Although Hip-Hop can be traced back to the early 1970’s, 1980 is the year most people recognize as the emergence of the phenomenon, the start of the Ronald Reagan administration. Thus, many have called Reagan the first Hip-Hop President. Reagan’s legacy in Hip-Hop music is unquestionable because the policies implemented in his two-term presidency, and the effects they had on minority communities, created an atmosphere in the inner cities that birthed some of the most controversial music in American history.
During the Reagan presidency, social programs and policies that were created to aid the urban poor were severely cut, leaving underprivileged minorities without much needed federal assistance. The economic program that Reagan introduced, known as Reaganomics, drastically increased the gulf between the rich and the poor and wreaked havoc on Black and Hispanic communities.
Reaganomics
The administration’s policies deepened the worst economic recession since
World War II. By the end of Reagan’s presidency, the United States was more than $1.5 trillion deeper in debt than when he first took office.
Reaganomics, the economic policy of the Reagan Administration, centered around the belief that if tax breaks and incentives were given to the rich, that it would loosen up the economy by increased spending and create more jobs for the American people. This was in essence a reapplication of the trickle down theory, or supply-side economics. The problem with this theory is that the jobs and money never trickled down to the rest of society. According to the Statistical Abstract of the United States for 1986, the number of people living below the poverty level rose almost every year from 1981 to 1992. Many people were divided about Reaganomics. Before George H.W. Bush became Reagan’s running mate, he called Reagan’s economic policies “Voodoo Economics.”
While the national unemployment rate rose into double digits, no place in America felt the effects worse than the Black and Hispanic communities. By 1986, over 30 percent of the Black population had an income below the official poverty level, which was more than three times the rate as Whites. By 1990, more than one out of every four Black men between the ages of 24 and 54 were out of work. Overall, the Black unemployment rate was two–and-a-half times higher than White unemployment. Without prospects for employment, reduced access to federal aid, and a presidential administration that seemed ambivalent to both issues, inner city communities became primed for volatility.
Although the tax breaks and incentives that the Reagan Administration created were for all Americans, the benefits were clearly felt by the middle-class and upper-class communities. Meanwhile, the divide between the rich and the poor widened.
Reagan and the Drug Epidemic
It is within the realm of the drug trade that President Reagan may have made his most significant contribution to the industry of Hip-Hop. The effects of Reaganomics on lower middle class communities led to an increase in deviant behaviors. Sociologist Robert Merton developed the strain theory to explain what happens when society socializes individuals to strive for cultural goals, i.e. material possessions, but denies large segments of the population access to achieve these goals. One of the ways that people respond to denied access is to seek to attain these goals through deviant behavior. Without having legitimate access to the “socially acceptable” ways of achieving material possessions, large numbers of young minorities sought to achieve these institutional means through illegitimate methods. With diminished prospects of becoming successful in the boardroom via the ghetto, many young Blacks and Latinos took to the streets to pursue the American dream.
By the beginning of Reagan’s second term in office, crack and cocaine sales in urban cities became immensely profitable. The emergence of drug trafficking in the inner cities also produced a need for gun proliferation. Whereas many assault weapons were previously unaffordable and thus unattainable, drug dealers could now illegally purchase arms quickly on the streets. The burgeoning crack game and rampant dispersion of firearms became a recipe for disaster in Black and Hispanic communities.
Crime rates soared as turf wars ensued over who controlled the right to sell drugs in urban neighborhoods. Citizens became hostages in their own homes during the hostile takeover of entire communities. Drug addicts committed crimes of desperation in order to acquire money to attain drugs. Amazingly, the government did not respond to the rise in crimes caused by crack until law enforcement agents became victims of violent crimes. In an attempt to stem rising crime rates from crack sales, stiffer penalties were handed out in crack possession cases. Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988, which set a 100:1 ratio between powder cocaine and crack cocaine.
The acts levied a mandatory minimum 10-year-sentence without parole for dealing 5,000 grams or more of cocaine and a 5-year-minimum sentence dealing 500 grams or more of cocaine. However, the sentence for dealing crack was much stiffer, because Congress believed that crack was much more addictive, and thus more dangerous, than cocaine. A person convicted of selling 5 grams of crack got the same 5-year-minimum sentence as a person convicted of selling 500 grams of powder, and a person convicted of selling 50 grams of crack received the same 10-year-minimum sentence as a person convicted of selling 5 kilos of cocaine.
Simple possession of any quantity of powder cocaine is considered a misdemeanor, which receives a maximum punishment of one year in prison. Simple possession of crack is considered a felony punishable by a five-year mandatory sentence.
Since it was more likely that an African-American would be caught in possession of crack than cocaine, many people in the African-American community complained that Blacks were being unfairly targeted with harsher penalties.
Inner-city police departments intensified their efforts to combat drug dealing within their sphere of patrol by doing drug sweeps and profiling young African-American and Hispanic men. Meanwhile, the CIA intentionally allowed drugs to enter the United States to aid their foreign affairs. When Los Angeles Drug King Ricky Ross was arrested and tried for drug trafficking, he testified at his trial that the CIA was supplying him with the drugs.
Dennis Dayle, former chief of an elite DEA enforcement unit stated that in almost all of his investigations over his 30 year professional history, the major targets turned out to be working for the CIA.[i]
Reagan and the Iran-Contra Scandal
Reagan’s biggest scandal may have also been the most costly to the African-American community. In 1987, Congress began to investigate the Reagan Administration to determine if they had been selling arms to Iran and using the proceeds to assist the Contras in Nicaragua. The Contras were an anti-communist guerilla organization in Nicaragua. The Reagan Administration saw helping the Contras necessary in order to keep communism out of the Americas. The problem the Reagan Administration had was that selling arms to Iran and funding the Contras was in direct violation of the Boland Amendment passed by Congress in response to human rights abuses by the Contras.
During the Reagan Administration, the CIA allowed drug traffic to accelerate into the United States in order to appease foreign allies in countries such as Panama, Columbia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Haiti, and Afghanistan. Unfortunately for Reagan, cracks in the drug dealing system exposed a leak to the American public. During the Iran-Contra Scandal, much of the funding that the Contras received came via large shipments of cocaine coming into the U.S. using U.S. government aircraft and U.S. military facilities.[ii]
Gary Webb, a reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, broke the story of the CIA involvement in drug trafficking in 1986. His article, which alleged that CIA and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agents and informants sold drugs to Crips and Bloods gang members in Los Angeles during the 1980’s, caused a furor to rise up in the African-American community.
