Presentation by Lindsey Melick

On Gangsta Rap, Written with the Help of the Reader

Rhetoric in Popular Culture: Chapter 7 Barry Brummett

May also be called “rap music”A genre of music characterized by stylized, rhythmic

music, usually accompanied by a rhythmic, often rhymed speech – called rapping (Merriam-Webster)

Hip hop is than just music: An array of different texts – - images (music videos) - fashion (Phat Farm) - style (accessories, gestures) - location (urban/inner city) - and of course, a musical style, consisting of several

different subgenres including Hip hop is a highly visual genre that speaks heavily through style, fashion and everyday experiencesComposed of signs that seem to be connected to

African American culture

Hip hop

Fashion: oversized clothing, grillz, blingBreak dancingDJing/scratchingGraffiti

Common Associations with Hip Hop

Assumption: “Gangsta is about African-Americans”WHY?

Visually: Most major stars are African-American Some exceptions: Vanilla Ice, Eminem, Macklemore HOWEVER , most Causasian rappers still need sponsorship of

African Americans to gain acceptance and popularity Verbally: Pervasive use of the “n word”

Gangsta Rap

Vanilla Ice T.I. Kanye West Snoop Dogg Lil Wayne Eminem Drake

A derogatory term to refer to African-Americans that originated in the late 1800s to early 1900s

Universal use in hip hop by African Americans, encountered most often in today’s hip hop music as “nigga” BUT still considered highly inappropriate and offensive for people of other races to utter

WHY the return of a derogatory term? Solidarity: Some argue that the “n word” is used in today’s rap music as a

sign of solidarity. The “n word” may be used similarly to the Queer theory, wherein activists who are feminists, gay, lesbian, transgender, etc. use a previously (and sometimes still) derogatory term “queer” as a sense of empowerment. The refusal to be brought down by a term of negative connotation is both liberating and shows that they are unwilling to be viewed as inferior or abnormal, much like feminist criticism. BUT if the “n word” were completely defused of offense, its use by people

of other ethnicities would be acceptable – since it is clear that is not acceptable, the “n word” is still in a state where the term refers to Afrtican Americans

Neutralizing the world’s impact: Repeated use of the forbidden word throughout hip hop music may reduce its negative connotation

The “N word”

Represents African-Americans in terms of images and terms that people of other races, especially Caucasian, may think but cannot sayListening to hip hop music and/or repeating lyrics

gives others a chance to use to use words they may yearn to use but are unable to Racism Solidarity Being black is “cool”

Marxist Theory: Gangsta rap both expresses and naturalizes a racist ideology it perpetuates false, racist assumptions, while at the same time denying and assuring that the assumptions are false

False claims perpetuated in Gangsta rap:1. African-American culture is violent2. African-American culture is sexual3. African-American culture is materialistic

Gangsta Says what People Cannot

1. African-American culture is violent.2. African-American culture is overly sexual.3. African-American culture is materialistic.

Misconceptions About African-American Culture

– (as portrayed in popular gangsta rap songs)

False Claim #1:“African American Culture is Violent”“A motherfucker who's known for carryin gats

and kick raps that make snaps Adapts to anything violent that I'm located at If you see me on the solo moves best believe that I'm strapped 4-4, .tre-8 or AK-47 Cos slowly but surely send you on a stairway to heaven Just put my finger on the trigger and pull backand lay a punk motherfucker flat”

- Nigga Witta Gun, Dr. Dre

Under a historical context, African-Americans have more often been the recpipents of violence

At present, there exists a bias that African-Americans are the perpetrators of violence – WHY?The media: News coverage focuses heavily on street crime, compared to

white-collar crime, which, incidentally is much more pervasive in today;s society. There are also many more police crime dramas on television today than perhaps any other programs, and violence is at the forefront of these shows. African-Americans are often the subjects of these roles – why? Characteristically, African-Americans are more likely to be of lower SES

and thus many often live in urban areas where there are higher rates of incarceration, crime, poverty, single-parent families and lower graduation rates

Gangsta rap perpetuates the claims of violence Ongoing references to firearms (glocks, Macs, etc.), sounds of gunshots

in the songs, visual predominance of guns in music videos, fighting Some rap artists DO have violent pasts, and the words in their songs

reflect this (ex. Tupac and 50 Cent) Extending these images of violence evident in rap songs in everyday life

further perpetuates the myth

False Claim #1:“African American Culture is Violent”

“Talking big boy rides & big boy iceLet me put this big boy in your life.That thing get so wet & get so rightLet me put this big boy in your life, that's right.

