To Give'

[bigted]

DMC On Violence In Hip-Hop: 'Something Has To Give'

04.13.2006 6:34 PM EDT

After deaths of Proof, Jam Master Jay, veteran rapper wishes lyrics were more relevant, less violent.

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels

Photo: Andrew H. Walker/ Getty Images

NEW YORK — D12 rapper Proof's death is a tragedy. But why this violence keeps occurring is another tragedy altogether, according to hip-hop pioneer Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, who lamented that rappers getting in violent altercations has

"If you're going to rap about a gun, rap about not using a gun." — DMC

become so commonplace that it's expected.

"There's a lot of that going around lately," he said when MTV News caught up with him Tuesday at a Saturn auto show/ charity bash for the bone marrow donation center DKMS, for which he's a spokesperson. "It's not a good thing. Something has to give."

McDaniels, who lost Run-DMC's DJ Jam Master Jay in 2002 (see "Jam Master Jay, Run-DMC DJ, Killed In Shooting"), said that while the music doesn't cause crime, it's not helping matters either. Imitating a thug life, even just for image's sake, helps keep the cycle of art-imitating-life-imitating-art on repeat. "Everything that these rappers try to get away from is everything that kills them," he said.

Plus, when it's not about projecting a tough image, it's about bling, which doesn't address or solve any problems either, he said.

"We know what they're doing, what they're wearing, what they're driving, who did what last night in a club, who're they dating. You get a lot of rappers saying, 'Yo, we got money now, everyone's eating, everything is good, you know what I'm saying?' Well obviously everything isn't good, and I don't know what you're saying, because a lot of rappers aren't saying nothing on records right now."

What DMC would like to see is a little more balance and substance, he said. If hip-hop is the black CNN, as Chuck D once suggested, then make it more well-rounded, more objective, and use the power of communication for more than boasting and posing, which can only cause more problems when rappers start believing their own bluster.

"If you're going to rap about a gun, rap about not using a gun," McDaniels said. "If you're going to rap about a bitch and a ho, let them know there's aunts, grandmothers, good people in the world too. We rap about the kid selling drugs on the corner, but what about the kid flipping burgers at McDonald's so that he can not sell drugs? We laugh at that kid, but that just might be more gangsta than being out on the corner hustling."

Citing Public Enemy, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and N.W.A, DMC said hip-hop used to be "all relevant and universal" and that a lesson could be learned from the old school: "You've got to say more than one thing. You've got to have more than one image and concept in your music. You're missing the universal concepts that keep another person from shooting another person.

"The only reason I'm saying what I'm saying is that I have experience on my side," he added. "I'm not in jail, I didn't OD, I didn't get shot."

Just in case anyone thinks he's just nostalgic and wants a return to the way hip-hop was back in the day, DMC has a retort ready — he doesn't want it mired in the past, he's more concerned about its future, "so that the younger generation can understand that it's not all about what you see and hear on the records now."

— Jennifer Vineyard

[Jonny 5]

I agree with everything he said... backs up Will's points on L&F perfectly...

[Luigie]

I agree with everything he said... backs up Will's points on L&F perfectly...

:word:

[JumpinJack AJ]

That's what i'm talking about. When i say stuff like that, some people on this board say i'm living in a dream world and being way 2 picky...and stuck in the days of old. But those same people are gonna read this and agree with it.

Wake up...commerical Rap music is mostly empty trash filled with talk that is just poison 2 the soul. All this gun-carrying, ego maniacs need 2 realize they suck and fans need 2 demand more from who they listen 2.

[mfuqua23]

We [JJFP Forum Members] all see it and know better. I totally understand exactly what DMC was saying. Only thing I disagree with is the statment, "but what about the kid flipping burgers at McDonald's so that he can not sell drugs? We laugh at that kid, but that just might be more gangsta than being out on the corner hustling." I understand what he means, but gangsta just doesn't seem like one of those words you can really switch like that. Pride in what you do would be better to say.

And I understand AJ's point as well. Is it really that many us are scared of change, or that we know what's right? I hardly watch MTV, BET or anything of the sorts, just because. But yesterday morning, on MTV I saw T-Pain's "Luv With A Stripper" Remix with Twista, R.Kelly, Paul Wall, some dude, and Too $hort, and then later on on VH1, Pussycat Dolls with Will.I.am "Beep" (which before I knew what the song was, had me puzzled). Just from that alone, you'll see quite a difference. I heard it in the raps, and saw it in the images. Too $hort vs Paul Wall. Which was better? The one that's been in it longer, never lost his cool. The one who put Oaktown on the map in Hip Hop. (among them) It makes me wonder, should the Dirty South be blamed for Hip Hop's current mass state? Did they live up to the "dirty" name? You take 2 Live Crew (multiple that by 10), take Puff Daddy's late 90s era (multiple that by 5), take about 20% of Oakland's dialogue (multiple that by 15), and take Cash Money's late 90s era (multiple that by 100 or more), and you've got thee...current state of hip hop. About 30% is recognized moderates or established underground. Those talking about being "the next big thing" can have a world all they own.

As influential as Hip Hop is, can you imagine what other things would be like, especially higher power stuff? I don't think those who are "blinded" (and not by their fav. rapper's bling) would end up in those positions that are mass contructions of different things the world deals with.

I will say this, it's a shame to "fight the struggle" for Hip Hop like this, but it feels really good to do it.

