2. “
Hip-hop is thus a cultural artifact, just as
country-western is a cultural phenomenon,
and is loaded with social and political
meanings bespeaking race, nationalism, and
economic class, among other things” (236).
3. CONCEPTS USED IN
CRITIQUING GANGSTA-
RAP
• Psychoanalytic
Theory
• Marxism
• Feminism
• Visual Rhetoric
“Hip-hop in general is a heavily
visual genre, given its presence in
music videos, movies, fashion and
our everyday personal experience in
public places. How the visual is
constructed so as to access social
codes that everyone knows but
cannot “speak” is thus central to its
appeal” (237).
4. PSYCHOANALYTIC
Gangsta-rap is centered around psychoanalytic critical methods, in
that it says or implies what is forbidden to be said.
It relies on re-interpretation in the form of prohibitions, anxieties,
controls and cultural understandings in order to convey its messages.
Psychoanalytic Theme: Expresses repressed desires.
Reoccurring Theme: Appeal lies in its forbidden nature
(repressed desires)
5. RACISM
“Density and predominance of visual symbols are important ways
in which visual rhetoric emphasizes a claim it wants to make” (239).
Gangsta rap is dominated by African Americans
Caucasian rappers are considered exceptions
Success of Caucasians corresponds to positive relationship
between black sponsorship (ie: Riff Raff, Eminem, Aesop Rock, Mac
Miller)
6.
7. RACISM
“…gangsta is the “permissible” expression, verbally and visually, of the
kind of appalling racist attitudes that we have all heard but know that we
cannot and should not express. Gangsta works in racist ways, I think, because
it helps its audience along to replicate in their heads a number of racist
stereotypes” (238).
African Americans pervade the social and visual realms of the scene. (ie:
music videos, guest appearances, features on albums, touring companions,
various forms of business ventures)
Caucasians and other races are the minorities.
8. In blacks adopting the phrase,
the term is stripped of its
offensiveness
IE: Queer Criticism: Gay
people referring to themselves as
queer, reversing the negative
connotations.
Still denotes racism due to the
exclusivity of its use among certain
ethnicities.
It is considered inappropriate for
people who are not African American
to use the term.
Racist because it is not allowed to
be used equally.
CONSTANT USE OF THE
“N” WORD
Stance 1 Stance 2
10. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
WITH THE “N” WORD
I grew up in the south and lived in a very culturally vibrant area at
times, by that I mean “hood”. Even when I was very young, it was
common to use that word and the only sanctions that came about were in
regards to how well you knew someone. I would have never used that
term in regards to a black person I had just met however; I had many
friends of color that I would refer to as nigga, as they would with me.
Additionally we used a lot of other racial and sexual orientation slurs to
refer to one another but it was never looked at negatively.
11. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
WITH THE “N” WORD
Accordingly, my black friends often had other black friends who
found the idea appalling and disapproved of the use of the word for,
or by white people. After moving up North, I’ve noticed that a deficit
in black people is usually accompanied by trepidation in regards to
anything that might imply racism. I’ve also noticed black people here
usually disapprove of being called nigga by anyone, although I haven’t
tried it myself.
12. MARXIST CRITIQUE
“When gangsta says it is “keeping it real,” but it articulates the
racist assumptions of which we are all at least aware even if we know
we should reject them, then gangsta both expresses and naturalizes a
racist ideology. It perpetuates false, racist assumptions at the same
time it assures us that the assumptions are real’ (240).
Cant really be real due to a lack of positive representations.
13. MARXIST CRITIQUE
Author provides several lyrical examples of rappers rapping about
gun culture, pointing out how the specific examples are invalid and
provide evidence that the rappers do not possess the authentic
familiarity with guns that they pretend to.
Implicates the yearning to be perceived as dangerous due to
cultural projections.
14. MARXIST CRITIQUE
Perpetuates a racist ideology of black stereotypes in doing so.
Brent Staples, and Editorial columnist for the New York Times sums up the cultural
reflection of gangsta rap, stating: “The key phase is "uncritical mirror." The music
"plays" at rape and murder in a way that celebrates them” (Staples).
“…The final irony is that some gangster rappers are middle-class guys
posing as inner-city killers. A rapper from Onyx named Suave recently took offense when
accused of middle-class origins. "That's bull, I'm a real [ expletive deleted ] ," he told
Frank Owen of New York Newsday. "I've been seeing people get shot all of my life."
