Gansta Rap Essay, Research Paper

"Mr. Officer, I want to see you layin’ in a coffin, sir," from The

Chronic and "F— the police," from N.W.A., are few lyrics from the

music genre "gangsta rap." This kind of music is being sold to young

children without any thought of concern. When many children listen to this kind

of music they think that was being said in the songs is not wrong or against the

law. The lyrics in many songs contain violent and explicit lyrics that usually

talk about killing someone along with sounds of gunshots in the background. It

is also music that refers to women as "bitches," "whores"

and sex-dispensing "hos"(Saunders B29). "Gangsta rap " has

been criticized and debated over for its graphic sexual content, violent imagery

and misogyny. When rappers were asked why they refer to women as bitches and hos

their replies were similar. "Snoop" says, "that it is just for

the women who are like that and if you’re a real women, you’re classy and

elegant. Those lyrics wouldn?t necessarily affect you. You?d just groove to

the music" (Farley 78). Richard Shaw, Bushwick Bill, says: "I call

women bitches and hos because all the women I’ve met since I’ve been out here

are bitches and hos." When asked, at the [National Association of Black

Journalists] convention, what he calls his mother he says, "I call her a

‘woman’, but I’m not f—ing my mother. If I was f—ing you, you’d be a

bitch." He then apologized for what he said to the reporter. (Raspberry

A21) "If you don’t give a f— about a bitch/ Then you’re rolling with the

row", are lyrics from Doggystyle. If all people were to think like this

what respect would women have. Some say, "if we don’t have respect for our

women, why should anyone else?" (Raspberry A21). Do these rappers think

that they own women and can treat them any way they want to. If this is the way

some people think, that the own women and can dis respect them then what

footsteps are the children going to follow in. Young children and adults, 14, 15

and 16 years of age, who listen and memorize these rap songs think that it is

acceptable behavior. "Gangsta rap" is hardly the only source of

violence, but it is a potent one. Not only is the music violent but the rappers

lifestyle is also. Many rappers have rap sheets and young people see that and

say, "hey, their rich and money talks." Today most young people think

that if a person is rich and famous they can get away with anything. Not all

rappers have run-ins with the law, but the ones that do are very well known.

Tupac Shakur, who recently was murdered this year, has had many run-ins with the

law. Shakur was arrested for aggravated assault, charged with shooting two off

duty police officers in Atlanta in 1993, but the charges were later dropped. He

was accused of beating a limousine driver in Los Angeles and found guilty of

threatening a fellow rapper with a baseball bat in Michigan. He was also found

guilty of sexual abuse in 1994 and was serving time up to 4 Ѕ years in

prison (Sims E3). In some raps he glamorized the life of a gangster and fun

gunplay. He lived the life tattooed on his stomach, "Thug Life," and

died doing it. ?Gangsta Rap" has attracted a high-profile of enemies and

no one may ever know who really killed Tupak. The police are still not sure of

who shot and killed Tupak, but they think that it may have been linked to Death

Row Record’s ties with rival gangs. There are no witnesses who can identify the

driver or shooter in the Cadillac that pulled up next to Tupak and driver,

Marion Knight. Calvin Broadus, better known as Snoop Doggy Dogg, was arrested in

1993 on murder-conspiracy charges. He pleaded not guilty and was acquitted. He

also has a police file that Hawkins 3 identifies him as a member of Long Beach

Insane Crips, a notorious street gang (Cheevers A1). He was also a drug dealer

and user. His music also glorifies violence and demeans women. Andre Young,

a.k.a. Dr. Dre, served five months in a halfway house in 1993 for violating his

probation for breaking another rap producers jaw in 1992. He was also convicted

of hitting a New Orleans police officer in a hotel brawl and of slamming a TV

talk-show host into a wall at a Hollywood club in 1991 (Sims E3). His music

demeans women and generates bad vibes against police officials. The Chronic, an

album by Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg, has many explicit lyrics and unnecessary

