Thread: Gangsta Rap should be outlawed.

Yea I remember that one, Easy E was expressing some major beef he had with Deathrow. I was never really big on Easy, something about him lyrically just never grabbed me. His proteges BTNH I was feeling pretty much everything they came out with.

Yeah, they were great at one time.
Later yall

Originally Posted by stonedape

I myself don't like gangsta rap, but at the same time it's an expression, and I do like expression. Gansta rap expresses misogyny and violence, it expresses how ignorant our society is as a whole. This is good to know. This kind of music shows, is proof even, that we have some serious problems that we need to address as a culture. Repressing this isn't gonna do shit. We need to take action and do something about the way our society functions. Liberty and compassion are the only two real solutions I can think of.

Interesting that you've mentioned this. Gangsta rap and the promotion of violence in general within some lyrics is what truly sells and appeals to society. Believe it or not people in general are attracted to violence. Not neccessarily to the point of being involved in a violent act but insomuch of the news of violence. It captivates the attention and reals the person in more. People in marketing advertisement are very aware of this.

Think about it. No one wants to hear how well you got it all the time or how great your life is. When someone comes up to a person and says' "My life is awesome! I have this, I have that!" One of the first thoughts that goes into a person's head is "He must be B.S-ing or he's egocentric and arrogant. Now flip that and let someone come up to a person and say. "My life is full of problems and nothing ever goes right." Then the person who is listening will more than likely say, "I totally know what you mean" or "I completely understand" and will ultimately invite the negative and disregard the positive. It's pretty much how we are.

Well I'm not sure about banning it, but I don't like it myself that's for sure. I do remember watching CNN about a year ago (?) and there was a big story about a black high school student from a bad neighborhood in Chicago who was killed. He was a good kid and an honors student, so he's definitely not your stereotypical black kid from the hood. One day, I believe he had an argument and took a 2-by-4 to the head, which killed him. There were many many witnesses, but they didn't want to talk because "snitches get stitches". Pathetic.

I'll edit this post with a source when I get time. Unless someone else does it.

Edit: http://newsone.com/nation/news-one-s...ol-gang-fight/

Oh noh! Some people have different cultural preferences than you do! They are automatically idiots because they disagree with what you think!

/sarcasm

Enough said.

So, reading this made me want to listen to some Eminem(bagpipes from bagdad), so yeah...you got me!!!


My biggest complaint when people start talking about 'gangsta rap' is that they are always obsessing over the lyrics. These words are ruining the kids!!! At the end of the day, people can say what they want in this country, and the violence/badness involved in these lyrics existed a hellavu lot longer than gangsta rap has been around.

The second thing that pisses me off when people talk about lyrics is theyre always bellyaching about how disgusting these words are when they dont take any time to find out where these artists came from or in what kind of environment they were raised. Truth is the shit they rap about actually happens and a lot of the songs all the sensitive white people cry about are just scratching the surface of what some KIDS see on the other side of their front door.

When you read these lyrics, you feel tension, violence, discomfort etc...How would you feel if your best friend was shot to death while you were just sitting on your porch? There is plenty of shit that happens to people that is worse than that and it seems people who are attempting to suppress this rap are just trying to ignore the reality of these people's lives.

Instead of complaining about what is coming out of these rappers mouths and minds, ask yourself WHY....why are minorities and poor people subjected to exist in variable garbage dumps? No hope, no light, no dreams...What would YOU become and express?

Telling me that gansta rap should be outlawed is just saying you want to ignore your own dark side and the darkness that has been created in this country by rampant domination of select groups of maligned, molested people.

Originally Posted by Ne-yo

Interesting that you've mentioned this. Gangsta rap and the promotion of violence in general within some lyrics is what truly sells and appeals to society. Believe it or not people in general are attracted to violence. Not neccessarily to the point of being involved in a violent act but insomuch of the news of violence. It captivates the attention and reals the person in more. People in marketing advertisement are very aware of this.

Think about it. No one wants to hear how well you got it all the time or how great your life is. When someone comes up to a person and says' "My life is awesome! I have this, I have that!" One of the first thoughts that goes into a person's head is "He must be B.S-ing or he's egocentric and arrogant. Now flip that and let someone come up to a person and say. "My life is full of problems and nothing ever goes right." Then the person who is listening will more than likely say, "I totally know what you mean" or "I completely understand" and will ultimately invite the negative and disregard the positive. It's pretty much how we are.

