I've blogged previously about my varied musical taste and so it won't come as a surprise to you faithful reader when I tell you that back in the day, I used to listen to Public Enemy quite a lot. Well, that music was on cassette so it's been a while since I listened to PE, but that changed a few weeks ago when I downloaded a couple of tracks off of "It Takes a Nation to Millions to Hold Us Down" on iTunes.
I started thinking about how amazing the music and lyrics were and wondered how the genre of rap got from Chuck D, to the hardcore gangster rap that predominates the charts now. Akon, to take an easy example, made up a criminal history to lend credibility to his album Konvicted. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0416081akon1.html?link=rssfeed
Chuck D, back when he was writing absolutely groundbreaking rap in 1995, complained in his lyrics that he was being unfairly painted as a criminal in "Don't Believe the Hype."
Why is it the perception of toughness or even being an outlaw, that is important now, rather than the respect as a human being that Chuck D said that he sought through his lyrics? And then this guy, http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/sports/football/Giant-Pain-Pierce-Spoke-to-NFL-Security-About-Burress-Team-Says.html?corder=&pg=1 is just an idiot. He claims he was carrying the gun to protect himself, but the NFL would have provided him with security if he believed he was really in danger. He was carrying the gun to meet the image created a perpetuated by artists like Akon. And ended up shooting himself in the leg and ending his NFL career because of it.
Is that an image worth striving for?
I started thinking about how amazing the music and lyrics were and wondered how the genre of rap got from Chuck D, to the hardcore gangster rap that predominates the charts now. Akon, to take an easy example, made up a criminal history to lend credibility to his album Konvicted. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0416081akon1.html?link=rssfeed
Chuck D, back when he was writing absolutely groundbreaking rap in 1995, complained in his lyrics that he was being unfairly painted as a criminal in "Don't Believe the Hype."
They claim that I'm a criminal.
By now I wonder how
Some people never know
The Enemy could be their friend.
Guardian, I'm not a hooligan.
I rock the party and
Clear all the madness.
I'm not a racist.
Preach to teach to all
'Cause some they never had this.
Number one, not born to run.
About the gun...
I wasn't licensed to have one.
The minute they see me, fear me.
I'm the epitome - a public enemy
Used, abused without clues.
I refused to blow a fuse.
They even had it on the news.
Don't believe the hype.
Why is it the perception of toughness or even being an outlaw, that is important now, rather than the respect as a human being that Chuck D said that he sought through his lyrics? And then this guy, http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/sports/football/Giant-Pain-Pierce-Spoke-to-NFL-Security-About-Burress-Team-Says.html?corder=&pg=1 is just an idiot. He claims he was carrying the gun to protect himself, but the NFL would have provided him with security if he believed he was really in danger. He was carrying the gun to meet the image created a perpetuated by artists like Akon. And ended up shooting himself in the leg and ending his NFL career because of it.
Is that an image worth striving for?
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