foulmouthing. In one song they say, "that if f— with Dre you f— with

death row…", more or less saying that if anyone messes with them they

will have to worry about everyone that is with Death Row Records. In the same

song they tell a woman, referring to her as a bitch, to yell-187 (police code

for someone that has been killed). In another song they ask anther black man why

he has been talking crap about them, he says it was not he. Then they put a gun

in his mouth asking him, "what’s wrong can’t talk with a gun in your

mouth?…Do you know Lucifer?", he replies,"no",and they tell

him, "well you’re about to meet him"(Rap). All of the songs on this

album contain foulmouth language, violent and sexually explicit lyrics, drugs

and misogyny. Is this the kind of music that young children should be able to

listen to? William Drayton, Flavor Flav of the group Public Enemy, was arrested

for attempted murder. The police were lead to his home after a source told them

that shots were fired at a neighbor during an argument. The police found a

loaded 38-caliber semiautomatic handgun with one round missing. His music also

glorifies violence. Hawkins 4 Eric Wright, known as Easy-E, has also generated

bad vibes against police officials. This album He died at 31 years of age after

revealing that he had the virus AIDS. From his deathbed he urged young people to

learn about the disease. His music also talked about having the lifestyle of

being promiscuous and that lifestyle killed him. All of these rappers criminal

records depict their lifestyles. They say that their music depicts the harsh

reality of life in the hood. To these rappers, people dying young and going to

jail is an everyday thing (Marriott 75). Tupak says that violence is all we know

and telling it like it is is a way of getting the people to listen to what is

really going on. Ice-T’s controversial album Body Count, produced by Warner

Bros. Records, had provoked a sharp debate in 1992 when the album first came

out. The song "Cop Killer," with obscene and violent lyrics, forced

Time Warner to stop selling the album with the song on it. The lyrics on the

song said it was dedicated to the L.A.P.D. It also talked about "dusting

some cops off," with sounds of gun fire he then asks the listener to sing

along for their freedom-"cop killer" (Ice Body). "Cop

Killer" is not the on song on the album that glorifies violence. Even

though the song was cut from the album the other songs on it were just as bad.

Another song talks about killing his mother by setting her on fire, hitting her

with a "louieville slugger" and then cutting her up with a carving

knife, all because she was racist. Is this reality and was is really going on in

the world today? In other songs the lyrics talk about being promiscuous (giving

very explicit sex lyrics) and yet the album was still being sold to young

children. Foulmouthed trash like this has been debated on whether or not it

should be censored. Many think it should and are trying to do something about.

Delores Tucker denounced Hawkins 5 companies that "pimped porno rap"

to children. She asks, "What would Martin Luther King say about these

rappers that demean women and glorify thugs, drug dealers and rapists?",

and "What kind of role models are those for young children living in the

ghetto?" (Philips A18). U.S. Representative Cardiss Collins, a chairwomen

of the congressional panel, complained that little was being done by the

industry executive to cut out vulgar and violent lyrics. She said that "a

sticker is not enough" (Congesswomen 7). Some censorship has been

incorporated in the radio industry. Inner City Broadcasting has put a stop to

playing hard-core rap and other misogynous and violent rap. It hopes to be a

model for other radio stations to follow(Cleaning 22). Most radio stations now

do not allow that kind of music on the air. Even though the radio has stopped

playing hard-core rap, record companies are still producing this kind of music.

Death Row Records, the top producer of rap music, has been under a lot of fire

not only by Dolores Tucker, but by Bob Dole and others also. Death Row Records

has recently had its own wake-up call. The companies CEO, Marion "Suge"

Knight, has recently been arrested for violated his probation and is in jail. He

was charged with assault with a deadly weapon in 1992 and was sentenced to five

years probation plus 30 days in a halfway house. A hearing later will decide on

what kind of sentence he will receive. Knight could face up to five to nine

years in prison if convicted. The company may suffer a great loss because no

business actions or even phone calls are allowed from prison. Before he began

his fortune as CEO he was an All-American defensive end and was on the dean’s

list at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He the played pro-football for the