Senator John Kerry led congressional hearings which produced the Kerry Committee Report. In the report, the committee found that the U.S. State Department had financed drug traffickers, and that individuals who had supported the Contras were involved in drug trafficking.[iii]
Reagan and the Rise of Hip-Hop Music
Hip-Hop music has always been a vehicle for social commentary. Though songs during the early days of the art form were usually about partying and having fun, there was also a sense of social consciousness within the music. Artists like Kurtis Blow (The Breaks), Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (The Message, White Lines), The Fearless Four (Problems of the World Today) and Run-DMC (It’s Like That) created songs that spoke about social conditions in American society. With the institution of Reagan’s social policies, the plight of the Black and Hispanic lower class, and the rise of the illicit crack epidemic, the social conditions of America’s urban societies began to influence the sound of Hip-Hop music. Hip-Hop was the sound of the streets, so as violence took over the streets, it also took over the music. The music captured the violent images that defined a violent society. Rap artists began to focus their lyrics on discussing the elements that shaped their surroundings: drugs, sex and violence.
Sociologically, the adverse effect of racism on African-American males has led to a negative image of self in many young black males. White males, who control the power structure of the country, have defined the image of manhood in American society. Being a man means to be a good provider for your family and taking care of responsibilities. White men have served as gatekeepers to the access of economic opportunities in America. Blacks have been subject to racism in America for over 400 years, with extreme psychological damage being charged to African-American men.
Without access to economic resources, African-American men have reduced opportunities to provide for their families, which cause emasculation and a negative self-image. Finding the road to success blocked through traditional means, some young Black men seek success through the road less traveled. Masculinity thus gets measured in acts of bravado, promiscuity, and procreation. These themes were brought to world focus through the mediums of radio and television.
Many young inner-city males do not see education as the vehicle through which success can be attained. Instead, many view the road to success being traveled through sports, Hip-Hop, or drugs. Those are the only means through which many envision receiving money, power, and respect, which have traditionally been the three things Black men in America have been denied.
With the choice of pursuing illegal methods to attain these ideals, large numbers of African-American males wind up spending time incarcerated. Since African-Americans are targeted more aggressively for drug related crimes, they are more likely to be arrested and convicted for these types of crimes. After incarceration, the already diminished prospects for gainful employment decrease drastically. With conventional means to success blocked, ex-convicts saw Hip-Hop as the only way to earn a legal living doing something that they understand and, in return, embraced them for who they are.
The Reagan Administration gave birth to the rise of “Gangsta Rap” in that it sowed economic depression into the inner-cities by under funding significant social programs. This created an environment in inner-city communities which led to the social conditions that set the atmosphere for “Gangsta Rap.” “Gangsta Rap” music was rap songs which gave an account of the negative, destructive behaviors which took place on ghetto streets spoken of in first person form.
Hip-Hop music gave a voice to the socially mute. As small independent rap record labels began to forge distribution deals with major record labels, rap music started to gain a larger audience. Whereas drugs, violence, unemployment, poverty and other malignant social issues were once seen as inner-city minority maladies that could be ignored as long as it didn’t affect the rest of society, Hip-Hop music brought it to the attention of mainstream society. Suddenly America became appalled by the disturbing images that were filtering into their homes through their children via the inner-city conduit of rap music.
The effects of Reagan’s Administration were felt long after his presidency ended. The Bush Administration tried to pick up where the Reagan Administration left off. It was the social and economic conditions that the Reagan Administration created and left in South Central Los Angeles which set the stage for the infamous destruction that took place during the 1992 Rodney King verdict riots. During his campaign against Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Presidential election, Reagan asked Americans if they were better off then than they were before Carter took office. Many voters made a personal assessment and decided that they weren’t and voted for Reagan. Amazingly, if many African-Americans living under Reagan’s leadership were asked the same question, they would overwhelmingly make the same personal assessment. From unemployment, to cut social programs, to drugs, African-American communities felt the brunt of the fall-out from Reaganomics. It is possible that Reagan didn’t care much about how his policies affected African-Americans since he never received overwhelming voter support from the community. In retrospect, perhaps Biz Markie summed up Black voter attitudes toward Reagan in his 1986 song “Nobody Beats the Biz” by stating bluntly, “Reagan is the Prez, but I voted for Shirley Chisholm.”
[i] Scott, Peter Dale & Marshall, Johnathan. Cocaine Politics: Drugs, Armies, and the CIA in Central America. Berkeley: U. of CA Press, 1991, pp x-xi.
[ii] Cockburn, Alexander & St. Clair, Jeffrey. Whiteout, The CIA, Drugs and the Press. New York:Verso 1998.
[iii] Ibid
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Slick Rick: The Enigmatic Ruler of the Hip-Hop Nation
“Fresh Dressed Like a Million Bucks…,” I can still hear it in my head like it came out yesterday. After hearing Slick Rick rhyme for the first time, I almost immediately sensed that Hip-Hop would be moving in a new direction. After seeing Slick Rick perform for the first time, I knew that my assessment was correct.
Slick Rick, Hip-Hop’s premier storyteller, has the ability to weave the art of storytelling into the fabric of Hip-Hop. He is also one of the few MC’s who has been able to successfully tell stories from both the humorous and serious perspectives.
Slick Rick can also lay claim to being Hip-Hop’s first metrosexual superstar. Slick Rick introduced the concept of being clean and meticulously dressed to the Hop-Hop world when he released “La Di Da Di” with his partner Doug E. Fresh back in 1985. “La Di Da Di” was also a Hip-Hop phenomenon because of its meteoric rise in popularity. The song was bootlegged during a live show performance that made its way around the tri-state area without the benefit of radio airplay.
Already established as a star with the very successful 12” single “The Show” and its B-Side “La Di Da Di”, Slick Rick flipped Hip-Hop upside down with the release of his solo album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick in 1988. The Album became an instant classic in the Hip-Hop community. It is acknowledged among the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. The album featured some of Hip-Hop’s greatest hits including “Children’s Story”, “Mona Lisa”, “Teenage Love”, and “Hey Young World”.