Here, by way of Suave, is the problem simply put: In the streets, middle-class normalcy
for blacks is viewed as an inferior state of being” (Staples).
15. FALSE CLAIMS MADE BY
GANGSTA RAP
What does gangsta rap say about African Americans?
African Americans “keep it real” or present the truth about their
culture.
1. African American culture is violent.
2. African American culture is overly sexualized.
3. African American culture is crassly materialistic.
16. 1. AFRICAN AMERICAN
CULTURE IS VIOLENT
“So the ideology of racism depends on the commonsense but false
assumption that African Americans are violent. Yet, one cannot
without great social cost go around saying so in public” (241).
Gangsta texts are fraught with violent words, images and sounds
SOUNDS: oratory effects of gunshots, pistols slides, shells hitting
floor are commonly used in the background of songs.
17. VIOLENT WORDS
The Beatnuts: "It ain't nothing you should laugh to/ I'll
shoot your moms if I have to”.
Mobb Deep: “No time to do, well on that 'cause my brain
reacts. Front if you want kid, lay on your back”.
Tupac Shakur: High till I die, loced till they smoke me, the
shit don’t stop till my casket drop”.
21. EXCEPTIONS
Growing number of exceptions.
Artists who rap about spirituality,
change, opposition to black
stereotypes, violence and other
positive topics.
IE: Cyne, Common, Hopsin, Chance
the Rapper, The Roots, Blackalicious
22. RAPPERS WHO RAP
POSITIVELY
The Roots: “I pledge allegiance to my cosmic guide, I couldn’t fit in 3
dimensions if I tried”.
Knowmads: “No stranger to the madness, anger and the sadness, my mind
reflects the world like the pages of an atlas.”
CYNE: “Be the overachiever the human heat seeker”
Blackalicious: “Eating right feeling conscience like health is first. Said a prayer
that's sincere and you felt it work. Times I feel I wanna shout, man it's real that way.
When I'm thinking things that make you feel that way”
23. 2. BLACK CULTURE IS
OVERLY SEXUAL
“Gangsta perpetuates this commonsense ideology of racism by
articulating that which cannot be said aloud, that African American
culture is obsessed with sex” (242).
Feminist Critique: Men disrespect women by regarding them by
sexually objectifying them and deeming their only value as their ability
to sexually service men
24. VISUALLY
• Music videos and ads make
men the focal point
• Women are dressed and act
lasciviously.
• Provides a predominantly
male-oriented stance.
(Action Bronson)
25. WORDS
Narrative lines are men oriented
Lyrics use terms such as bitch, whore and ho.
Threats directed at females
EAZY E: “Dumb hoe said somethin that made me mad. She said
somethin that I couldn’t believe, so I grabbed the stupid bitch by her
nappy-ass weave. She started talkin shit, wouldn’t you know; reached
back like a pimp, slapped the hoe…”
26. CONSEQUENCES OF
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
“It makes it easier to disrespect all African Americans if gangsta
itself is telling us to disrespect African American women. It makes it
easier to believe in sexual degradation if we are given license to
believe in general degradation and devaluation” (243).
Reoccurring Theme: Various facets of racism are sustained and
perpetuated through stereotypes in gangsta rap.
27. 3:BLACK CULTURE IS
CRASSLY MATERIALISTIC
Associated Racist Notions:
Black people are more likely to steal
They are more heavily supervised in retail arenas.
Spending money for spectacle as opposed to spending for
necessity or functionality.
31. SUBVERSIVE STANCE
Rappers often turn into business mobiles. There is nothing wrong
with turning your fame into successful entrepreneurship in a different
field.
IE: OFWGKTA, P. Diddy, G-Unit, Beats by Dre, Phat Farm.
33. CONCLUSION
Gangsta rap and its culture reinforces racist attitudes among
whites.
Expresses thoughts of racism that may be repressed until
acted out through the genre.
Hip-hop has the potential to be used as a weapon against
racism and while it sometimes is, those times are unfortunately,
the exceptions.
34. WORKS CITED
Staples, Brent. "Editorial Notebook:; The Politics of Gangster Rap."
The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 Aug. 1993. Web. 28
Apr. 2014.
Brummett, Barry. "Chapter 7: Gangsta Rap." Rhetoric in Popular
Culture. 3rd ed. S.l.: SAGE Publications, 2010. 35-45. Print.
