Tuesday, 18 April 2017

critical investigation

“Rap is our invisible TV network. It's the CNN that black people never had”[1]
To what extent does the rap music genre reinforce  negative stereotypes of black African-Americans, with particular reference to ‘Straight Outta Compton’?
This essay will discuss the different ways that the rap genre is represented and how it portrays black African males through the film 'Straight Outta Compton'. The film was released in 2015 and is based on historical events that took place during the late 1980s and 90s in South Central LA with rap group N.W.A. The group is known for the harsh lyrics that were used talking about their reality because of the society they grew up in. The film was budgeted at $28,000,000 and made over $161,029,270. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures and directed by F. Gary Gray who is African-American. This would spark up the debate of the representations of black males in the film and if people feel the way they’re portrayed are nothing like themselves and if the film itself is reinforcing the stereotypes of black males. However, it could be more of a real reflection as it is a black director and not a white one which would be seen to tell a negative story due to racist views and to keep black people subordinate.  Not only is this a reflection of past events but society’s traditional norms and values which have been transmitted from generation to generation.
There has always been racism which has existed in American and this is seen throughout the film. However, the artists were criticised for the songs they have produced, “negative rap songs and their accompanying videos often instil erotic sadism in the black male child[2]". This highlights the negative effects rap music has on black children because they see themselves as these stars and desire to be like them and a way we can see this desire for fame is in 50 Cent’s album which is called ‘Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. This shows the importance that the rap genre has had on the audience as it has affected what they think they need to do in order to succeed in society through illegitimate means which rap promotes at times. Although we have these stereotypes about rap music, Hip-hop is a form of  positive cultural expression how we make and portray ourselves to the world; this shows that rap music can also be influential rather than portraying negative stereotypes of black males, but is used challenge these stereotypes. We can explore the lifestyle and meaning of what people are trying to talk about which 'Straight Outta Compton' does.
There is no doubt that black males have typically had a poor representation in the media but do they reinforce this through the way they portray themselves in hip-hop videos? 50 Cent who is a well-established artist and in one of his songs uses the lyrics; “if I get locked up to a quarter century could I be count on you to support me mentally”; the song 21 Questions is seen to be a love hip-hop song yet the artist still portrays himself as a criminal being sentenced to prison in the video due to possession of drugs. “It’s undeniable that black men are in deplorable shape. The most tragic symbol of this condition, I suppose, is the black prisoner”[3]. From this perspective the representation of black males are normal for society to see but when hip-hop is seen for a way to express the poor representation and being oppressed by society, why is it that black males reinforce this negative stereotype. However, what if there is no correlation between the video reinforcing negative stereotypes of black males and it is just that racism lies at the foundation of the American legal system so regardless of what hip-hop videos are created it is all government based and black African-Americans have no control on reinforcing or opposing the stereotypes given to them? This links with the theory of Stuart Hall [4]who says we have dominant readings in the media and with negative stereotypes of black males being a dominant reading it is an ideology injected into people that they should be feared.                                                                             
The manager of the group and co-founder of Ruthless records Jerry Heller and his sarcastic comment about the group’s name; “What's NWA stand for, anyway? No Whites Allowed”, highlighting the racial problem within society at that period of time in America. The film is about the lives of rappers who are a part of the group N.W.A, it is about how they started off in the ghetto and worked their way up to becoming one of the best rap groups of all time. The representations of black males in the films are negative and are seen to be violent. The way they dress are seen to be as thugs which is seen to be a reason why they should be stopped randomly and searched in the street. We then find out later that the group was set out to fight against racism and have an impact on the ideology of Americans with the use of their lyrics. The police have come under a lot of criticism but have now started to feel how the citizens of America feel about them, “Fuck the police”; harsh words which are used in the song by Ice Cube when released but also in the film. The song came under a lot of criticism which lead to the group getting into a lot of trouble but is not the cause of removing racism from society worth fighting for. NWA thought that it was a conventional method to use and hip-hop was a way for them to do this, “For sure, hip hop both saved and changed my life, on so many levels: I have been deeply immersed in hip hop since I was a preteen”[5]. The group started off in their teens and worked their way up, Hip-Hop for them was a way out of the hood and escaping the harsh reality of living up in America with racism. Throughout the film we see racism, an iconic scene was at the start where Ice Cube steps outside his house and is being searched by the officers for no reason who are all white which highlights the level of dominance white males had in America but also one of the officers saying to Ice Cube “I'm the only gangster”. This from an officer harassing a black male without reason is enough for the audience to convey the power the law has. The group of young African-American males were also searched outside of the studio because they fit the representation of someone who is a thug; “too many black men are jailed for no other reason, than that they fit the profile of a thug”[6].
