More to Rap Music

UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 19, Page 1
February 10, 1994

Much more to rap music than what meets the ear Rap music has long been considered controversial by those in the mainstream. With recent criminal charges brought against rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Doggy Dog, gangsta rap has received added attention. However, the term gangsta rap seems to be an all-purpose word used by the media to generalize many types of rap into one broad category, according to Bill E. Lawson, associate professor of philosophy at the University.

A few years ago, Lawson taught "The Art of Social Protest from Be-Bop to Rap," a course that examined the role of protest in music from a philosophical point of view. Gangsta rap, he said, is a specific type of music that has evolved from anger expressed in earlier "hard core" rap forms.

Gangsta rap portrays urban life and its sometimes violent nature. It talks about people trying to have control over that environment, how they need to take on a certain persona. Rappers try to show that, in order to survive in such a violent atmosphere, people must look after their own self-interests and do what is necessary to take care of themselves. This particular rap style proclaims that money and power are the basis for respect, Lawson said.

Gangsta rap is attractive to both black and white youths, he said, because it is rebellious and anti-establishment oriented. It glamorizes the "bad" guy who will not be pushed around or told what to do. "For those who are involved in drugs and crime and killing, these raps are.the expression of their lives," Lawson said. The controversy over this music raises the question of whether or not gangsta rap affects behavior. Lawson said the answer depends on whom you talk to.

Rappers will say their music has no effect on people's behavior, but rather, it shows life in America today and what kids must do to get respect. Others will disagree and say it has a bad impact on behavior because it shows a lack of respect for life, especially when the music content involves killing people. Gangsta rap also talks about drug use and portrays negative attitudes toward women, especially black women.

To question gangsta rap's impact on behavior is the same as asking how television, video games or pornography affect people, Lawson said. Similar problems have risen with Satanic messages in heavy metal music. "Given what's going on in the black community, it's easy to pick out the music as the cause" of so much violence, he said. However, the claims people make must be supported with evidence. Lawson pointed out there is no evidence that gangsta rap is the cause of problems in the urban community.

A recent assault charge leveled against Tupac Shakur has been associated with gangsta rap, but Lawson said this is not accurate. Shakur's actions may be considered "gangsta" activity, he said, but his music does not reflect the prevalent opinion of a gangsta rapper's attitude. Before rapping on his own, Shakur was a member of Digital Underground. This group's music belongs to a different type of rap, focusing more on dancing and having fun. Public Enemy, a group that has caused controversy in the past, belongs to yet another type of rap, focusing on raising a consciousness of problems in the black community.

The gangsta attitude in the music of Dr. Dre or Snoop Doggy Dog is totally different from these other types of rap, Lawson said. They accept the situation as it is. Their general idea is "if you mess with me, I'll kill you." There does not seem to be a call for social change. Lawson said gangsta rap can be positive if it makes listeners stop and think about what went wrong in American society. But he also pointed out that rappers have to consider what kind of message they are sending out about laws and women.

As with all music, people react. Some radio stations are now refusing to play gangsta rap. Women's groups are lobbying against it, and female rappers like Queen Latifah have questioned the negative names used and attitudes directed toward black women. Who knows where gangsta rap will go from here? Even with so much negative response by the public, the music will still be bought and played. Many songs become popular without ever getting aired by most radio stations, but rather receive play in clubs and on college radio stations.

"People will always be pushing music to the limits and extremes," said Lawson. "They will try to push it beyond mainstream value boundaries."

-Gina Poltrok