Hard times soon saddled the burgeoning rap star’s career, as Slick Rick was imprisoned in 1990 and served 3 years for shooting his cousin, whom Rick says was attempting to extort money from him. Slick Rick’s Hip-Hop status was cemented during this time period. Five years away from the Hip-Hop spotlight would normally be the death knell for most rappers careers, but Rick was able to comeback and still maintained his immense popularity.
Although Slick Rick has been facing a long battle with the INS, who arrested the rapper in June 2002 after returning to the U.S. from performing on a cruise ship, and is threatened with possible deportation, he still maintains widespread popularity. He is still one of the most talented and respected artists in Hip-Hop history, and his family, friends and fans remain hopeful that the Ruler can continue to reign in the U.S.
Slick Rick, Hip-Hop’s premier storyteller, has the ability to weave the art of storytelling into the fabric of Hip-Hop. He is also one of the few MC’s who has been able to successfully tell stories from both the humorous and serious perspectives.
Slick Rick can also lay claim to being Hip-Hop’s first metrosexual superstar. Slick Rick introduced the concept of being clean and meticulously dressed to the Hop-Hop world when he released “La Di Da Di” with his partner Doug E. Fresh back in 1985. “La Di Da Di” was also a Hip-Hop phenomenon because of its meteoric rise in popularity. The song was bootlegged during a live show performance that made its way around the tri-state area without the benefit of radio airplay.
Already established as a star with the very successful 12” single “The Show” and its B-Side “La Di Da Di”, Slick Rick flipped Hip-Hop upside down with the release of his solo album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick in 1988. The Album became an instant classic in the Hip-Hop community. It is acknowledged among the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. The album featured some of Hip-Hop’s greatest hits including “Children’s Story”, “Mona Lisa”, “Teenage Love”, and “Hey Young World”.
Hard times soon saddled the burgeoning rap star’s career, as Slick Rick was imprisoned in 1990 and served 3 years for shooting his cousin, whom Rick says was attempting to extort money from him. Slick Rick’s Hip-Hop status was cemented during this time period. Five years away from the Hip-Hop spotlight would normally be the death knell for most rappers careers, but Rick was able to comeback and still maintained his immense popularity.
Although Slick Rick has been facing a long battle with the INS, who arrested the rapper in June 2002 after returning to the U.S. from performing on a cruise ship, and is threatened with possible deportation, he still maintains widespread popularity. He is still one of the most talented and respected artists in Hip-Hop history, and his family, friends and fans remain hopeful that the Ruler can continue to reign in the U.S.
Divine Sounds: The Emergence of Brooklyn
While the Bronx and Harlem were bubbling with activity in the early days of Hip-Hop, Brooklyn was doing its thing with much less fanfare. There were crews that were representing the elements of Hip-Hop, but under the radar of many of the crews who were beginning to branch out into the record business. Brooklyn would finally get its voice through a group out of Bed-Stuy known as Divine Sounds.
Divine Sounds (DJ Mike Music, Shelton D, and Disco Ritchie) formed in the late 1970s. The group’s music had a funk-inspired sound. Early groups from the Brooklyn area were influenced by the sound of funk music. Brooklyn was the home of groups like B.T.Express, Crown Heights Affair, and Ready Made Family. By 1984, they released their biggest hit song “What People Do For Money” on Specific Records. The song had a catchy hook and took hold on New York radio. The song stayed in rotation for over six weeks, which was a major feat for a rap song during that time. On the B-side to the single were “Changes” and “Do or Die Bed-Stuy”. “Do or Die Bed-Stuy” had a real street feel to it that, in my opinion, captured the vibe of Brooklyn.
Divine Sounds was one of the first Hip-Hop groups from Brooklyn to release a record. They paved the way for other Brooklyn artists such as Big Daddy Kane, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., AZ and M.O.P..
Divine Sounds (DJ Mike Music, Shelton D, and Disco Ritchie) formed in the late 1970s. The group’s music had a funk-inspired sound. Early groups from the Brooklyn area were influenced by the sound of funk music. Brooklyn was the home of groups like B.T.Express, Crown Heights Affair, and Ready Made Family. By 1984, they released their biggest hit song “What People Do For Money” on Specific Records. The song had a catchy hook and took hold on New York radio. The song stayed in rotation for over six weeks, which was a major feat for a rap song during that time. On the B-side to the single were “Changes” and “Do or Die Bed-Stuy”. “Do or Die Bed-Stuy” had a real street feel to it that, in my opinion, captured the vibe of Brooklyn.
Divine Sounds was one of the first Hip-Hop groups from Brooklyn to release a record. They paved the way for other Brooklyn artists such as Big Daddy Kane, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., AZ and M.O.P..
Cold Crush Brothers
The Cold Crush Brothers were undoubtedly one of the most talented Hip-Hop groups of all time. Formed in the Bronx, New York in 1978, the Cold Crush (Charlie Chase, DJ Tony Tone, Easy AD, J.D.L., Almighty KG, and Grandmaster Caz) utilized strong emceeing skills, harmonies, and a great stage presence to form their show routines, which usually led to victories in rap battles.
It was groups like the Cold Crush Brothers who created the mix tape market as they received worldwide fame and notoriety through the sale of their underground live performances.
The Cold Crush forced groups to step their skills up to another level. They had a very strong reputation for creating great routines and performing with strong showmanship, and never allowed that image to be tarnished.
The Cold Crush Brothers recorded several singles throughout the early 1980s, including “Punk Rock Rap” and “Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold”. “Punk Rock Rap” was historic for two reasons. First, it was the first record to use Hip-Hop and rock music together. Secondly, because it was recorded on Tuff City Records and distributed by CBS Records, it was the first time an independent Hip-Hop label and a major record company worked together.
“Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold” was a certified street anthem. The song was the Cold Crush’s best selling recording. With the recording, the Cold Crush took in-your-face bravado up a few notches.
While the Cold Crush Brothers never attained sales figures that matched their talent level, the crew was legendary on the streets. Many of the most respected lyricists of all time fully acknowledge Grandmaster Caz as one of their greatest influences. Caz is known as one of the greatest of the early MC’s. Caz was never compensated on one of his biggest contributions to Hip-Hop history.