Yes, we are violent and that is the problem, not the expression of this violence through music. Now the fact that G rap has violent lyrics is a good reason not to like it, not to listen to it, and even to speak negatively about it, but it makes no sense to ban it.

But it is also true that we like violence because of how our culture and society are structured. It's not something that has to be, we can as humans transcend this. But we can't ban the side effects and expect it to get rid of the problem. You fix the problem then the side effects go away or at least get greatly diminished. People do identify with conflict and conflict is a pretty essential part of life but conflict doesn't have to be drug deals and gang violence. The reason these things exist are mainly because drugs are illegal, if we changed that one thing gangsta rap would no longer be relevant or possibly change into something else.

I just don't understand why listen to gangsta rap(current gangsta rap at least) when you could listen to hip hop which has better beats and lyrics most of the time.

Originally Posted by Chimpertainment

So, reading this made me want to listen to some Eminem(bagpipes from bagdad), so yeah...you got me!!!


My biggest complaint when people start talking about 'gangsta rap' is that they are always obsessing over the lyrics. These words are ruining the kids!!! At the end of the day, people can say what they want in this country, and the violence/badness involved in these lyrics existed a hellavu lot longer than gangsta rap has been around.

The second thing that pisses me off when people talk about lyrics is theyre always bellyaching about how disgusting these words are when they dont take any time to find out where these artists came from or in what kind of environment they were raised. Truth is the shit they rap about actually happens and a lot of the songs all the sensitive white people cry about are just scratching the surface of what some KIDS see on the other side of their front door.

When you read these lyrics, you feel tension, violence, discomfort etc...How would you feel if your best friend was shot to death while you were just sitting on your porch? There is plenty of shit that happens to people that is worse than that and it seems people who are attempting to suppress this rap are just trying to ignore the reality of these people's lives.

Instead of complaining about what is coming out of these rappers mouths and minds, ask yourself WHY....why are minorities and poor people subjected to exist in variable garbage dumps? No hope, no light, no dreams...What would YOU become and express?

Telling me that gansta rap should be outlawed is just saying you want to ignore your own dark side and the darkness that has been created in this country by rampant domination of select groups of maligned, molested people.

I'm not arguing against you or anything, but wouldn't you agree that it seems like they are making "Gangsta" life look cool? I mean if you're not a "true" gangsta, then you're just a poser right?

One in the air for the people that ain’t here
Two in the air for the father that’s there
Three in the air for the kids in the ghetto
Four for the kids who don’t wanna be there
None for the n-ggas trying to hold them back
Five in the air for the teacher not scared to tell those kids thats living in the ghetto that the n-ggas holdin back that the World is theirs!
Yeah yeah, the World is yours, I was once that little boy
Terrified of the World
Now I’m on a World tour
I will give up everything, even start a world war
For these ghettos girls and boys im rapping round’ the World for!
Africa to New York, Haiti then I detour, Oakland out to Auckland
Gaza Strip to Detroit, say hip-hop only destroy
Tell em’ look at me, boy!
I hope your son don’t have a gun and that would be a D-boy

The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco. 'Nuff said.

@ louie54: Depends on who you listen to. Most rappers that I listen(ed) to who did gangsta rap seemed to show both sides of the story, the good and the bad. eg. the constant "this song/album is dedicated to X, Y, and Z; rest in peace" shoutouts.

Although I agree it's much different now. Nowadays it seems like people just try to glorify it as much as they can but I hardly consider these new kids as gangsta rappers.

What came to be known as "gangsta rap" was at one point referred to as "reality rap" because that's what it used to be about, observations made on day to day occurrences or stories based on those observations. Unless song X can be classified as such, it's not gangsta rap (at least not in my eyes it isn't).

Originally Posted by Chimpertainment

So, reading this made me want to listen to some Eminem(bagpipes from bagdad), so yeah...you got me!!!

Good for you.

My biggest complaint when people start talking about 'gangsta rap' is that they are always obsessing over the lyrics. These words are ruining the kids!!! At the end of the day, people can say what they want in this country, and the violence/badness involved in these lyrics existed a hellavu lot longer than gangsta rap has been around.

