By: Christina Hebert

Gangsta RapChapter 7

When one thinks ‘hip-hop’ they tend to think of subgenres of hip-hop, like; gangsta rap and knowledge rap. We think of their specific clothing style and their presence. (Does the artist represent inner city street’s, or do they speak to more of a delegated ‘event setting’ kind of crowd?)

Some may feel this is a way of ‘stereo-typing’ however, this chapter does a great job of explaining evidence based knowledge. And how media and history speak loudly.

Hip-hop

“Apart from the occasional white rappers, gangsta tells us it is about African Americans by the visual predominance of African Americans among its top stars as well as in the supporting cast of

videos and public appearance.” (Brummett, pg. 238)

Hip-hop has become such a phenomenon because of separate subgenres. All of these subgenres tend to large audiences, especially the gangsta rap audience.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines gangsta

rap as; “Rap music with lyrics explicitly portraying the violence and drug use of urban gang life and typically expressing hostility towards whites, women and civil authority”.

What is Hip-hop?

The audience that gangsta rap tends to is very large. They feel as if they can relate to the lyrics of gangsta rap.

This does not mean the audience wants to act out or do EXACTLY what the lyrics are portraying. This is simply the insinuation of the lyrics and how they can RELATE to others.

“F*** that N**** that you came here with”-Drake (huge gangsta rap artist currently)

The audience…

The audience often relies on the artist to indirectly express a certain conclusion.

-Think about lyrics to a hip-hop song most often the lyrics will bring images to your head (most of the time very graphic or R rated).

“Hip-hop in general is a heavily visual genre, given its presence in music videos, movies, fashion and our everyday personal experience in public.” (Brummett, pg. 237)

Visual Rhetoric

The reader applied to this chapter refers to ‘us’ or ‘we’ as white folks or those whom are not African American.

The reader say’s that gangsta rap is ‘permissible’ expressions. That it is everything we all know we should not do or say.

“Gangsta is the ‘permissible’ expression, verbally and visually, of the kind of appalling racist attitudes that we have all heard but know we cannot and should not express. . .” (Brummett, pg. 238).

Central theme of gangsta From ‘Us’ view point

“ Gangsta invites us to think that whatever it says and shows, it is a bout African Americans. The audience need not go out of its way at all to read the whole genre as being about African American culture, because it presents plenty of verbal and visual signs that say so.” (Brummett, pg. 238)

Two of the most influential African American celebrities. Jay-Z and Beyonce

Historical Exceptions

Emine

m

Vanilla Ice

White folks- Our textbook says, “gangsta works in racist ways, I think, because it helps its audience along to replicate in their heads a number of racist stereotypes, especially about African American people.” (Brummell, pg. 238).

Understand the concern is mostly for the white folks or any other colors who have been influenced or have similar desire to indirectly express their racist attitudes through the gangsta rap life and lyrics.

Gangsta aids to different groups in different ways:

The ‘N’ word is a term used extremely often in gangsta music and among African Americans themselves.

The term, ‘nigga’ is mostly used in gangsta music. Most African Americans say that it does not mean the same as the historic use of the word ‘nigger’.

This word is only socially acceptable among African American’s. This is a great example of how this genre of music was built by one group of people.

The ‘N’ word

In some cases groups take a term generally viewed as derogatory and defuse it. For example, Those who prefer the same sex relationships started proudly referring to themselves as ‘queer’, this helps defuse a word that has negative connotations and derogatory meaning. –Queer Theory.

To some degree this takes place among those who use the ‘N’ word term freely.

The ‘N’ word continued…

Rhetoric image of gangsta rap

If one saw positive

images of gangsta

rap they would have

a different outlook.

However what is absent from a picture may be as important as what is

in it.

Gangsta’s explicity explains itself through a rhetoric of the real. (Brummett,240)

Images of gangsta rap

TUPAC

Jay-Z

Snoop Dogg

Jay-z

50 Cent

These images of gangsta rap have their own messages deep in the image. These artist want to be feared; their money, visible weapons, drug use and violence in the images give them power. And us as an audience also gives them them power by finding relevance in their music, lyrics and messages.

If looked at through the Marxist perspective he would say that the materialistic lifestyle of gangsta rap is a key component that is defining our culture.

Meaning of images

Examples of gangsta rap‘Next time I stand tall I want to be standing for youAnd next time I spend I want it all to be for you oh ohPeaking, I'm peaking, wake up with me this weekend, weekend no ohGuess whose it is?Guess whose it is? Guess whose it is?It's yours’-Drake (2013)

‘So yeah dad let's walkLet's have us a father and son talkBut I bet we probably wouldn't get one blockWithout me knocking your block offThis is all your fault.’-Eminem (2013)

A lot of people can

relate to these

lyrics.

Even with the intent of violence and discrimination to some level in these lyrics, there are still connections the audience will make to their everyday lives.

RELEVANCE

Just as many other types of text, the text of gangsta rap has had a huge influence on its audience and anyone else who has researched the topic.

As a female in 2013 I can say that I am not offended by the discrimination towards women, civil authority, racism or the violence portrayed in gangsta rap. I think this is because I am not sensitive towards the subject like many others are.

Analysis

Image of Jay-z and Beyonce- "Google.” Jay-z. N.p., 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.

Image of gangsta rap, 1.st slide- "Google.” gangsta rap artist. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.

Image of Snoop Dogg- "Google.” snoop dogg. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.

Image of 50 Cent- "Google.” 50 cent. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.

Image of Tupac- "Google.” Tupac. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.

Brummett, Barry. Rhetoric in Popular Culture. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2006. Print.

"Gangsta Rap." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.

References