Part time club bouncer and Caz’ former manager, Big Bank Hank, caught the attention of Joey Robinson (son of Sylvia Robinson, founder of Sugar Hill Records) while he rapped over a tape of Caz’s lyrics. Robinson offered Hank a position in a group he was forming called the Sugar Hill Gang. Hank, in need of lyrics since he wasn’t an MC, went to Caz and asked for material. Caz told Hank to take what he wanted from his prized rhyme book. Hank went on to record Caz’s lyrics on the breakout Hip-Hop hit “Rapper’s Delight”.
The Cold Crush Brothers are recognized as one of the elite groups of the founding days of hip-hop. They were fearless battlers who intimidated many groups just by their mere presence. It was their sound, along with groups like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five that carried hip-hop through its early days and laid the foundation which future groups would build upon.
It was groups like the Cold Crush Brothers who created the mix tape market as they received worldwide fame and notoriety through the sale of their underground live performances.
The Cold Crush forced groups to step their skills up to another level. They had a very strong reputation for creating great routines and performing with strong showmanship, and never allowed that image to be tarnished.
The Cold Crush Brothers recorded several singles throughout the early 1980s, including “Punk Rock Rap” and “Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold”. “Punk Rock Rap” was historic for two reasons. First, it was the first record to use Hip-Hop and rock music together. Secondly, because it was recorded on Tuff City Records and distributed by CBS Records, it was the first time an independent Hip-Hop label and a major record company worked together.
“Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold” was a certified street anthem. The song was the Cold Crush’s best selling recording. With the recording, the Cold Crush took in-your-face bravado up a few notches.
While the Cold Crush Brothers never attained sales figures that matched their talent level, the crew was legendary on the streets. Many of the most respected lyricists of all time fully acknowledge Grandmaster Caz as one of their greatest influences. Caz is known as one of the greatest of the early MC’s. Caz was never compensated on one of his biggest contributions to Hip-Hop history.
Part time club bouncer and Caz’ former manager, Big Bank Hank, caught the attention of Joey Robinson (son of Sylvia Robinson, founder of Sugar Hill Records) while he rapped over a tape of Caz’s lyrics. Robinson offered Hank a position in a group he was forming called the Sugar Hill Gang. Hank, in need of lyrics since he wasn’t an MC, went to Caz and asked for material. Caz told Hank to take what he wanted from his prized rhyme book. Hank went on to record Caz’s lyrics on the breakout Hip-Hop hit “Rapper’s Delight”.
The Cold Crush Brothers are recognized as one of the elite groups of the founding days of hip-hop. They were fearless battlers who intimidated many groups just by their mere presence. It was their sound, along with groups like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five that carried hip-hop through its early days and laid the foundation which future groups would build upon.
The Beastie Boys: The Integration of Hip-Hop
Within its thirty-year existence, Hip-Hop has grown from its humble beginnings in the rugged streets of the South Bronx, New York to being one of the foremost disseminators of Pop culture across the world. Black and Latino youth created the phenomena and it slowly proliferated throughout the New York Metropolitan area. However, Hip-Hop was slow to have a major effect outside of the Tri-state area. That would all changed by 1985 when three Jewish-American white kids from New York City would help inject Hip-Hop into the bloodstream of American culture.
Formed in 1981, The Beastie (Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence) Boys used a background in Punk Rock music to form their own style of Hip-Hop music. The group switched to performing Hip-Hop under the influence of producer Rick Rubin. At the time, Hip-hop was considered Black inner-city music. With the emergence of The Beastie boys, rap music became more multicultural. White kids from the suburbs suddenly began to take to the music and it showed in the spike in record sales.
With the success of their LP Licensed to Ill, The Beastie Boys became pioneers of the music genre. Licensed to Ill was the first rap album to reach #1 on the Billboard album list. Licensed to Ill also became the best selling rap album of the 1980’s. They helped break down cultural barriers to bring rap music mainstream recognition. Their success helped to open up rap to a wider audience across America and abroad.
Although their next album, Paul’s Boutique, did not measure up to the success of Licensed to Ill, it met much critical acclaim. Paul’s Boutique took the art of sampling to the next level. Produced by the Dust Brothers, the album used over 100 samples and is listed by many as one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time.
The Beastie Boys have had a lasting affect on pop culture. The group, which is one of the longest tenured rap groups in history, are still recording and performing today. They have influenced other rapcore groups such as Limp Bizkit and Korn. The group members, Mike D (Michael Diamond), MCA (Adam Yauch) and King Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) also brought a Rock and Roll party atmosphere to Hip-Hop with their music.
Most importantly, The Beastie Boys presence helped make Hip-Hop legitimate in the eyes of young white music consumers and gave Hip-Hop its first exposure to mainstream audiences.
Formed in 1981, The Beastie (Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence) Boys used a background in Punk Rock music to form their own style of Hip-Hop music. The group switched to performing Hip-Hop under the influence of producer Rick Rubin. At the time, Hip-hop was considered Black inner-city music. With the emergence of The Beastie boys, rap music became more multicultural. White kids from the suburbs suddenly began to take to the music and it showed in the spike in record sales.
With the success of their LP Licensed to Ill, The Beastie Boys became pioneers of the music genre. Licensed to Ill was the first rap album to reach #1 on the Billboard album list. Licensed to Ill also became the best selling rap album of the 1980’s. They helped break down cultural barriers to bring rap music mainstream recognition. Their success helped to open up rap to a wider audience across America and abroad.
Although their next album, Paul’s Boutique, did not measure up to the success of Licensed to Ill, it met much critical acclaim. Paul’s Boutique took the art of sampling to the next level. Produced by the Dust Brothers, the album used over 100 samples and is listed by many as one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time.
The Beastie Boys have had a lasting affect on pop culture. The group, which is one of the longest tenured rap groups in history, are still recording and performing today. They have influenced other rapcore groups such as Limp Bizkit and Korn. The group members, Mike D (Michael Diamond), MCA (Adam Yauch) and King Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) also brought a Rock and Roll party atmosphere to Hip-Hop with their music.
Most importantly, The Beastie Boys presence helped make Hip-Hop legitimate in the eyes of young white music consumers and gave Hip-Hop its first exposure to mainstream audiences.
