Despite its relatively recent inception, rap music is an incredibly diverse musical genre. Old school East Coast “Boom-Bap”, modern “Dirty South” trap, West Coast melodic “G-Funk”, and the new RnB-fusion popularized by October’s Very Own (OVO) entertainment, none of these subgenres sound alike or cover similar subject matter. Regardless, the entire genre is often stereotyped as ignorant, repetitive, and harmful to society. Thousands of artists are viewed in this negative light, leaving San Luis Obispo High School rap fans frustrated.
“People always tell me that the whole genre’s only about glorifying drugs, bitches, and money. It’s not, but even if it was, that’s not going to hurt society. Marilyn Manson didn’t get kids hooked on heroin, and neither will Young Jeezy. Wu-Tang is for the children,” explained junior Max Calandro.
Music has always reflected society, but has never significantly affected it. Students who want to commit crimes aren’t going to be persuaded not to if an artist tells them to, likewise students who know better will listen to the music for entertainment, not for life lessons. As high school students, we’re mature enough to separate entertaining artists from good role models.
While it’s obvious a certain amount of ‘ignorant’ rap music exists, there’s nothing wrong with that. Music has every right to be nonsensical and fun, and people always need something to dance and relax to. If the Beatles can sing about their drug-fueled adventures, Migos should be able to detail their tales from the trap.
Rap music began in the 1970s as a form of street art, where individuals would air their grievances through rhyming chants. Since then, rap has long provided a voice to those who would otherwise be mute. Rap is a genre that anyone can participate in, allowing for a wide variety of perspectives and issues to be addressed. Lauryn Hill’s 1998 album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” served as a crusade against institutionalized misogyny and helped convince young black girls to respect themselves. Public Enemy’s 1990 album “Fear of a Black Planet“ poked fun at politicians terrified that blacks were taking over the world, inspiring many to question their leaders. Even today, Kendrick Lamar’s single “Alright” has become the motto of many victims of police brutality.
Often, this socially aware rap is dubbed “conscious” rap. This unfortunate term implies that the other half of rap must be “unconscious”, or not socially aware simply because of its subject matter. The simple truth is, artists write about what they see. If an artist grows up seeing drug deals and murders, chances are he’s going to write about those drug deals and murders. This half of the genre shouldn’t be seen as glorifying these activities, rather as a snapshot of the day-to-day lives of many Americans. Rap music poses a lot of questions, questions which makes it difficult to ignore the poverty and racism affecting a great portion of our population, forcing close-minded individuals to label the entire genre as toxic.
Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop(That Thing):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6QKqFPRZSA
Public Enemy – Fight The Power:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PaoLy7PHwk
Kendrick Lamar – Alright:
