Gangster rap, rap, or severe, is generally regarded as a subgenus of the larger category of rap music, which is a subcategory of hip-hop. Gangster Rap is differentiable from other rap music that uses the images of urban life associated with crime (Haugen, 2). As defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica gangster rap, the first four images Zet violaSNO generally dalfombras, materialism and sexual promiscuity.
Gangster Rappers as the definition of Hip-Hop Social Group
As the hip-hop movement has gained recognition throughout the United States, has become one of the fastest growing social world. In 1990, shortly after the murder of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, two gangster rapper known at national level, a campaign of propaganda against the escalation of rap music and hip-hop culture (killing). While gangsta rap is only a small percentage of hip-hop culture over time, the hip-hop and rap music was immediately negatively stereotyped as "gangter similar." Why? Well, this gangster version of hip-hop was the best selling and most recognized music hip-hop of the majority of the class. And many critics have found it is because America is liefde with sex, drugs and violence (Whaley).
Hip-Hop the issue of Lower Social Group
Henri Tajfel, Psychologist socialque een developed the theory of group relations and social change, says that members of a social group as inferior to most of the class can accept or reject their inferior position in society. If a group refuses to accept their inferior position in society as fair as a group to change things (Coates, 8-9). Many hip-hop artists is their musicaOles to reject the inferior social status, mostthe classes.
The reconstruction of identity Gangster
I found that the hip-hop artists use of text, both musical and poetic, to redefine the negative characteristics of their culture by the majority of class, and in the process of reconstructing the identity of the gangster. By examining these hip-hop and gangster rap point and the text, I have the way in which the text seeks to reconstruct the identity stereotipoés gangster rap, considering different views of violence, drugs, materialismand sexual promiscuity. In the end, a diezds ask: Who are the real criminals?
Violence
That the hip-hop is gangster-like violence, is perhaps the most controversial claim in hip-hop. Opnieuwfutar this question, many hip-hop artists have spoken of violence, in most social groups, and the path that leads to violence inmondo.
In "Violence, 2 Pac shows his belief that violence is widespread long before there was gangster rap:
I said loror fight, attack on society
If this is violence, violence is what I should be
If you look at what is
Search only in the course of history, America is the violent
Here, the poet stresses in American society, as "violent" and had been violent to "fight".
"Who knows", Eminem showed a Similar to believe that violence is unechappelijk in American society, but not outside the genres in an urban environment:
Therefore, the Bringin 'weapons in qHIS country?
I could not see the balls of plastic by means of customs cooperation gun over to London
And last week, I saw a film Schwarzaneggar
When the filming of "a variety of villains with Uzi
Here, the poet doubts the exesistenza of violence in a country with which the firearms and violent movies.
In the "victims of oreillelog" Rakim accuses the U.S. government, especially its head of state, the group that the causes of violence ina society, with means, such as the war:
Soy baemv come to New York in one piece
But I'm bent in the sand that is hot and the streets of the city
Lit the sky like fireworks blind me
Balas, Whistlin 'ricordaprima me in my head ...
President Bush said the attack
Flashback to Nam, I could not do it again
In this text, Dichter for our country decided to go to war as a case of violence between the majority class.
In "The Watcher" Dr Dre is redefining the nature of the negative force by the police, as dee sources of violence and, therefore, called "gangster-like":
Things are not the same for Gangstas
For these people the police handcuffed
They want to hang us, we are dead or enslave
Keep us trapped in the same place we raised in
And they wonder why we have so scandalous
Run around and eliminate the stress level aangegevenres
Because eachWhen the animal cages
And 'dangerous for people who seem strange
Here, the poet accuses the majority of the class to sit in a place we have raised, and the perception of violence is only due to the introduction of "people who seem strange."
These are examples of how hip-hop artists to reinvent the image of violence, which shows how to make buying real estate is created within the majority social group.
Drugs
Another stereotype ofa controversy in hip-hop is their use and distribution of illegal drugs. In an attempt to renegotiate this caractéristique no, many hip-hop artists as maneragrupo as facilitator of social addiction.
In "Justify My Thug", Jay-Z has spoken directly to members of the government, which raises questions about who has worked the availability and use of these drugs, you can:
Mr President, this is not the drugs in our residence
Tell me what you want to otkeep our bread
Mr President, I swear that there is a roof
All the other there is a corner store wines and spirits - where is it?
In this example, the poet wonders why there is a store of wines and spirits in another corner of the community.
In "Let me talk to you," Nas uses the same approach to the concept of van challenge the distribution of drugs to ask their vertegenwoordigersdat would be in your situation:
Why y'all so difficult, Damn
If people their jobs
Mr. Mayo, r imagine if it was your garden
M. Governo, r imagine if children die of hunger
Imagine that your child has to sling crack to survive
Here, the poet says that the distribution of medicines is not only a consequence of poverty queexiste in their environment, but also a way to survive.