The Impact of Paid in Full on Hip-Hop History
Although never fully embraced by mainstream acclaim, Eric B and Rakim are undoubtedly one of the most influential Hip-hop groups of all time. By 1986, Hip-Hop had already left an indelible mark on mainstream culture. Movies like Wild Style and Beat Street exposed the world to Graffiti Art, Breakdancing and the art of scratching, while rapping became the most visible and recognized form of the culture. The Fresh Fest Tours featuring groups like Run-DMC, Whodini and the Fat Boys branched out across the US to indoctrinate new fans to the music. The sound of Hip-Hop was punctuated by hard drum machine beats and loud, near screaming rhymes. It was in the same year that this Hip-Hop duo would create a sound that would change the tone of the genre forever.
Hip-Hop listeners were introduced to the group in 1985 when they released the 12” single “Eric B for President” and its B-Side companion “My Melody” on the independent label Zakia Records. The impact that the songs had was felt immediately. Rakim’s cold impenetrable monotone flow combined with his intricate rhyme patterns caught everyone off-guard. The single had people buzzing over the sound, but most were left unprepared for what they would hear when the album dropped in 1986.
By the time “I know you Got Soul” was released as the second single from the LP, everyone knew that this group had something that was groundbreaking. Eric B’s production utilized hard bass drum kicks in conjunction with funky soul samples from artists such as James Brown, Bobby Byrd, and Jimmy Castor. Meanwhile, Rakim’s mesmerizing delivery literally changed the sound of Hip-Hop music. Almost immediately, MCs began to change the way they delivered rhymes. Yelling over beats to emphasize rhymes was replaced by cool, laid back vocal intonations. With the flair of a jazz musician, Rakim used style to reinvent the art of the rhyme.
Eric B and Rakim symbolized the dividing line between the sound of the legendary originators of the music and the new sound of the up-and-coming artists of the mid to late 1980’s. On the Hip-Hop timeline, era can be identified as before Eric B and Rakim and after. In fact, coincidence or not, the market for the new sound created by the arrival of Paid in Full became the death knell for legendary groups like The Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Fearless Four, and the Crash Crew.
One of the most telling stories about how outside of the box Rakim’s style was in recording “My Melody”. Eric B and Rakim recorded “Eric B for President” and “My Melody” at producer Marley Marl’s home studio. During the recording of “My Melody”, Marley Marl and MC Shan, who was present, kept trying to get Rakim to rhyme harder and louder like all the other rappers of the time period, but Rakim wouldn’t change his style. Later on, a retrospective MC Shan admitted that they didn’t realize they were witnessing the future of Hip-Hop.
Paid in Full has withstood the test of time and is without question still one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. Eric B and Rakim were artists who were ahead of their time. Rakim’s effect on Hip-Hop can be felt by the sheer number of MCs who say that they have been influenced by his work. Twenty years after the release of Paid in Full the songs still whip party-goers into frenzies when they are played, and make grown men revert back into adolescent boys reminiscing on the first time they heard the future.
Hip-Hop listeners were introduced to the group in 1985 when they released the 12” single “Eric B for President” and its B-Side companion “My Melody” on the independent label Zakia Records. The impact that the songs had was felt immediately. Rakim’s cold impenetrable monotone flow combined with his intricate rhyme patterns caught everyone off-guard. The single had people buzzing over the sound, but most were left unprepared for what they would hear when the album dropped in 1986.
By the time “I know you Got Soul” was released as the second single from the LP, everyone knew that this group had something that was groundbreaking. Eric B’s production utilized hard bass drum kicks in conjunction with funky soul samples from artists such as James Brown, Bobby Byrd, and Jimmy Castor. Meanwhile, Rakim’s mesmerizing delivery literally changed the sound of Hip-Hop music. Almost immediately, MCs began to change the way they delivered rhymes. Yelling over beats to emphasize rhymes was replaced by cool, laid back vocal intonations. With the flair of a jazz musician, Rakim used style to reinvent the art of the rhyme.
Eric B and Rakim symbolized the dividing line between the sound of the legendary originators of the music and the new sound of the up-and-coming artists of the mid to late 1980’s. On the Hip-Hop timeline, era can be identified as before Eric B and Rakim and after. In fact, coincidence or not, the market for the new sound created by the arrival of Paid in Full became the death knell for legendary groups like The Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Fearless Four, and the Crash Crew.
One of the most telling stories about how outside of the box Rakim’s style was in recording “My Melody”. Eric B and Rakim recorded “Eric B for President” and “My Melody” at producer Marley Marl’s home studio. During the recording of “My Melody”, Marley Marl and MC Shan, who was present, kept trying to get Rakim to rhyme harder and louder like all the other rappers of the time period, but Rakim wouldn’t change his style. Later on, a retrospective MC Shan admitted that they didn’t realize they were witnessing the future of Hip-Hop.
Paid in Full has withstood the test of time and is without question still one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. Eric B and Rakim were artists who were ahead of their time. Rakim’s effect on Hip-Hop can be felt by the sheer number of MCs who say that they have been influenced by his work. Twenty years after the release of Paid in Full the songs still whip party-goers into frenzies when they are played, and make grown men revert back into adolescent boys reminiscing on the first time they heard the future.
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt (Cheryl James) and Pepa (Sandra Denton) formed the rap group Salt-N-Pepa, one of the most successful female Hip-Hop and Pop groups of all time. From their humble beginnings working at a Sears in New York, they went on to record platinum records and pave the way for a new generation of female MCs.
The group was formed in 1985, when co-worker Hurby “Love Bug” Azor asked them to help him with a student project by recording an answer record to Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew’s hit “The Show”. During that time, the way women were introduced into Hip-Hop was by recording “answer” records to male groups’ hit songs. The result was the 12” single “The Showstopper”, which was released on Pop Arts Records. While the song never became a hit, it introduced the group, recording under the name Super Nature”, to the Hip-Hop scene. The group’s original DJ, Spinderella (Pamela Green) left the group before the group recorded their second album and was replaced by the new Spinderella (Deidre “Dee Dee” Roper.) Later the group changed their name to Salt-N-Pepa and signed with Next Plateau Records. It was with Next Plateau that the group began to soar.
They had the ability to rock hard enough to hang with the guys in the industry, yet connect with their female base of supporters. They were able to combine strong lyrical delivery with sex appeal, thus keeping their femininity in the testosterone dominated Hip-Hop genre. Salt-N-Pepa helped create a platform for women to be heard in Hip-Hop.
