Gangster rap, along with all variations of hip-hop publicized today, are extremely toxic and to have a destructive effect on your mind.
It is a tool of war, directed at the collective consciousness of your sons, daughters, brothers and sisters.
This beast emerged from some hellish realm a few decades ago, and I too was caught in its grasp. Many of my generation bought into the nonsensical idea that this so-called art-form was the voice of a “people.”
It’s an insane proposition, but good marketing nonetheless.
Not too long ago, the tone of most rap songs was rather playful and fun. MCs talked about making your “body rock”. You could always find them in “the place to be.” hanging out with “party people.”
Then came a new wave of artists who started talking about being more conscious and conscientious. They spat versus designed to uplift the listeners self image and attitude toward life.
In a flash, however, the spirit of gangster rap swooped in. It seemed to come out of nowhere and flew underneath the radar for a while. In just a few years, this type of music would take center-stage, saturating different communities across the country, then the world.
The so-called pioneers that we were taught to revere; it’s almost like they were created out of thin air to lead people who, at the time, were looking for direction. Crazy. How that works.
You know, I don’t remember much of the 70s, being only three years old when they concluded. But I knew from aunts and uncles that, during that time, people of my culture dressed, talked, thought and interacted with each other in very colorful and interesting ways, unique to that time.
Then came the 80s, and that was my “jam.” We had break dancing, Jheri curls, shags, high socks, all good things rolled up into one.
The 90s came in without missing a beat. I was maybe in eighth grade or just about to start high school. And, you know what? Everything changed once again.
Side note: Have you ever wondered why the attributes of a culture would suddenly change every 10 years throughout the 20th century? It’s worth exploring.
But for now, back to the 90s. Many students, myself included, walked into high school that year wearing super baggy jeans, multi-colored short sets, overalls and polka dot shirts.
For hairstyles, us guys had the high-tops, high-rights, multiple lines edged into our heads and eyebrows. We were doing it in grand style. or so I thought.
Do an experiment. Today, if you can, go out and ride around or walk through different neighborhoods, where people who once followed the same lifestyle models I just mentioned now live.
While you’re there, look around. At some point, in these places, you will be likely to come across a group of people that fit the newest model. It’s a version of the “thug” archetype that jumped onto our TV screens mid 90s.
Life before, all these people will basically look the same, dress the same, talk the same, think the same things, etc.
Why did I bring all of this up to begin with, and talk so extensively about cultural changes that take place over time? Well, it’s to illustrate an important point.
All of the people you see out there are playing a character; a character that they, themselves, did not create, but was created for them.
Let that sink in for just a moment.
They only dress, talk, think and act that way, because people who write movies, TV shows, articles, etc, have told them to, just as my friends and I did years ago.
It’s astonishing to realize how many people out there would literally fight and die for this culture-but it’s NOT YOUR CULTURE! Never was. Let’s not forget about the music “artists” involved.
Those so-called architects of gangster rap are mostly imposters. That’s right, I said it.
I remember listening to NWA with a friend of mine back in the early 90s. This other guy was about eight years older than me, but he enjoyed the music too.
After the song had played, I started talking about how impressive it was that these young boys, who grew up in one of the worst hoods and amidst tremendous poverty, were able to claw their way to the top of such a competitive industry, despite all the naysayers who were trying to put them-and the voice of our people-down.
I’ll never forget; my friend looked at me and said, just matter of factly, “Man, all them ni***s went to college-good schools, in fact.”
I had no response.
My friend was an honest person, but I wondered if his statement had a factual basis. I mean, it didn’t match the story that I was told.
Years later, I realized how insidiously simple it is for large organizations to find people, who look like certain members of society, dress them up, coach them to talk a certain way, then write scripts and music for them to say out loud.
Using this method, a group has the power to create any character that will fulfill or facilitate its different agendas. It’s so easy because most of us have been trained to trust the ideas that come through different forms of media.
But let’s get back to the music itself. Listen carefully to the lyrics of a gangster rap song, and you will be horrified at its content. The question I have is:
How could these verses be blatantly put out into the public for intellectual consumption?
It doesn’t make sense. Why are songs of this kind, generally designed to speak for and about a specific group of people, produced and distributed on such a large scale?
No country music singer would ever make a song, for example, about cooking meth in the back room of his house, engaging in domestic violence, living in squalor or promoting alcoholism.
No one would stand for that or allow it to happen. We are the only ones who will buy into such garbage; laughing with joy as our children twerk to the music, singing the lyrics out loud while at work or play, surrendering our will to wicked spells that were crafted by others whom you will never know or meet.
Words can have power if energy is put behind them, especially when they are put on top of a beat and chanted frequently. By stating certain phrases, over and over, one may bring the described reality into existence.
But who chose that reality? Not you, I, or anyone we know. As far as that “voice of a people” nonsense goes; why would that be our voice?
Who, in his or her right mind, would want to be led by those of their kind, who are the most lost, the most misguided, who abide by the most distorted set of rules for life and find themselves unable to rise out of chaos?
Shouldn’t our voice come from those who are the most clear-headed, who have developed the most wisdom, who can see the pitfalls of this world clearly and step around them, who know the real games that are being played and how to rise above them.
Keep these thoughts in mind, sit on them for a while and choose, consciously, what to do next.