In the "Manifesto, Talib Kweli accuses the government of the body of drugs in the country:
As CIA is set at Bailin crack Airplane
George Bush, with the connection, I spintariflessione
As I Sellin 'IZM distributor system buildin
Supply and demand, all capitalism
People do not sell crack cause they like the black smoke
People sell crack because it has broken
In this example, the poet C. IA flight dr.ogas in the country, and reiterates that it is a way of survival, because the "demand" for a capitalist society.
In "Damn It feels good to a gangster, the Geto Boys fully redefine the negative effects of the nature of drug distribution, accusing the president of a dealer and a gangster:
And now a word from the President!
Putain ça fait du bien a gangsta
How to vote in the White House
KA Everythción calibrate the good people of the world
But the Mafia is my head of the family
So sometimes I am in favor gettin 'down
Lettin as "a large load of drugs through the
And send them to the poor of the community
To let us know that bust
These esempimostrare like hip-hop artists redefine the image of drug dealers and users, most in mind that the constructor of the class of drugs problem in this country.
Materialism
Salutp-hop is considered by many as a kind of genre dominated by materialism. Once again, the artists point back to the majority class in an attempt to renegotiate this negative characteristic.
In "Breathing," saysBlack Star intornodella meraviglie urban area, and how it absorbs lower in materialism, they want to share this wealth:
Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
The profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Knokkels hard on the second part of the working class, watches
Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living
The preposteronosotros, stay alive, to play or die, no options
Here, the poet talks about various aspects maggioranza class and the lower class as a "play or die" to "stay alive."
In "Everything fell," Kanye West to recognize this reality, the materialism of American society:
It seems that the American dream of viedu
But people have confidence in themselves to reduce high
The most beautiful people make things worse
On the road to riches and diamond rings
In this example, the poet of the debt "American Dream" of materialism, saying that people "do bad things "to" the richness and diamond rings. "
In "Los Angeles Times," which criticizes the materialism Xzibit AlegING in most classes is what young people learn environmental villeijke:
Welcome to L.A.
When you see the whole city burning
Why the police Uzis and maintenance service of vending
And their children to learn is that unless
Sex and power riricchezza, forget everything else
Here the poet speaks beliesfuerzo that certain aspects of materialism, including "power and wealth" are taught to children through the events of the company announcement.
These are examples of how the hip-hop artists herdefiniëment negative characteristics of materialism by showing examples of how this materialism that prevails in most classes, and often in this category.
Gender
And the last debate stereotypes of hip-hop is the social class who are sexually promiscuous, often leading to irrespectful treatment Mujern. The poets also attempt to redefine this stereotype by blaming the essence of the problem enn society.
In "Pussy Galore", the roots of the country DIREN sexual obsession, which is determined by the sex of marketing campaigns:
Lookin 'window of the limousine on cards
200 miles, was the only thing that I saw
Promotion of all, nicotine lalcool
Cell phones, antihistamine, chicken wings
Need a little 'skin to hear
I, the world is a sex machine
In this example, tells dedichter personal experience in advertising, saw sex as "promoting" anything. "And with the end of" get the listener, "he says," you need a little 'skin. "
In "Get By" Talib Kweli reproche this sexual obsession on what chevedere on TV:
Television reachin 'for stars
Those who are not from Venus and Mars
Those who have read "for the parties
Some people within the improvement and expansion of the penis
Here the poet speaks creences that television creates a false impression of what people have sex, which contributes to the promiscuity that is attributed to the movement of hip-hop.
Hip-Hop artists have their words and poetry to influence the rejection and reconstruction of the gangster identity that plagues their social class. This is achieved by redefining the negative characteristics that the majority of classicalif. In most cases, these, which aims opomvatten redefining the majority class as the true owner of these negative characteristics. The redefining of these "gangsters - like" images through the hip-hop lyrics helps to reconstruct the gangster identity by questioning "gangster" comement the door and the class that made this behavior. So the question is: Who are the bandits?
Works Cited / Discography
2 Pac. 2Pacalypse Now. Jive Records,1991.
Black Star. Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star. Rawkus Records, 1998.
Coates, Jennifer. Women, men and language. LargoEditorial man, New York, 1993.
Dr.Dre. The Chronic 2001. Interscope Records, 1999.
Eminem. Marshall Mathers LP. Interscope Records, 2000.
Geto Boys. Uncut Dope LP. Interporto Records, 1999.
Haugen, Jason. "Distinguished Divas": language, sex and women Gangster Rappers. "Popular Music and Society: December 2003.
Jay Z. The Black Album. Def Jam, 2003.
Kanye points. School. Roc-A-Fella Records, 2004.
Nas. I am. Sony Records, 1999.
Rakim. Do not sweat the technique. MCA Records, 1992.
RawkusRecords. Writer Lounge Volume 1. Priority Records, 1999.
Slaughter, Peter. "Attack on Rap music." Barutiwa Weekly News. 14 June 1997.
Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek. Train of thought. Rawkus Records, 2000.
Talib Kweli. Quality. Rawkus Records, 2003.
The Roots. Phrenology. MCA Records, 2002.
Whaley, Angela. "Hip Hop is not theNo sale. "Colorado State University talking Back: Volume 3, Number 1.
Xzibit. 40 days and 40 nights. Loud Records, 1998.