Rap Offended

I am offended by much of what goes as rap on commercial radio. I don't like it and it has driven me from listening to commercial radio after the morning drive time period. I am offended that some people are saying that rap IS Black culture when rap is a sub-culture of entertainment and a sub-culture of America.

Some have said the term "gangsta" comes from the Black community. As I wrote earlier, the term is nothing but slang for gangster, which came about from the gangs that arose during alcohol prohibition.

Some have said that "hip-hop" promotes anti-intellectualism, but I don't know the songs that support that assertion. Better yet, no songs have been provided that support that assertion. This weekend, Mother's Day weekend, many HBCUs hold graduation ceremonies. One can assume that most of the graduates listen to rap. So, why are they immune from the alleged anti-intellectualism in rap?

Rap does glamorize drug use, but when you look at the drug use statistics, except for marijuana use, Blacks use drugs in smaller proportions than whites use drugs. Meth use is rising fast, but unless I'm mistaken, rap isn't glamorizing the use of meth.

Much of commercial rap is offensive, but blaming the many ills in the Black on rap is a lame excuse. I just wish people will come out and say that they think Black people are sheep. That would get it out into the open and properly dealt with; or not.

I guess I should write that this is not a defense of rap. I don't care for the language, I don't care for the images and I don't care for the "bling bling." They are the present day minstrel show.

Comments

[MIB]

The assault upon Rap music is a proxy war for the marginalization of Black people and culture around the world. There aren't any themes in Rap that don't exist in other genres and other media -- especially within the context of American entertainment and postmodern culture. However, that Af-Ams influence the genre and the genre in turn influences American pop culture to the degree it does represents a direct threat to the socioeconomic status quo. Therein lies the problem.