The group was formed in 1985, when co-worker Hurby “Love Bug” Azor asked them to help him with a student project by recording an answer record to Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew’s hit “The Show”. During that time, the way women were introduced into Hip-Hop was by recording “answer” records to male groups’ hit songs. The result was the 12” single “The Showstopper”, which was released on Pop Arts Records. While the song never became a hit, it introduced the group, recording under the name Super Nature”, to the Hip-Hop scene. The group’s original DJ, Spinderella (Pamela Green) left the group before the group recorded their second album and was replaced by the new Spinderella (Deidre “Dee Dee” Roper.) Later the group changed their name to Salt-N-Pepa and signed with Next Plateau Records. It was with Next Plateau that the group began to soar.
They had the ability to rock hard enough to hang with the guys in the industry, yet connect with their female base of supporters. They were able to combine strong lyrical delivery with sex appeal, thus keeping their femininity in the testosterone dominated Hip-Hop genre. Salt-N-Pepa helped create a platform for women to be heard in Hip-Hop.
Crash Crew
The Crash Crew was one of the most electrifying groups of the early Hip-Hop era. The six member crew (EK Mike C, Reggie Reg, La Shu Bee, G-Man, Barry Bistro, and DJ Daryl C (R.I.P.)) was also one of the earliest Hip-Hop groups to form outside of the Bronx, NY.
The Crash Crew formed in 1977, in the Harlem section of the Lincoln Projects on 135th and 5th Ave. The crew used harmony in their routines, which were usually derived from television theme songs, and created rhymes around the melodies. They played a big part in Hip-Hop’s successful transition from performing in local parks and community centers, to recording records and doing shows around the U.S.
Some of their hit songs include “High Powered Rap” (which Jay-Z used on his song “Girls, Girls, Girls” without giving the Crash Crew proper credit), “On the Radio”, “We Are Known as Emcees”, and “Breaking Bells”.
By releasing their 12” single, “High Powered Rap”, independently on Mike and Dave Records, the group became one of the earliest Hip-Hop groups to release and distribute a record on their own indie label.
The Crash Crew formed in 1977, in the Harlem section of the Lincoln Projects on 135th and 5th Ave. The crew used harmony in their routines, which were usually derived from television theme songs, and created rhymes around the melodies. They played a big part in Hip-Hop’s successful transition from performing in local parks and community centers, to recording records and doing shows around the U.S.
Some of their hit songs include “High Powered Rap” (which Jay-Z used on his song “Girls, Girls, Girls” without giving the Crash Crew proper credit), “On the Radio”, “We Are Known as Emcees”, and “Breaking Bells”.
By releasing their 12” single, “High Powered Rap”, independently on Mike and Dave Records, the group became one of the earliest Hip-Hop groups to release and distribute a record on their own indie label.
RUN-DMC: Global Ambassadors of Hip-Hop
In the history of Hip-Hop music, no group has had a greater impact on its growth than Run-DMC. Run-DMC changed the way Hip-Hop music was made and marketed. Before the group’s emergence, Hip-Hop was a single’s driven industry. No one made rap albums, and because of this, no one was really sure if rap music could be marketed in an album form. Under the leadership and guidance of rap promoter Russell Simmons and producer Rick Rubin, Run-DMC became the biggest name rap group of their era.
The group Run-DMC consisted of Run (Joseph Simmons, Russell Simmons younger brother), DMC (Daryl McDaniels), and their DJ Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell, R.I.P.). Before the group took off, rap artists’ performance wardrobes looked like they robbed Rick James’ fashion designer. Tight leather pants, boots, studded black leather gloves, and fake fur shawls were the look of the day. When Run-DMC hit the scene they instantly changed the dress code. Fedora hats, Adidas sneakers, no shoelaces, Lee Jeans, and three quarter length leather jackets became their signature style of dress.
Run-DMC hit the streets hard with their first single “Sucker MC’s” and the B-side single “It’s Like That”. Both songs became instant hits, and both songs had a lasting impact on Hip-Hop. “Sucker MC’s” immediately became a street anthem; the booming bass drum beat dominated boom boxes through the Tri-State area. It seemed like every urban teenager knew all the lyrics to the song and it was the biggest body mover in the park jams and block parties of the summer of 1984. Meanwhile, “It’s Like That” became one of the earliest Hip-Hop songs to incorporate a Rock bass line to its melody. The innovative style laid the groundwork for future Run-DMC Rock music forays such as “Rock Box”, “Walk This Way” and “Mary, Mary.”
By 1986, Run-DMC had already become one of the biggest groups in Hip-Hop, and that year they released an album that would push them into the elite stratosphere of superstardom. The LP, Raising Hell became the highest selling rap album in history to that point. Raising Hell featured “Walk This Way”, a song recorded with Rock group Aerosmith that propelled the album over the top, and Run-DMC, into the Rock market. With the success of Raising Hell, Run-DMC was able to achieve widespread mainstream appeal.
Run-DMC’s Hip-Hop legacy speaks of all of the doors they helped open for future rap groups. They were one of the earliest rap groups to be in heavy rotation on MTV. “Walk This Way” became the first rap song to make the Top 10 on Billboard’s singles charts. They were the first rap group to record platinum and multi-platinum albums, and they were also the first rap group to appear of the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. In addition, they helped make Hip-Hop music marketable to corporate America. With their promotion of Adidas via the song “My Adidas”, they became the first rap group to sign a sneaker deal. Today’s rap artists owe gratitude to groups like Run-DMC who paved the way for Hip-Hop to be embraced across the world.
The group Run-DMC consisted of Run (Joseph Simmons, Russell Simmons younger brother), DMC (Daryl McDaniels), and their DJ Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell, R.I.P.). Before the group took off, rap artists’ performance wardrobes looked like they robbed Rick James’ fashion designer. Tight leather pants, boots, studded black leather gloves, and fake fur shawls were the look of the day. When Run-DMC hit the scene they instantly changed the dress code. Fedora hats, Adidas sneakers, no shoelaces, Lee Jeans, and three quarter length leather jackets became their signature style of dress.
Run-DMC hit the streets hard with their first single “Sucker MC’s” and the B-side single “It’s Like That”. Both songs became instant hits, and both songs had a lasting impact on Hip-Hop. “Sucker MC’s” immediately became a street anthem; the booming bass drum beat dominated boom boxes through the Tri-State area. It seemed like every urban teenager knew all the lyrics to the song and it was the biggest body mover in the park jams and block parties of the summer of 1984. Meanwhile, “It’s Like That” became one of the earliest Hip-Hop songs to incorporate a Rock bass line to its melody. The innovative style laid the groundwork for future Run-DMC Rock music forays such as “Rock Box”, “Walk This Way” and “Mary, Mary.”
