Is Rap, the heart of Britain’s gun and knife culture?
Yes you did read that right, this was the topic of a discussion from that well known authority on Hip Hop - The Sun newspaper. Reading it there were some real choice comments, but my favorite had to be this one, which I include for a shining example of breathtaking ignorance. It makes some amazingly bad generalisations.
“Of course it is, it seems that a large percentage of those under 40 think it’s ‘cool’ to be ‘bad’. This is because ‘urban culture’ - the euphemism for western black culture - has been promoted by a political/cultural elite in politics/education and in the entertainment industry. It is a political/cultural orthodoxy which negates white european ethnic and cultural identity. Thus, those who are most susceptible to this cultural domination - the young, poor, uneducated (but not always so, by any means - think of the cultural ‘movers and shakers’ in the media) take on this identity in the absence of their own being given ‘respect’. You’ll find most of the perpetrators of ‘bad’ behaviour and attitude walking and talking like ‘dey is black’. Nah wot ah mean!”
Maybe I missed something but since when was urban culture, a euphanism for black culture? and clearly, If you are poor, of course you are subject to cultural domination.
What a load of shit. I wish people would consider the argument and not look at things in such a blinkered way. People are entitled to their opinions dont get me wrong, but not when the foundations of their arguments are based on total rubbish, or just assumptions about massive swathes of society.
Maybe it never occurred to some, that people use their own brain, and make their own choice when picking up a knife, to blame it on music is a tired scapegoat for other problems in society.
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Didn’t know big words like euphemism and orthodoxy were part of a Sun journalist’s vocab… Shocking exert and so bigoted!
Meh, don’t take this too seriously. It’s a forum post from one of the cretinous clowns who reads The Sun, this wasn’t published in the paper itself:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/discus.....91143.page
Although that’s not to say the paper’s reductive and idiotic representations didn’t help contribute to this guy’s opinion. At least some of the replies are putting him in his place:
“”This is because ‘urban culture’ -the euphemism for western black culture - has been promoted by a political/cultural elite in politics/education”
David Icke would be proud of this!!
The fact is Rap music had a much harder time than most ,if not all other genres of music breaking into the mainstream…There is no political elite promoting it or its culture, that is just pure nonsense, in fact in the USA where it originates I am certain the Government done their best to try to suppress it.”
Just found this, Ice Cube’s thoughts on the matter it would seem. Vaguely relevant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....=rec-fresh
Rap is not at the Heart of Gun and Knife Culture but is the music of choice for a disinfranchised Generation who take it out using weapons. In no way am i saying that because a normal person listins to rap music he will become a knife crime perpertrator, but some Rap Music (and generally the shit kind) does glamorize a culture where violence is acceptable and a way to resolve issues.I mean before i even heard a Song by that wanker 50 Cent, i had heard he had been shot a million times. Snoop Dog is applauded as being an Icon of the Rap game yet i think self promotes himself by getting involved in Violence still, which in my opinion is only done to sell Albums and seats on tours. The Belief that you are somehow a much cooler person for partaking in violence is rife within Hip Hop and should be addressed. People Like Suge Knight need to be isolated and ignored not idolized
I have no problems with people talking about the issues that they deal with on a day to day basis and im sure some rappers encounter crime and want to talk about it in their lyrics however its hardly ever handled correctly by the Mainstream Artists and the labels use it as a marketing ploy
What i do think the Sun gets right (although in a very clumsy way) is when it mentions how young people are talking like morons saying “nah wot i mean blud” Personally this is something so irritating that i want to take up knife crime myself.