Among different styles of rap, gangsta rap is my favorite genre. Although Eminem is my favorite hip hop artist, I do appreciate many old school rappers from the political rap movance, like Ice T , NWA, Public Enemy.
What makes gangsta rap particularly interesting in my eyes is the fact that it is related to ghetto reality. It shows gangsters’ hard life and insecurities. Gangsta rap is revolutionary, it makes society move, it opens people’s mind against injustice and racial discrimination. Gangsta rap comes to hurt people’s closed minded heads, it shocks conservative mentality.
Gangsta rap has less to do with annoying partys, big cars and jewels. It is a huge call for justice. The mirror of the ghetto in its uglyness is here to haunt a rich white man’s head, it is a strong weapon against the Establishment.
Blacks have been enslaved, humiliated and even worst assimilated by Whites. Gangsta rap pictures Black differently : it brings them back to their roots, it shows them they they can be a threat to whites who despise them and belittle them.. They can shoot policemen who discriminate them, they can be a white man’s nightmare if they want to. They are ready ‘at least symbolically- to assassinate deputies and ministers. They have the power to drop bombs on the government.
We need such shock values to fight racial discrimination.
Saul Williams expressed the injustice of the government against black people in his Dj Spooky remix ‘ Not In Our Names ‘ The Pledge Of Resistance ‘ :
We believe that as people living
in the United States it is our
responsibility to resist the injustices
done by our government, in our names
Not in our name
will you wage endless war
there can be no more deaths
no more transfusions of blood for oil
Not in our name
will you invade countries
bomb civilians, kill more children
letting history take its course
over the graves of the nameless
Not in our name
will you erode the very freedoms
you have claimed to fight for
Not by our hands
will we supply weapons and funding
for the annihilation of families
on foreign soil
Not by our mouths
will we let fear silence us
Not by our hearts
will we allow whole peoples
or countries to be deemed evil
Not by our will
and Not in our name
We pledge resistance
We pledge alliance with those
who have come under attack
for voicing opposition to the war
or for their religion or ethnicity
We pledge to make common cause
with the people of the world
to bring about justice freedom and peace
Another world is possible
and we pledge to make it real
A gangsta rapper is not only ‘ gangsta ‘ in his words, he is also an engaged person. A person who is decided to fight against the government’s lies and injustice.The lyrics of Ice T’s song ‘ Colors ‘ may look as a racist song against white people but it must be viewed much much as a stong call against injustice and racial discrimination :
‘ But my true mission is just revenge
you ain’t in my sect, you ain’t my friend
wear the wrong color your life could end
homocides my favorite venge’ ‘
A revenge for being born the wrong color(in a white racist’s mind). A revenge for being hated on and killed by the police.
In Ice T’s lyrics ,there is a situation reverse : Ice T changed the situation to his advantage : he is the leader and the white man appears to have the wrong color. He has the powe rof life or death on this man’s head.
Some people may be shocked. Why so much hatred, so much violence ? Because you were the first to show violence and hatred towards black people and you need to realize it.
Some people even seem to ignore what black people have been through. There was a time,,education was denied to Blacks. There was also a time black graduates were forced to take blue collars jobs’
‘ White America ‘ needed a spokesman. Eminem is engaged in his fight against racial discrimination. His mission is to open suburbans kid’s eyes to the ghetto misery.
Eminem uses the advantage of his color to spread his voice where black M.C’s cannot do it, because they’re(unfortunately) limitated to black channel and radios.
Eminem’s story teaches white men a lesson. He’s been bullied by Blacks and he never retaliated. He has fought to be recognised as a white MC in a mainly black audience. He wanted to be part of the lanscape. Eminem’s story is a lesson of tolerance and it also shows white people that they are not the only ones to be able to hate.
No matter if you’re Black or White, keep it gangsta.
Quoting Fabolous :
‘ Y’all know who
Keepin’ it Gangsta
We come through
Keepin’ it Gangsta
Y’all know how we do
Keepin’ it Gangsta
My whole crew
Keepin’ it Gangsta ‘