Los Angeles Rams but later quit to become a concert promoter. Soon Hawkins 6

after this his run-ins with the law started with his arrest for trafficking

guns. After other run-ins with the law Knight began recording "The

Chronic," which refers or a type of marijuana, with Dr. Dre. He then was

approached by Interscope Records, who wanted him to produce records. He

negotiated a $10 million deal to start up Death Row Records (Cheevers A1). Now

Death Row Records is known as the only label that can do whatever they want. To

some listeners Death Row’s music is powerful and is also reality , but to others

their music celebrates drugs, murderers and misogyny. The FBI says that this rap

label has ties to gangs and drugs. They are still trying to determine wether the

company was involved in cocaine-trafficking, money laundering and racketeering

(Leeds B1). The FBI has been investigating Death Row Records and the individual

members. Death Row Records is not the only record company to promote rap, Time

Warner has also been producing rap records. Time Warner has pledged to do

something about obscene and rude lyrics in rap music. The new chairman of Warner

Music Group , Michael J. Fuchs, was asked to talk with critics of rap lyrics and

to work with other record companies to come up with some regulations for warning

labels (Landler D2). Warning labels have been placed on albums with provocative

lyrics, but these warnings do little to prevent the lyrics from reaching

children. The chairman and chief executive claims that "music is not the

cause of society’s ills." That may be true but do they have an influence on

the people that listen to the music. Many say yes and many say no. An experiment

done by James D. Johnson shows that violent rap tends to perpetuate the

acceptance of the use of violence and an anti-education mind-set. He thinks that

this kind of music should have some regulation. He refers to rap music being

like nicotine- it is addictive; it is mood Hawkins 7 altering and it is

available with some strains (Raspberry, "Does" A27). A person has to

be 18 years old to buy cigarettes, rent X-rated movies, or get into a strip

bar/nightclub and has to be 21 years old to drink or buy alcohol. There are age

limits on these things that can endanger young people and there should also be a

age limit on buying albums with explicit lyrics on them. Even though there is a

warning label on the albums young children can still buy them because there is

no law to prohibit sale. There are a lot of people who agree something should be

done about the explicit lyrics on albums. Stanley Crouch, a music critic and

writer, says that rappers are "a bunch of opportunists who are appealing to

an appetite that America has for vulgarity, violence and anarchy inside Afro

America" (Sims 3). Kevin Powell, a writer for Vibe magazine, believes that

rap music is a legitimate art form, but thinks that the genre has gone too far

and the music industry is to blame for not exercising some degree of control

(Sims 3). He also thinks that it has made black children think that being hard

is the definition for being black in the 1990’s. There are many people who feel

this way, but many rappers and defenders of rap disagree. Most rappers do not

think that their music causes violence and that they have no influence on their

listeners. Before Easy-E died his lawyer read a letter from the rapper that

said, "anyone could get AIDS, that it does not discriminate" (Marriot

74). After the letter was read the Minority AIDS Project in South-Central Los

Angeles reported a 80 percent increase in requests for AIDS testing. This was

more of an increase than when Magic Johnson made his announcement (Marriot 74).

His influence was seen in warning people about the AIDS virus just as Magic did

when he found out he had HIV. "Snoop" says that he hopes that

listeners will see that any black man out Hawkins 8 of the ghetto can do

something positive with his life if he is dedicated (Farley 78). He also says

that if parents were as strict as his that there would not be as much violence

nowadays, yet he was in a gang, a drug dealer and user and he arrested for

murder-conspiracy charges. Rapper Juice, half of the duo of Juice with Soul,

says that listeners should realize that these rappers do not hang around the

hard street life, they go home to their fancy cars and houses. Another rapper,

Masta Ace, agreed with Juice, say that listeners should realize that rappers are

creating characters to sell records. Biz Markie says that critics take it to

seriously and it is strictly entertainment (Marriott, "Hard-core"