I want your body, I need your body.Long as you got me, you won't need nobody.” -Whatever you like , T.I.

False Claim #2:“African American Culture is Overly Sexual”

The notion that African-Americans are preoccupied with sex to an extensive degree compared to other cultures has remained a racist ideology for years Stigmatizes African-American culture as lacking morality Justified sexual exploitation of Aftican-American women by Caucasian men and the

brutal suppression of African-American men Racist view: “moral inferioiry counterbalances brutality”

View of women as sex objects Visual rhetoric: Gangsta rap often paints the picture that women are meant to be

looked at. In music videos, groups of women surround the male star, many looking desperate to touch him, while the star accepts their attention with a smug sense of satisfaction. third image on the previous slide shows Snoop Dogg sitting comfortably while several women, the objects, surround him

Feminist criticism: Men are often the center of images in film in general, giving the ultimate power to the male subject, while women surround the men as the objects. The first image on the previous slide shows several naked, painted women surrounding Kanye West, who clearly stands out in relation to the women. Lyrics to rap music also often use the terms “bitch” and “ho” which have almost become a staple in referring to women, but show both disrespect and supposed inferiority.

It’s no secret that many rap songs indulge in sexual references (ex. “Whatever you Like” by T.I. featured on previous slide) – these further perpetuate this racist ideology

False Claim #2:“African American Culture is overly sexual”

“I’m a Bad Boy, wit a lotta ho'sDrive my own cars, and wear my own clothesI hang out tough, I'm a real Bo$$Big Snoop Dogg, yeah he's so sharpOn the TV screen and in the magazines”

-Drop it Like it’s Hot, Snoop Dogg

False Claim #3:“African American Culture is Materialistic”

Though Capitalist society almost goes hand-in-hand with being materialistic, racist ideology asserts that African-Americans are highly preoccupied with material items in comparison to other ethnicities. WHY?Racist assumption that African-Americans are more likely to stealRacist assumption at African-Americans obtain possessions more

for showing off than quality (ex. Grillz, bling) Music videos often depict African-Americans surrounded by expensive

cars or partying in mansions or poolside, further perpetuating the notion that African-Americans are simply obsessed with their material items

Image 1 on the previous slide shows Lil Bow Wow at a young age, surrounded by vehicles. Images 2 (with Nelly, Kanye West and Jay-Z) and 3 (Lil Jon) show rap artists posing with large amounts of money and bling.

Lyrics reinforce racist ideology by using constant references to brand names of expensive products, alcoholic drinks, cars, etc.

False Claim #3:“African American Culture is Materialistic”

The images and lyrics associated with gangsta rap music may help serve to perpetuate racist ideologies that exist toward African-Americans (Marxist theory)

African-American culture is NOT defined by violence, sex, or material items and yet gangsta rap lyrics stress these notions heavily, while also enhancing their strength in the imagery of music videos, album covers, and advertisements (Visual rhetoric)

Some artists do regularly experience violence and thus write about it in their music, just as some artists do have large ties to material items, BUT this has nothing to do with race should not conclude that these notions reflect African-American culture in any way

Not all hip hop artists glorify sex, money or violence. Many talk about important social or political issues, talk about love and family, or knowledge and truth.

Gangsta rap says what people cannot, perpetuating a racist ideology

Conclusions

Brummett, B.(2011). On gangsta rap: Written with the help of the reader. In Rhetoric in popular culture (3 ed., pp. 235-245). Thousand Oaks, C.A. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Lyrics: A-Z Lyrics Universe (x)Images: Google images

References