Of course I'll be obsessing over the lyrics if they say it is a good thing to murder police officers.

The second thing that pisses me off when people talk about lyrics is theyre always bellyaching about how disgusting these words are when they dont take any time to find out where these artists came from or in what kind of environment they were raised. Truth is the shit they rap about actually happens and a lot of the songs all the sensitive white people cry about are just scratching the surface of what some KIDS see on the other side of their front door.

Well well, what a fool we have here!! O.k., so 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, T.I., and the rest of these idiots decide at some point in their lives that they want to sell drugs. Then they get shot, and I am supposed to sympathize with them? Oh these poor angels, they only got shot because they committed criminal activities and associated with other gangsters!

No, I do not feel sorry. I can only feel sorry that the bullet wasn't fatal.

When you read these lyrics, you feel tension, violence, discomfort etc...How would you feel if your best friend was shot to death while you were just sitting on your porch? There is plenty of shit that happens to people that is worse than that and it seems people who are attempting to suppress this rap are just trying to ignore the reality of these people's lives.

The "reality of these people's lives" is that they are multi-millionaires who actually praise criminal activity, and they have poor inner city youths looking up to them and idolizing them. Would you now please care to explain the meaningful lyrics of the songs "Suck it or not" (Cam'Ron) or "Pussy Poppin'" (Ludacris), and tell me how any of this can have a positive effect on young kids?

These kids relate to the wrong people. They do not relate to real "thugs", but to multi-millionaires who rap about "thug life."

Instead of complaining about what is coming out of these rappers mouths and minds, ask yourself WHY....why are minorities and poor people subjected to exist in variable garbage dumps? No hope, no light, no dreams...What would YOU become and express?

This is a side step. I never denied that poor people exist. What does this have to do with the subject being discussed?

Telling me that gansta rap should be outlawed is just saying you want to ignore your own dark side and the darkness that has been created in this country by rampant domination of select groups of maligned, molested people.

Why don't these multi-millionaires like 50 Cent actually do something for their communities? No, talking to kids to stay out of gangs isn't good enough. No, creating a basketball program (like Cam'Ron) isn't good enough either. I am talking about money. If they care -- then they should give a great deal of their money to these minorities who suffer.

No. They will rap about bitches and hoes instead.

Originally Posted by Carera

No, I do not feel sorry. I can only feel sorry that the bullet wasn't fatal.

Lmao :bravo:

Originally Posted by Carera

Why don't these multi-millionaires like 50 Cent actually do something for their communities? No, talking to kids to stay out of gangs isn't good enough. No, creating a basketball program (like Cam'Ron) isn't good enough either. I am talking about money. If they care -- then they should give a great deal of their money to these minorities who suffer.

No. They will rap about bitches and hoes instead.

Good point. Still doesn't convince me to ban this gangsta crap music however.

Originally Posted by louie54

Good point. Still doesn't convince me to ban this gangsta crap music however.

I'd say "crap" has more value than gangsta rap. But surely any sane and honest person will have to admit at some point that nothing good can come out of gangsta rap. It should be eliminated completely.

Speaking of elimination, I just came up with something...

Friend: Hey Carera, wanna go see Snoop Dogg unplugged?
Me: Only if he's on a life support system.

Originally Posted by Carera

Friend: Hey Carera, wanna go see Snoop Dogg unplugged?
Me: Only if he's on a life support system.

Lol you are HORRIBLE! My goodness.

Holy shit I'm about to rage right now because of this outlandish thread... someone stop me before I kill something.

Why don't these multi-millionaires like 50 Cent actually do something for their communities? No, talking to kids to stay out of gangs isn't good enough. No, creating a basketball program (like Cam'Ron) isn't good enough either. I am talking about money. If they care -- then they should give a great deal of their money to these minorities who suffer.

No. They will rap about bitches and hoes instead.

I don't see Justin Beiber donating his wealth either do I? You know how many wealthy people in the world, INCLUDING rappers, have not donated a penny to a good cause? A lot. Shows how fucked up our world is.

