Joel Milian 9/30/12
Critique # 1: (Chapter 6) Just keeping it real
Critique:
This chapter of The Hip
Hop Wars, titled “Just keeping it real” describes how rap music has become
commercialized and has instilled overly exaggerated stories, lessons and
teachings which its audiences perceive to be true. Rappers such as 50 Cent, Lil
Wayne and T.I. are mentioned in this chapter to have criminal experiences in
the past, but exaggerated events and details in the lyrics of their songs. Hip
Hop came about as a means of expression mainly by their creators, those of
African American descent but as time has passed the notion of rappers “keeping
it real” in their songs has changed as rap has become more commercialized. Now
the problem that has risen due to this factor is that Rap is now seen as a
description on the lives of all African Americans when there is only a small
fraction that is being described. The common topics in rap music such as thugs,
pimps, drugs, and woman are becoming so desensitized that as offensive and
disrespectful as it is, becomes part of a catchy lyric to its audiences. This
has led to the false stereotypes, prejudice beliefs and ideas that all African
Americans live in thug communities or partake in drugs and disrespect woman.
This chapter also makes a great point in that rappers such as Common, Mos Def
and Talib Kweli who are known for their great artistic abilities have never had
a song go platinum. In contrast an artist such as Chammilionare mostly known
for his song “Riding Dirty” has gone platinum. This comparison goes to show
that the audience of rap music care less about the quality and essence of what
they are listening to, but rather the catchy, disrespectful lines that usually
are centered around false ideas.
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