". It is becuase it is music of self identification, political awareness and self worth."
As I make it a point to avoid gangsta (c)rap music whenever possible, someone please help answer this question:
How do open glamorization of brutal violence and murder, open glamorization of rape and misogyny, and barking out the words "B*tch" and "N*gg*r" every 8 seconds or so qualify as "Self identification, political awareness, and self- worth"?
When I worked as a loader at a UPS hub (Or as I euphemistically called it, "The Fifth Layer of Hell"; Basically, imagine the 'I Love Lucy' candy conveyor belt scene taking place at 3 AM or earlier with the chocolates replaced with packages, often large and heavy packages), we were allowed to play radios or MP3 players while we worked if we wanted. A guy stationed across the belt from me one day loudly played this horrible gangsta (c)rap song in which, as I guess part of the melody/ rhythm, every 8 seconds, you'd hear the sound of a gun cocking and firing twice. Listening to that, all I could think of was an old youth group friend of mine, a real good kid with everything going for him, who 9 years ago was killed in a botched carjacking before he could even graduate high school by some punk who wanted his car and the $16.00 in his wallet and didn't want to leave any witnesses (Fortunately, the scumbag in question was caught soon afterwards, and hit with two life sentences; The fact that he entered a no- contest plea bargain was the only thing that kept his sorry butt off death row). My friend was apparently shot twice in the head, just like the rhythm to that freaking song. When we had a break, I asked my coworker if he could refrain from playing that revolting song in my presence again, and he quickly agreed, but I still couldn't help thinking how many more good, decent young people like my friend have been murdered by people (Of all races) who follow the kind of hideous, lawless lifestyle that gangsta (c)rap music openly glamorizes.