By 1986, Run-DMC had already become one of the biggest groups in Hip-Hop, and that year they released an album that would push them into the elite stratosphere of superstardom. The LP, Raising Hell became the highest selling rap album in history to that point. Raising Hell featured “Walk This Way”, a song recorded with Rock group Aerosmith that propelled the album over the top, and Run-DMC, into the Rock market. With the success of Raising Hell, Run-DMC was able to achieve widespread mainstream appeal.
Run-DMC’s Hip-Hop legacy speaks of all of the doors they helped open for future rap groups. They were one of the earliest rap groups to be in heavy rotation on MTV. “Walk This Way” became the first rap song to make the Top 10 on Billboard’s singles charts. They were the first rap group to record platinum and multi-platinum albums, and they were also the first rap group to appear of the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. In addition, they helped make Hip-Hop music marketable to corporate America. With their promotion of Adidas via the song “My Adidas”, they became the first rap group to sign a sneaker deal. Today’s rap artists owe gratitude to groups like Run-DMC who paved the way for Hip-Hop to be embraced across the world.
Pumpkin: Hip-Hop's First Super Producer
Hip-Hop listeners have always been entranced by the beat. The beat is the foundation of the soundtrack to our lives. It is the key element to the sound that made us brave long bus and train rides into hostile territories in search of the perfect beat. One of the early progenitors of the magnetic Hip-Hop beat was Producer Pumpkin (R.I.P.).
Pumpkin was Hip-Hop’s first super producer. He was known as the King of the Beat and Hip-Hop’s original funky drummer. Pumpkin was the drummer and lead musical arranger in Enjoy Records studio band. He also was a label producer for Profile Records. Pumpkin was a pro on live and synthesized drum kits. He mastered the use of the Linn Drum machine. Through his body of work, he became one of the most prolific producers in early Hip-Hop recordings. He produced songs like “Yvette” by the Cold Crush Brothers, "Put That Head Out" by Funkmaster Wizard Wiz, and “Here Comes That Beat” by Pumpkin and the Profile All-Stars. He also co-produced “Fresh, Fly, Wild, & Bold” by the Cold Crush Brothers.
Pumpkin also created the music for such old school classics as “Country Rock and Rap” by The Disco Four, “Rappin’ and Rockin’ the House” by Funky Four Plus One More, “Love Rap” by Spoonie Gee, “The Body Rock” by the Treacherous Three, “It’s Magic” and “Rockin’ It” by the Fearless Four, “Throwdown” and “School Beats” by the Disco Four, and most of all the early hip-hop songs recorded on Enjoy Records.
He is probably best known for his 1984 hit song “Here Comes That Beat”, featuring the Profile All-Stars. The Profile All-Stars included groups like Dr Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, The Fresh 3 MCs, and The Disco Four.
Pumpkin was a creative musical genius who played multiple instruments. Sadly, Pumpkin never received his deserved recognition. His name is almost all but forgotten when the best Hip-Hop producers are mentioned. However, Pumpkin was one of the most important musical figures in the early days of Hip-Hop recordings. He was a key creative force behind the sound of Hip-Hop during the early 1980s. Hip-Hop lost a true pioneer when he succumbed to Pneumonia, but his legacy lives on deeply entrenched in the sound of the early Hip-Hop classics.
Pumpkin was Hip-Hop’s first super producer. He was known as the King of the Beat and Hip-Hop’s original funky drummer. Pumpkin was the drummer and lead musical arranger in Enjoy Records studio band. He also was a label producer for Profile Records. Pumpkin was a pro on live and synthesized drum kits. He mastered the use of the Linn Drum machine. Through his body of work, he became one of the most prolific producers in early Hip-Hop recordings. He produced songs like “Yvette” by the Cold Crush Brothers, "Put That Head Out" by Funkmaster Wizard Wiz, and “Here Comes That Beat” by Pumpkin and the Profile All-Stars. He also co-produced “Fresh, Fly, Wild, & Bold” by the Cold Crush Brothers.
Pumpkin also created the music for such old school classics as “Country Rock and Rap” by The Disco Four, “Rappin’ and Rockin’ the House” by Funky Four Plus One More, “Love Rap” by Spoonie Gee, “The Body Rock” by the Treacherous Three, “It’s Magic” and “Rockin’ It” by the Fearless Four, “Throwdown” and “School Beats” by the Disco Four, and most of all the early hip-hop songs recorded on Enjoy Records.
He is probably best known for his 1984 hit song “Here Comes That Beat”, featuring the Profile All-Stars. The Profile All-Stars included groups like Dr Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, The Fresh 3 MCs, and The Disco Four.
Pumpkin was a creative musical genius who played multiple instruments. Sadly, Pumpkin never received his deserved recognition. His name is almost all but forgotten when the best Hip-Hop producers are mentioned. However, Pumpkin was one of the most important musical figures in the early days of Hip-Hop recordings. He was a key creative force behind the sound of Hip-Hop during the early 1980s. Hip-Hop lost a true pioneer when he succumbed to Pneumonia, but his legacy lives on deeply entrenched in the sound of the early Hip-Hop classics.
Hip-Hop and the Looking Glass Self
In the 1880's, Charles Horton Cooley, a sociologist, developed a theory of the Looking Glass Self in order to explain how humans develop the ability to view themselves from an outsider's perspective. Through this outside perspective, we define our concept of self, based on our interpretation of how others see us.
In American society, black men have traditionally been viewed as simple-minded, violent, oversexed miscreants who would rather hustle or live off of the system than to earn a legitimate living. America has always painted a negative portrait of the African-American male. Black men are often denied proper access to cultural goals, i.e. material possessions, by legitimate means due to racism and class status.
Over the years, Hip-Hop has developed into a subculture with influential effects on the dominant culture. The image of the cool, super-masculine black male deviant as rap artist has saturated the Hip-Hop genre. In fact, a rap artists street credibility and respect in the game is often measured by his criminal rap sheet, length of incarceration, and/or the number of times he has survived sustaining bullet wounds.