A1+). Joseph Simmons, known as Run of Run D.M.C., says that he has seen a rise

in disrespect to women lately. But he thinks that it has more to do with the

parents rather than the rappers. M.C. Lyte, a pioneer among female rappers

agrees that parents need to take more responsibility for how their children act

and behave. She also thinks that rap should not be the blame for what young

people are doing today because movies also show violence, rapes, and people

being killed (Marroitt, "Hard-core" A1+). Russell Simmons, CEO of Def

Jam Recordings, says that no truly in-touch person believes that the state of

society is the result of rap music. He goes on to say that each type of music

that comes later seems more violent than before. There was a time when everyone

thought that rock and roll was the "devils’ music". He says that many

of these songs are like horror films and cannot be taken literally (Proffitt

M2). He also points out the good views of rap–that it is so diverse and there

is a lot of positive messages in the songs. Simmons thinks that rap is just

expressing the outrage of there community. His most important point would be

that when kids in Beverly Hills Hawkins 9 listen to rap they will know a little

bit better how the kids in the ghettos think (Profitt M3). Other rap experts

point out the genre turning points. In the 1990’s the messages about black

empowerment that started national slogans and the wearing of African pride

medallions were replaced by messages of drug selling and survival in inner-city

neighborhoods. The marketing strategy of the record companies began to promote

label with images of black swaggering men carrying guns and drinking beer. This

resulted the new "gangsta" look. This made young rappers that were

hungry for fame and fortune take on the look of being thugs themselves. The move

of raps’ homeland, New York, to the West Coast caused a dramatic change to the

sound. People tend to miss the true skill rather that all the violence and how

many people that get killed. Rap’s image is being tainted by all the scandals of

the top rappers shakled in the courtrooms. The inspiration and energy from rap

reflects what goes on in the streets and in black life in America (Williams

B1+). Maxine Waters also agrees that "gansta rap" is a new art form to

describe the pains, fear and frustations that young people express to adults.

She also thinks that just because some people do not like the way the rappers

use lyrics should not be a cause for censorship (Jet 7). A professor of black

studies thinks that many rappers have distorted what black life really is and

that white record companies are eager to sell black stereotypes. Rappers have

distorted and divided black life and tried to incorporate it into street life.

Now people are doing what they hear and they want to shoot people and be rich (Marroitt,

"Hard-core" A1+). If this is true should not there be a warning label

prohibiting sale to minors. Rap music that pimps pornography and violence to

young children and that has messages of violence should have some kind of

censorship. Defenders of rap say that censorship is taking Hawkins 10 away their

right to free speech stated in The First Amendment. The First Amendment states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or

prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of

the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the

government for a redress of grievances"(McNally 29). Censoring music would

be taking the right of free speech away. Most of the lyrics are protected by The

First Amendment and cannot be censored on the albums or records. Censorship has

been made in the radio industry so that the songs with explicit lyrics cannot be

heard. Even though these rappers say that they are reflecting what really happen

on the streets rappers before them do not have these explicit lyrics in their

messages. Rappers such as Afrika Bambataa, Kurtis Blow, MC Shan and the Fat Boys

used music for fun and release to show good-hearted territorial rivals. Now it

is about guns, treating women like trash and drinking malt liquor. Rap has

changed for the worse taking the art form and transforming it into trash with

some positive messages that are hard to grasp from the music. If the whole album

is about death, violence, misogyny and drugs except for one or two songs, what

kind of message is going to be placed first. If what can be heard on a porno

film can be heard on a rap album, then the album should have a age limit for

sale. Since there is no age limit on T.V., today many inventions are being made

to prevent children from viewing violence and nudity. Is this not some form of

censorship for children. If there is enough concern to censor programs on T.V.

that contain violence and harsh language should there not be concern for

children that listen to hard-core gangsta rap. Parents should take more

responsibility for what there children listen to and view. Hawkins 11 Parents

can take charge of what there children view on T.V. and listen to on the radio

while they are in the house, but what kind of authority can they take when their

children are not home. Parent cannot control the kind of music their children

buy on their own. That is when it is left up to the law. Not taking away the

rappers’ right to free speech, but rather prohibiting sale to minors just as

cigarettes. There is only so much that parents can do to keep their children out

of harm. Violence is a reality , but should it be preached about like it is okay

and make it sound like fun and games. The answer is no and something should be

done about it.

Cheevers, Jack, Phillips, Chuck and Willian ,Frank B. "Violence Top the

Charts." L.A. Times 3 April 1995: A1+. "Cleaning Up Violence on

Radio." The New York Times 11 December 1993: 22. "Congresswomen Square

Off ON Issue Of ‘Gangsta Rap’." Jet 7 March 1994: 6-7. Farley, Christopher

"The Dogg Is Unleashed." Time 13 December 1993: vol.124, 78. Landler,

Mark "Time Warner Pledges Action On Rap Lyrics." The New York Times 19

May 1995: D2. Leeds, Jeff and Newton, Jim "FBI Probing Rap Label for Ties

to Gangs, Drugs." L.A. Times 28 September 1995: B1+. Marriot, Michel

"A Gangster Wake-up Call." News week 10 April 1995: vol.125, 74-6.

