Hip-hop

By Amy Ziemak

Hip-Hop music and lyrics came from a very strong background of individuals and groups who wanted to take a stand. The Last Poets were one of the very first Hip-Hop groups in the 1960's to have politically challenging lyrics that relayed and related to the masses. They were a strong group in the time of Black Nationalism, and while they encouraged blacks with their political lyrics and messages, they also tried to make a difference within the Black Arts.

The Last Poets music was considered an art form. They took inspiration from poets like Imamu Amiri Baraka, and political organizations like the Black Panthers, and instead of the typical "rhythm and blues" feel, their music infused African- flavored jazz rhythms, poetry, and improvisation, resulting in politically challenging music that shook the nation.

"A Hip-Hop lyric back in the 1960s and 1970s stood for something. The lyrics stood for a message that people wanted to spread," said Ellen Norris, a 50-year-old accountant from Canal Fulton, Ohio. "They were trying to better themselves and their followers. Hip-Hop music today just sounds like a slur of words. I do not like the lyrics being played on the radio, and I will not have that ever played in my house."

In the early 1990s, Hip-Hop music and its message began to change, and it seemed that the days of politically charged, poetic music were long gone. In 1993 rapper Tupac Shakur, as a member of the group Thug Life, which featured Big Syke, Macadoshis, Mopreme and The Rated R, changed what it meant to be a thug, and adopted and embodied the phrase "thug life," as a philosophy and a way of being.

To Skakur, a "thug" was not a criminal. To him, a "thug" was someone who had come from an oppressive background, with little opportunity, and still managed to live a life to be proud of. Shakur's popularity and beliefs brought him many followers, and soon, youth and gangs all across the country had adopted the "Thug Life Code of Ethics," which was a set of strongly followed principles and rules. These followers believed that, "civilians were not to be targets in gang warfare," and that "children in schools should not be indoctrinated by gang propaganda." Whether or not all gangs followed the code of ethics is questionable, but the rules and Shakur's legacy and philosophy of "thug life," live on even after his death.

Shakur, despite attempting to promote an image of self-help and respect in the black community through the ideals, rules, and principles of "thug life," has had many critics, and there are those who believe that his definition and promotion of ?thug life? has not helped to reduce the violence or change the minds of violent gang members.

"In theory, the 'Thug Life Code of Ethics' is a good idea, but I do not feel that it was ever followed as it should," said Kristin Parker, a 20-year-old education major at Eastern Michigan University. "Civilians are still killed all the time due to gang violence. If they are following this so called 'thug life,' to better themselves they, should not be in a gang, and should not be resorting to violence to settle things."

With the progression of Hip-hop music and lyrics, and the move from poetry and "thug life," to gangsta rap and "bling-bling," some rappers are being placed into strict categories in accordance to the image they project and the lyrics they rhyme. Some rappers are being defined as "gangsta," who tend to have more explicit lyrics that contain images of gangs, prisons, and the glorification of drugs and violence, while others are deemed "conscious rappers," who have lyrics that are a bit more censored, and raps that are defined as "happy," and "giving off a good vibe."
"To me, a 'gangsta' rapper would be someone like Tupac or 50 Cent. They do not censor themselves, and they rap about some very controversial topics," said Garrick Baker, a 20-year-old education major from EMU. "A 'conscious' rapper would be Will Smith. He censors himself a lot, and tends to rap more about light hearted, entertaining topics. Those would be the extremes."

In relation to their lyrics, many rappers have adopted an extravagant life style, and choose to wear their money quite literally on their sleeves. "Bling-Bling," which is defined as expensive jewelry and other accessories, is what many rappers are using to project heir chosen persona, and prove to their critics and audience that they are successful. A rapper will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a piece of jewelry to have it personalized and styled with many different types of jewels and metals. Chains, rings, belt buckles, watches, and more recently, "grills," which are silver, gold, or platinum caps with diamond inlays jeweled to be worn over the teeth, are all types of "bling" that a rapper will buy.

To go along with the "bling" life style large, amounts of money will be spent almost anywhere. While out dining, a rapper may purchase many bottles of Cristal Champagne, which can range from $350 to $500 a bottle. Instead of having one car, many expensive, customized cars will be purchased. The standard factory equipment will be removed and custom rims, CD players, TV and DVD players, tinted windows, and speakers and more will be installed as yet another way to prove their wealth.

The "bling" life style is one way for rappers and Hip-Hop artists to prove their wealth and status. Even though it is a blatant misrepresentation of the majority, many people in the United States make the mistake in assuming that all African Americans are just as extravagant and uncouth, and until more rappers and Hip-Hop artists use their money to help their fellow people and those truly in need, the assumptions will continue, and their reputations will not change.