Debatable

“Everybody sounds the same commercialized the game reminiscing when it wasn’t all business”- Nas

The Hip Hop industry did not start out simply in entertainment, it used to be a political outlet. Music groups such as Public Enemy and Run D.M.C. pioneered the rap industry with unconventional beats and lyrics. Not only were they blazing new trails in the areas of lyrics and background instrumentals, they were also setting trends outside of those parameters. In contrast, the style of dress that we see today, depicted by “hip-hop” artists require six figure salaries and “black cards”.
Black Entertainment Television, otherwise known as BET, recently debuted a program titled “Hip-hop vs. America.” The show consisted of a panel of speakers, professors, rappers, authors, and journalists that discussed several controversial topics within present day hip-hop. The topics of discussion included the exploitation of women, greed, commercialism, and the image of black people that is given in watching or listening to the music of the hip-hop culture. As a music lover and a member of the hip-hop culture, I watched the program thinking that Nelly and TI are the last two rappers that could defend the true essence of hip-hop. Normally, in programs of this nature it is the lyrical and conscientious rappers who have to defend and uphold the name of hip-hop. In this particular program, people are hearing the side of the commercial rappers: the side that continued to taint and exploit music.
Rap music currently finds itself on a commercialized path that is fueled by greed and leaving much to be desired in the area of lyrical talent and originality. Creditability has left the music, hip-hop is now driven by money. As the great Jay-Z once said, “I dumb down for my audience, double my dollars they criticize me for it yet they all yell ‘holla’.”
While it is understood that this is a profession, that does not lift the responsibility of the artists to take responsibilities for their actions. These rappers are under the impression that in order to sell they have to talk about ‘bling,’ rims and other material objects, and it is these ideas that are slowly corrupting the minds of the younger generation. The rappers who represented hip-hop on the program stated that they rap about where they come from and what they went through. Those that can relate to them and their upbringing are the ones that will buy the CD. They admit to making number one records that contain lyrics about drugs, guns, and the degradation of women, but they state that it is only for radio purposes. If you were to listen to their CD in its entirely, they claim to talk about “real” issues. They feel as that if you have to mix an AK47 and ‘nines’ in order for that particular group of people in the hood to listen “then so be it”, says TI. There is an obvious desire for entertainers to want to sell the most records, but today the records with the most sales are not the ones with the most positive messages.
Nelly argues, “Since when did music become the lifeline for black people as a whole. Why does it have to be that when our music is right we are right? NO, it’s when our education is right we are right!”
He makes a valid point that I wish was true, but the power these artists have has now become uncontrollable even in their hands: A music video is now more powerful than the educational system. TI says it is in the home where we need to teach our kids right from wrong in the music, and set standards in the lyrics they should be hearing. The problem of today is not that music is causing violence in the communities it is that there is less involvement and guidance in defining to the young audience that just like movies, music is entertainment. It is obvious that there are younger and younger parents every year, but with those younger parents comes more challenging situations for not only the parent but for the child as well. Now more than ever it is more common for the parent and child to agree on the same radio station or CD. It is the responsibility of the parent to define the positives and negatives of such entertainment making it clear what is right and what is wrong.
Sadly, hip-hop is reaching its downfall. It has begun to accommodate the market rather than focusing on the messages in lyrics. It use to be that the flow was made first and then the beat but now it is the other way around, the label calculates that a “hot” beat no matter the lyrics will sell. Unfortunately, they are in the business of making hot beats; not music. With the entertainers being more concerned with records sales by any means necessary they forget they are being watched by very easily influenced youths.
These hip-hop rappers should want to change out of respect for themselves and those around them. They should want to promote a superior image of black people, regardless of what anyone thinks. People will continue to ‘hate’ despite the beneficial tributes rappers make to their community. The media cherry picks the demeaning images that are continually created. The media is a conniving market place that alters society’s views and persuades them to think a certain way. Right now hip-hop is depicted in the media as the very thing that is corrupting our country. The corruption of our country does not come from a genre of music; many things contribute to the depletion of the societal image, the media being one of them.
Rappers in the industry should not have to glorify drugs and violence in order to sell records; they are wrong because it is not the only type of hip-hop music that sells records. Hip-hop used to be fun and uplifting, but now instead of lyrically freeing the minds of the stresses the black culture faces, it is used as a crutch to gain profits. Music labels have molded these entertainers because they support this mentality geared towards a tarnished image, not caring whether or not this impairs the black community for better or for worse: they just see it as an economic opportunity and nothing else. Fueled by monetary gain rather than artistic integrity, hip-hop’s initial aim has changed and its progression will worsen if it is not revolutionized.
“Even after all my logic and my theories I add a ‘mothafucka’ so you ignorant niggas hear me”- Lauryn Hill

Brukie Gashaw