[bigted]

The majority of fans that complain about how the state of hip-hop is trashy are the same ones who sleep on supporting mcs like DMC and actually support some of that stuff that they complain about, in order for a change fans need to be more conscious in what they choose to spend their money on, I'm damn sure that there's at least a million fans out there that don't like the way the rap game is going and could get his album to go platinum no doubt, everybody here has to get DMC's album, that's probably one of the most creative albums of the year so far, it's like people question whether an LL album is worth buying but come on now he's one of the realest mcs ever, support real hip-hop, people avoid Rev. Run's album 'cause it's too short but they run out to buy 90% of the crap out today and expect a change, come on now, lol, like I was saying that other thread too I'd rather even buy Nick Cannon's album than most commercial rap albums 'cause even though he ain't the most skilled at least he's putting out something positive, Kanye West gets on my nerves sometimes and could be at times corny like Nick Cannon but it's the same way with him too, I'd rather see them sell 5 million than Ying Yang Twins, if you're gonna complain do something about it, if you're buying into everything out there that's trashy I think you have no right to complain, some of these so called rap fans sound hypocritical, I think fans should focus on the positive side of rap instead of just complaining about the negative side of it, these popular rappers won't change their image if it's selling, if it hits their wallets though they'll be forced to put more content and be more creative with the messages in the music that they make or else they won't have any fans....

Edited April 14, 2006 by bigted

[jj+fp2004]

i love dmxs music but i think it's funny to hear him talk about that 'cause he's allways raps about killing....

[Big Willie]

i love dmxs music but i think it's funny to hear him talk about that 'cause he's allways raps about killing....

DMC not DMX :lolsign:

Dude cover my opinions exactly on violence in music, it needs to be removed.

[bigted]

Yeah this is DMC from the group Run-DMC, lol, anyway DMX actually said something in an recent interview when he signed to Columbia Records that he doesn't let his kids listen to rap 'cause he thinks there's too much violence and sex in it, probably not his music either, lol: "To be sure, hip-hop has changed in the past three years and Simmons considers today's gangster/bling rhymes vapid. "It's music I wouldn't even let my 13-year-old son listen to," he says, sitting in his recording studio in upstate New York. "It's not real. No one is saying anything. It's not rap, it's crap. There is no soul. I refuse to conform."

But then again he don't rap about killing in all of his songs so he probably burns a CD of some of his songs for them to listen to,if you actually heard any of his albums you'd know that he ain't like most rappers out today since he makes quite a bit of songs with positive messages in them, he's another mc that could clean up the rap gimmicks out now when his album drops, hopefully it blows up like his first album but with Columbia promoting who knows if that'll happen...

Edited April 14, 2006 by bigted

[jj+fp2004]

oops...i know who is DMC, i just mixed them up by mistke...

i'm such an idiot, and i thought to myself who the hell is Darryl McDaniels 'cause DMXs name is Earl Simmons. so never mind forget what i wrote...

[DefCEM]

Its really sad what he talks about but its the truth. :word:

[Turntable]

"If you're going to rap about a gun, rap about not using a gun." — DMC

I guess that is the essence? Well, I dont agree. Its not like they never rapped about using agun in the golden years. N.W.A. etc. where way more violent than most of the acts of these days. I just dont see the problem, its entertaiment. Sorry..

[Lerkot]

"If you're going to rap about a gun, rap about not using a gun." — DMC

I guess that is the essence? Well, I dont agree. Its not like they never rapped about using agun in the golden years. N.W.A. etc. where way more violent than most of the acts of these days. I just dont see the problem, its entertaiment. Sorry..

NWA sucks. Its not only entertainment, not to the kids who bow down to those gangsta rappers and not to me because I hate bull**** even if it happens to be funny. I will never see music as entertainment because thats how we got here with 50 Cent and all that bull****... musicians who doesnt see music as an way to express their thougts blocks the way for those who do it.. 50 Cent raps about what he thinks is fun to rap about and could make money on instead of what he thinks of something personally.. and thats both stupid and bad..

[bigted]

Yeah I agree that using NWA as an example is not a smart example for DMC to make that point, they were basically the G-Unit of their time, sure you could say NWA had some positive messages in their songs too but so does G-Unit if you listen to their albums so I don't see the difference except that NWA's legendary and G-Unit ain't yet, but he should of mentioned JJFP instead of NWA if he wanted to talk about their being non violent rappers then, there's still non violent rappers now too but labels don't promote them, diss the labels, not the artists, like I said in the other thread if labels promote a certain image, then the game'll be unbalanced, all artists need to be heard, there should be as much of an opportunity for the Talib Kwelis to be heard as much as the 50 Cents of the world, that also comes down to what the fans want to listen to, people sleep on Talib Kweli but yet they're the ones who all yell out 50 Cent's wack!, well if you feel he's so wack listen to somebody else then, violent music don't promote violence either I mean look at what happened to Jam Master Jay and Scott LaRock even though they weren't gangsta artists, when all the rap music was clean in the early '80s it was the crack era and violence was at an all-time high worse than now, so why do you say music has to do with the way violence is? That's silly!!! Turntable's right, it's only entertainment, it's not like I'm gonna shoot somebody after watching "Bad Boys"??!!, lol

Edited April 15, 2006 by bigted

[Turntable]

I dont have problems with vioelnt lyrics. If thats how you can write than dot it.. Its entertaiment, its doesnt allways have to be an expression of how you think. Will doesnt allways do that ether.. I just think the probelm is that allot of mc`s arent realy talented, meaing they cant write or flow..and thats waht makes them bad. Not the subject..