According to Cooley's Looking Glass Theory, we imagine how we appear to others around us, we interpret their reaction to us (whether positive or negative), and then we develop a self-concept based on the feelings or ideas we have about ourselves. This self-concept can be positive or negative. Individuals are products of their social inflluences, and since most Hip-Hop artists come from tough inner-city environments, many have constructed their rap persona around the images that pervade their surroundings. Thus, they see themselves through the lens that the dominant society views them with. Therefore, if a young black male believes that society looks at him with fear because he is perceived to be a threat, he may internalize that perception and take ownership of it. Since black males have traditionally been emasculated by society, the young male may enjoy this sense of power and inherit this self-conception of himself.
In The Presentation of Self In Everyday Life, Erving Goffman says that when an individual presents himself before others his performance will incorporate the values of the community or society (p35). In this case, the community or society whose values are being incorporated is the Hip-Hop community. No male wants to be viewed as soft in front of his peers, so it becomes important for an artist to conform to the imagery of gangsters or machismo to save face in front of others.
Goffman notes that people have front stage and backstage behaviors. The front stage is the public or shared experiences, while the backstage is the private behavior. The front stage is the act, or the image we want others to see us as. Men rarely care to expose their frailties, emotional scars, and financial difficulties with others. Men have been trained that these personal limitations are signs of weekness, so they see it as being advantageous to conceal them from public view. These behaviors are only appropriate in the backstage setting when no one is watching. People put on masks to conceal themselves. Goffman states that the mask is our truer self, the self that we would like to be (pg 19).
Many young African-American males use a facade of cool posturing in order to mask internalized feelings of fear, insecurity and inferiority. In their book Cool Pose, authors Richard Majors and Janet Mancini Billson express their belief that cool pose helps to explain the fact African-American males die earlier and faster than white males; are more deeply involved in criminal and delinquent activities; are more apt to drop out of school and are suspended more frequently than white children; and have more volatile relationships with woman (pg 2)
Hip-Hop artists have mastered the art of cool posture in front of the media and in music videos. The tough thug image that is pervasive in many Hip-Hop groups is an example of the front stage behavior. It is the image that they want others to associate them with in order to increase their street credibility. Meanwhile, many live completely different lives in their backstage setting. Many are family men, loving to their wives and children, who run or fund community organizations for children, and give philanthropically to charities, far from the villainous behaviors displayed to the public. While some rap artists have been involved in gang activity and drug dealing, others have simply written about the lifestyle they observed from a front row seat.
The violent imagery of Hip-Hop cannot totally be blamed on the irresponsibility of the artists. Often what is displayed is reactionary behavior toward a repressive society, which has historically marginalized and emasculated Black males and blocked the pathways to traditional means of expressing manhood and masculinity for African-American males. However, Hip-Hop has to face itself and, in the reflection of its looking glass self, determine the image it will embrace in its future.
In American society, black men have traditionally been viewed as simple-minded, violent, oversexed miscreants who would rather hustle or live off of the system than to earn a legitimate living. America has always painted a negative portrait of the African-American male. Black men are often denied proper access to cultural goals, i.e. material possessions, by legitimate means due to racism and class status.
Over the years, Hip-Hop has developed into a subculture with influential effects on the dominant culture. The image of the cool, super-masculine black male deviant as rap artist has saturated the Hip-Hop genre. In fact, a rap artists street credibility and respect in the game is often measured by his criminal rap sheet, length of incarceration, and/or the number of times he has survived sustaining bullet wounds.
According to Cooley's Looking Glass Theory, we imagine how we appear to others around us, we interpret their reaction to us (whether positive or negative), and then we develop a self-concept based on the feelings or ideas we have about ourselves. This self-concept can be positive or negative. Individuals are products of their social inflluences, and since most Hip-Hop artists come from tough inner-city environments, many have constructed their rap persona around the images that pervade their surroundings. Thus, they see themselves through the lens that the dominant society views them with. Therefore, if a young black male believes that society looks at him with fear because he is perceived to be a threat, he may internalize that perception and take ownership of it. Since black males have traditionally been emasculated by society, the young male may enjoy this sense of power and inherit this self-conception of himself.
In The Presentation of Self In Everyday Life, Erving Goffman says that when an individual presents himself before others his performance will incorporate the values of the community or society (p35). In this case, the community or society whose values are being incorporated is the Hip-Hop community. No male wants to be viewed as soft in front of his peers, so it becomes important for an artist to conform to the imagery of gangsters or machismo to save face in front of others.
Goffman notes that people have front stage and backstage behaviors. The front stage is the public or shared experiences, while the backstage is the private behavior. The front stage is the act, or the image we want others to see us as. Men rarely care to expose their frailties, emotional scars, and financial difficulties with others. Men have been trained that these personal limitations are signs of weekness, so they see it as being advantageous to conceal them from public view. These behaviors are only appropriate in the backstage setting when no one is watching. People put on masks to conceal themselves. Goffman states that the mask is our truer self, the self that we would like to be (pg 19).
Many young African-American males use a facade of cool posturing in order to mask internalized feelings of fear, insecurity and inferiority. In their book Cool Pose, authors Richard Majors and Janet Mancini Billson express their belief that cool pose helps to explain the fact African-American males die earlier and faster than white males; are more deeply involved in criminal and delinquent activities; are more apt to drop out of school and are suspended more frequently than white children; and have more volatile relationships with woman (pg 2)
Hip-Hop artists have mastered the art of cool posture in front of the media and in music videos. The tough thug image that is pervasive in many Hip-Hop groups is an example of the front stage behavior. It is the image that they want others to associate them with in order to increase their street credibility. Meanwhile, many live completely different lives in their backstage setting. Many are family men, loving to their wives and children, who run or fund community organizations for children, and give philanthropically to charities, far from the villainous behaviors displayed to the public. While some rap artists have been involved in gang activity and drug dealing, others have simply written about the lifestyle they observed from a front row seat.
The violent imagery of Hip-Hop cannot totally be blamed on the irresponsibility of the artists. Often what is displayed is reactionary behavior toward a repressive society, which has historically marginalized and emasculated Black males and blocked the pathways to traditional means of expressing manhood and masculinity for African-American males. However, Hip-Hop has to face itself and, in the reflection of its looking glass self, determine the image it will embrace in its future.
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