Houston Community College Rap Music Race and Perceptions of Crime Responses

Post 1: JordanEvery song that has been written is someone?s truth but it?s not everyone?s truth. Biggie, Tupac, and more recently BTB Savage and Migos are just some of the rappers that died in a violent manner. For these individuals their music describes their circumstances however I don?t believe this music genre or lifestyle speaks for the majority of low-income urban black families. Unfortunately, rap has become the perceived voice of the black community which perpetuates a stereotype. A type of music that glorifies drugs and disrespect for women while bragging about the large amounts of cash and extravagant lifestyles with luxury cars, designer clothes, and powerful influence. 6ix9ine’s song “FEFE” and XXXTentacion’s song “Look at Me!” are examples of promoting violence and disrespect toward women. The lyrics of both songs contain explicit language and violent imagery that can be seen as glorifying criminal behavior and perpetuating negative stereotypes of black men. (Add XXX to the previous list above of rappers that met a violent untimely death). Any attempts by these artists to advocate for social justice are overshadowed by their lyrics encouraging chaos and immorality. Rap is a complex cultural phenomenon with many dimensions. If it?s so controversial then why is it so popular? Because even though the lyrics are gritty the music is infectious! You feel the vibe. I personally love old-school rap like RunDMC, Salt n Peppa, 50 Cent, Nelly, Eminem, J-Kwon, and Sir Mix-a-Lot, Snoop Dogg, but not so much current. I feel in the last decade gangster rap is no longer a subsect of rap but the driving theme in all rap so it?s totally unrelatable like death metal. So does this shift imply this lifestyle is more of a reality and is memorialized in song or are artists profiting off a perceived stereotype? A question I?m not equipped to answer. Post 2: JamesI believe that rap is a voice of an oppressed urban underclass and a form that exploits stereotypes of black people, but also transcends both of these outlooks. Rap is a form of music that uses poetic tendencies to provide a message to the listeners. While some modern rap is just gloating and showing off, true rap artist that have a personal connection with the genre show that rap has transformed over the years into a positive vice.Some rap artist, such as Kendrick Lamar, use their rapping capabilities to shine a spotlight on growing up in Compton, using samples of other music and language from Compton. Kendrick Lamar, living in an oppressed urban underclass neighborhood depicted “m.A.A.d city”, is a prime example of rap being an authentic voice for people in that situation.Unfortunately, some artist exploit rap for money and self-gain. It’s not a form of story telling or raising awareness, but uses a catchy beat with low effort bars in order to get a song to be on the top of the charts. The best example of this is the “rap” artist Lil Pump. There’s not any kind of message in his music. All Lil Pump does and make a catchy chorus and talks about drugs, women, and money. While actual rap artist do the same sometimes, there’s no substance behind Pump’s music. You can tell just by listening to his song “Gucci Gang”.Finally, rap over the years has changed and transformed. Instead of rap only being about black people growing up in the hood and the struggles of it, rap has become a way that people of any race can express themselves and their internal mental battles. A perfect example of that is the Christian rapper, NF. NF had a rough upbringing with his mom never being home and her addictions. He talks about that in his music, but also delves into his mental state, which is reflected in his song “HOPE”. In this song, he talks about not trying to meet others’ expectations, but instead his own in order to raise his son, unlike what his mother did for him.Overall, rap cannot be identified as one, singular entity. It has transformed over the years to many different ways of self-expression.Examples:Kendrick Lamar – m.A.A.d city Lil Pump – Gucci Gang NF – HOPE Post 3:JordanOne of my favorite artists from another culture is Nathan Evans, a Scottish singer, and TikTok star. His music is a unique blend of traditional Scottish folk and modern pop, and I enjoy his music for its infectious energy. One of my favorite songs by Evans is “Wellerman,” which features his distinctive voice and the traditional sound of the sea shanty. The song is a tribute to the hardworking sailors who work really hard to provide for their families, a theme that?s universally relatable. The video for the song is equally enjoyable, featuring Nathan and his band performing on a rocky shore with the sea crashing behind them. The Scottish landscape is so beautiful. Another song I enjoy by Evans is “YOU.”, which showcases his ability to switch genres. ?YOU.? is an upbeat love song with a pop sound that celebrates the excitement and possibility of a new romantic connection. Another example of Evans’ music is “Told You So”. It has a country vibe. Overall, I think Nathan Evans is a talented and versatile artist with a bright future ahead of him. His music is a celebration of Scottish culture and traditions, but it also has a universal appeal that can be enjoyed by people all over the world.I look forward to reading others? suggestions in this discussion as I?m always looking for new or different music.Sidenote: A cool Indie Irish song is ?Valhalla Calling? by ?Miracle of Sound? That deep bass voice tho *insert drool emoji here* Nathan Evans – Wellerman (Sea Shanty) Links to an external site.YOU.Links to an external site. VALHALLA CALLING: TRIO VERSION feat. @miracleofsound, @Peyton Parrish, @thatbassvoice Links to an external site.Nathan Evans – Told You So (Official Video)Links to an external site.Post 4: MarcosThe artist from another culture that I currently like and is my favorite is Bad Bunny. Benito Martinez (his real name) is Puerto Rican by birth. He is an artist who, in a very short time in his musical career, has managed to transcend Latino culture in general (not only that of his country) not only to the most popular markets such as the American and Anglo-Saxon, but to any place in the world that they can imagine. In his early days as an artist about 7 or 8 years ago he started singing trap in Spanish, something that at the time was new and unusual in our Latino culture. Then he walked through the purest of reggaeton managing to become a star. To go more to the pop side of the music. And today, with a more than established career, he is capable of experimenting with any genre as a soloist or in some collaboration with already famous artists of those genres and making one hit after another hit on the most famous music charts and on the platforms of streaming. Genres like rock, rap in English, salsa, merengue or Mexican music. He, too, has managed to become a trend and get involved in traditionally American sports such as WWE wrestling. In addition to the multiple agreements that he has with famous clothing lines, which make him wear trends in fashion as well. But one of the things that makes me most proud as a Latino is that Bad Bunny has made the American and Anglo-Saxon public learn his songs and has made them sing in Spanish. When normally it has been the opposite, one tried to learn English to be able to sing the songs of our favorite artists in America and thus be able to follow their trends and all the latest that they released. That fills one as a Latino with pride. In addition, he has also managed to be one of the first artists to be the head of the line up at festivals like Coachella that just took place these last two weeks. Links:Gorillaz ft. Bad Bunny Bad Bunny ft Drake Bad Bunny ft. Post MaloneGrupo Frontera ft. Bad Bunny Bad Bunny – Coachella 2023