I hate rap that deals only with sex and crap like that. I do enjoy songs like Not Afraid by Eminem, and Stronger by Kanye though, which I wouldn't classify as "gangsta", but its still rap.

Banning something that's been around for decades worldwide? It will never happen, honestly. People are free to listen to whatever they want, and if you don't like it, tough shit. Sorry it's the truth, and if I come off a little hard about it, I apologize.

Might as well ban rock and country while you're at it.

Originally Posted by Carera

"Suck it or not" (Cam'Ron) or "Pussy Poppin'" (Ludacris)

Not gangsta rap.

Originally Posted by Carera

Well well, what a fool we have here!! O.k., so 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, T.I., and the rest of these idiots decide at some point in their lives that they want to sell drugs. Then they get shot, and I am supposed to sympathize with them? Oh these poor angels, they only got shot because they committed criminal activities and associated with other gangsters!

No, I do not feel sorry. I can only feel sorry that the bullet wasn't fatal.

Bryon Anthony McCane (aged four) and his two sisters were abducted and sexually assaulted by their stepfather when they were kids. When they were rescued with the help of John Walsh and America's Most Wanted, they returned to their mother and a new stepfather who beat them to a bloody pulp on a regular basis. And then the beatings continued when their mother starting seeing another man who followed suit.

Bryon then entered foster care where he learned to use a telephone and saw the inside of a refrigerator for the first time at the age of seven (on account of being too poor to afford either prior to being put in foster care). He then moved to Cleveland so he could be with his sisters and was raised in a crack house were he was forced to cook and sell it in order to make a living and put food on the table (still a child at this point).

That's how he met four other kids in similar living conditions, this quintet later went on to meet up with Eazy E who literally saved their asses and went on to become the five members of Bone Thugs N Harmony. Most of their songs revolve around that, real life experiences and observations rather than simply a glorification of violence. Again, just one (well five actually) of many examples.

How about applying some critical thinking before ridiculing and insulting a member like Chimpertainment?

There's a lot more to it then simply "wanting to sell drugs" for an "easy" buck.

Originally Posted by Carera

Why don't these multi-millionaires like 50 Cent actually do something for their communities? No, talking to kids to stay out of gangs isn't good enough. No, creating a basketball program (like Cam'Ron) isn't good enough either. I am talking about money. If they care -- then they should give a great deal of their money to these minorities who suffer.

No. They will rap about bitches and hoes instead.

The members of Bone Thugs N Harmony have done plenty for their communities. They've encouraged victimized children to speak out and seek help, they've donated to (possibly even built [not entirely sure about that]) centres like the YMCA, they've held community barbecues, donated top-of-the-line equipment to those hoping to pursue music careers, made an effort to reach out to struggling new-comers in the music industry (despite knowing that it would hurt their own careers), they've donated to charities, constantly met (and still do from what I've heard) sick/dying children through the Make A Wish Foundation, etc. Not for sake of publicity, much it was done after they fell out of the limelight and they're still keeping up the good work to this very day. Plus the fact that they've constantly discouraged their fans from partaking in senseless violence to the point that it's hurt their careers. Hell, Krayzie Bone's even been mockingly dubbed "Jehovah Jackson" (he was raised a Jehovah's Witness) by a couple fans because of it.

I focused on BTNH mainly because I know about them more than I do about most other gangsta rap acts but they're not a special case or an exception, many of the well-regarded gangsta rap acts are in a similar boat. Take the Wu Tang Clan for example; on the whole, they've never glorified senseless violence either. They are, however, recognized for glorifying the use of intellect. Yeah. Some food for thought from one of Clan members:

"Our music is not 'gangsta rap'. There's no such thing. The label was created by the media to limit what we can say. We just deliver the truth in a brutal fashion. The young black male is a target. Snoop (Doggy Dogg) has gone four times platinum and makes more money than the president. They don't like that, so you hear 'ban this, ban that'. We attack people's emotions. It's a real live show that brings out the inside in people. Like I said, intense."

—GZA

Originally Posted by mikeac

I hate rap that deals only with sex and crap like that. I do enjoy songs like Not Afraid by Eminem, and Stronger by Kanye though, which I wouldn't classify as "gangsta", but its still rap.

I actually kind of enjoy Eminem myself. He's alright.