Marriott, Michel "Hard-core Rap Lyrics Stir Black Backlash." The New

York Times 15 August 1993: A1+. McNally, Rand "The Amendments to the

Constitution." The American Patriot’s Handbook Chicago/New York/San

Francisco 1993: 29. Phillips, Chuck "Anti-Rap Crusader Under Fire."

L.A. Times 20 March 1996: A1+. Profitt, Steve "Defending the Art of

Communication Known as Rap." L.A. Times 27 August 1995: M3. "The Rap

Lyrics Page." Online. http://home.worldonline.nl/~zoftw/lyrics.ntm.

Raspberry, William "Does Rap Music Need a Warning Label?" The

Washington Post 24 June 1994: A27. Raspberry, William "Foulmouthed

Trash." The Washington Post 30 July 1993: A21. Saunders, Michael "Gangsta

Warfare." Boston Globe 10 March 1996: B29. Works Cited Sims, Calvin

"Gangster Pappers: The Lives, The Lyrics." The New York Times 28

September 1993: E3. T, Ice. "Cop Killer." Body Count. New York: Warner

Bros. 1992. Williams, Frank B. "How Rap Music Got Its Bad Rap." L.A.

Times 13 January 1995: B1+. Work Consulted Barron, James "After Day as

Defendant, Rapper Becomes Victim." The New York Times 1 December 1994: A1+.

Britt, Donna "Making a Killing Off Gangsta Music." The Washington Post

5 November 1993: B1+. Chappell, Kevin "What’s Wrong (and Right) About Black

Music." Ebony September 1995: vol. 50, 25-6+. Dunhan, Richard S., Oneal,

Michael "Gunning for the Gangstas." Bussiness Week 19 June 1995: 41.

Hamilton, Kendall "Double Trouble for 2pac." Newsweek 12 December

1994: vol. 124, 62-3. Hewitt, Bill "Rapper Sheets." People Weekly 6

December 1993: vol. 40, 89-90. Jenkins, Holman W. Jr. "It’s Got a Catchy

Beat, but Not Enough Violence." Wall Street Journal 17 September 1996: A19.

Jones, Charisse "For a Rapper, Life and Art Convergen in Violence."

The New York Times 1 December 1994: B3+. Klinghoffer, David "See No

Evil." National Review 24 January 1994: vol. 46, 73-4. Leland, John

"Criminal Records." Newsweek 29 November 1993: vol. 122, 60-4. Leland,

John "The Word on the Street Is Heard in the Beat." Newsweek 11 May

1994: 52-3. Marsh, Dave "Cops ‘n’ Gangtas." The Nation 26 June 1995:

vol. 260, 908-9. Marriot, Michel "Shots Silence, Angry Voice Sharpened by

the Streets." The New York Times 16 September 1996: A1+. McAdams, Janice

"It’s Not Gangsta Rap, but It Is Raunchy." The New York Times 14

August 1995: D6. "Obituary." People Weekly 10 April 1995: vol. 43, 93.

Rose, Tricia "Rap Music and the Demonization of Young Black Males."

USA Today May 1994: vol. 122, 35-6. Works Consulted Rule, Sheila

"Generation Rap." The New York Times Magazine 3 April 1994: 40-5.

Staples, Brent "How Long Can Rap Survive." The New York Times 22

September 1996: E12. Tate, Greg "Above and Beyond Rap’s Decibels." The

New York Times 6 March 1994: 1+. Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A. "Time Warner

Sells Its 50[percent] Interest in Record Label Under Fire For Rap." Wall

Street Journal 17 September 1996: A19. "The United States Of

Violence." USA Today May 1994: vol. 122, 22-42+. "Women and "Gangsta"

Rap." Glamour June 1994: vol. 92, 93. Zoglin, Richard "A Company Under

Fire." Time 12 June 1995: vol. 145, 37-9.