The way I see it, it'd probably be like banning video games like Grand Theft Auto (which apparently that's the way it is in Australia, correct me if I'm wrong). I'm not really trying to compare this music to great video games, but why go as far as banning something because a small minority doesn't agree to it? Lighten up, ignore it, and let natural selection take course. We can sure use less dummies in this world to repopulate stupidity.

Originally Posted by louie54

I actually kind of enjoy Eminem myself. He's alright.


The way I see it, it'd probably be like banning video games like Grand Theft Auto (which apparently that's the way it is in Australia, correct me if I'm wrong). I'm not really trying to compare this music to great video games, but why go as far as banning something because a small minority doesn't agree to it? Lighten up, ignore it, and let natural selection take course. We can sure use less dummies in this world to repopulate stupidity.

Oh god, in America, these people aren't minority. I live in a town full of 'em. (podunk freaking poway california)

Originally Posted by mikeac

Oh god, in America, these people aren't minority. I live in a town full of 'em. (podunk freaking poway california)

Seriously? Poway?

Yes. You live in San Diego, so I figured you would know where it is. :3

It sucks mang. If I rapped in front of my neighbor (my brother's friend) he would tell me to stop. And he's like 9. He says that raps encourage bad behavior, and hes pretty snobby himself.

Originally Posted by GavinGill

Although I agree it's much different now. Nowadays it seems like people just try to glorify it as much as they can but I hardly consider these new kids as gangsta rappers.

What came to be known as "gangsta rap" was at one point referred to as "reality rap" because that's what it used to be about, observations made on day to day occurrences or stories based on those observations. Unless song X can be classified as such, it's not gangsta rap (at least not in my eyes it isn't).

I think this is a big problem I have with it. What's called gangsta rap nowadays is just shitty annoying loud bass with shitty repetitive choruses. The old stuff was actually real, it was authentic, it wasn't just the music industry taking advantage of a scene and exploiting it to make money. I mean they're lyrics aren't all that kind but they were creative and authentic, and some of the beats were too.

Originally Posted by Carera

I'd say "crap" has more value than gangsta rap. But surely any sane and honest person will have to admit at some point that nothing good can come out of gangsta rap. It should be eliminated completely.

Speaking of elimination, I just came up with something...

Friend: Hey Carera, wanna go see Snoop Dogg unplugged?
Me: Only if he's on a life support system.

But how would banning it eliminate it? It wouldn't. It would just make it more popular.

We should eliminate violence and misogyny but we can't do that by banning it. We have to do it through awareness and action. Through talking to people, educating people.

Hahaha, I just remembered the rap song me and my buddy made a while ago, mic check 1 2 1 2. Gangsta 4life.

Louie54: Yeah, you are right on both points. But no one asks why anyone is listening and agreeing and wanting to be just like them...to sell, there has to be demand. The culture precedes the fame and fortune. You dont get nirvana without grunge. You dont get Jay Z, Biggie, and further back without the projects of Brooklyn and Harlem. However, the glitz and glamor image has been around long before rap...the difference is rappers are telling everyone what they are doing behind closed doors. The rat pack, Presley, jonny cash, into all the white rockers were more reserved in their shenanigans as is the custom of our culture.

Carera: your bitterness is overwhelming. If you cannot even attempt to understand something, how can you make any kind of informed opinion? Continual rejection of and isolation from the feelings or thoughts of others will suck you dry of empathy. Just ask yourself why did it happen in the first place? These people didnt become what they were overnight. Once you know how it came to being, you can begin to create reasonable solutions rather than simply ignoring or repressing the unwanted noise...

Originally Posted by stonedape

Hahaha, I just remembered the rap song me and my buddy made a while ago, mic check 1 2 1 2. Gangsta 4life.

You have more "flow" than most rappers on tv nowadays.

"... that are skinnier than me,
That's pretty bad cuz I weigh a hundred and threeeeee...
Uh-huuuuhhh yaaa... that's not that much,
Uh-huuuhhh yaa..."

=P

Did you guys make that instrumental yourselves btw?

Originally Posted by stonedape

...but we can't do that by banning it. We have to do it through awareness and action. Through talking to people, educating people.

To add to that point: YouTube - Flesh N Bone Ft Rev Run - Reverend Sermo