The representation of black males is a negative one reflecting the negative society of the time. The police in this scene are harassing the black citizens who live in that area without reason. This perhaps unwittingly helps to reinforce the negative stereotype that people have of black people as they are seen to be at the lowest position in society and even the police are abusing their power to harass them. All the officers in this scene are white males and those who are getting arrested are all black African-Americans who live on that road they are being searched on due to suspicion of inappropriate behaviour because of the colour of their skin.
Throughout the scene the jackets that the police are wearing have 'police' printed on the back in yellow which makes it visible for the audience to see that the ones who are in authority are clearly the ones who are abusing their power and arresting the civilians. The clothing that the black males are wearing would be seen as 'gang clothing' which is probably part of the reason they're being searched or because they were in a large group and the officers felt like it was a threat to society or themselves so they felt the need to harass the males.
As soon as Ice Cube steps outside of the house holding his school books the blue and red lights from the police cars are shining on his face and are visible throughout the whole scene which highlights the dominance that they have in the situation. The lights are an indication of the authority that they have and when it flashes onto those who live on the street and being arrested, it shows that their dominance is something that cannot be escaped because of the authority and status they have. When Ice Cube leaves the house you cannot see his face due to the scene being set at night and the hat he is wearing. As soon as the lights start to flash his face becomes visible and the closer he gets towards the police the more he light flashes onto his face before they recognise he is black and start to search him. The impact this shows is that as soon as you are in the range of the police and they see the colour of your skin you are automatically a suspect and even though he had his school books on him he is viewed unintelligent and destined to lead a life of crime[7] causing him to be searched on those stereotypes. The area that the scene was shot in was run down and the colours were desaturated, the only colours that stood out throughout the whole scene was the red and blue which was visible everywhere. There has been loads of incidents where people have been told back to "go back home" [8]due to their background. Even though the police are meant to keep us safe it seems that “the lives of black men in the US have long been adversely affected by negative public perceptions” [9]; this is why the police attack the innocent due to the colour of their skin and this can be seen with the colour scheme where the colours of the houses and cars are all dark which could be the black African-Americans and then the police come who empower the area with their red and blue lights the same way they arrest people who are black due to the colour of their skin.
The lighting in this scene is low-key; this is done so that we can't see the identity of the police officers who are. This reinforces the stereotype that we have of the police when arresting those who are black due to the colour of their skin and is done during the night so we can't see who the officers are because they want to keep their identity discrete.
Dyer[10] suggested that stereotypes are always about power and during this scene it is to do with power and race. People in America who are black are seen to have no power or status in the eyes of those who are white which is why the police officers who are white have all the power and reinforces this stereotype that the police have. It also reinforces the power that those who are black have which is having no power or respect which is why during this scene they are being searched by the police and have no respect given towards them. This can be seen during the scene where the police officer is reaching for the gun which highlights the power and dominance that they have in society and the gun reinforces this as he can decided who gets to live and die which is acknowledged as the power of God.
 We also see a black officer who is seen to conform to negative stereotypes and also harass the group of boys which later is referred to as a sell-out: “black police showing out for the white cop”. With NWA's rebellious attitude towards the law there are always criticism of how “negative rap songs and their accompanying videos often instil erotic sadism in the black male child” [11]which then leads to a lack of knowledge to the younger generations to buck the trend and move away from the negative stereotypes, “miseducation and racism has given rise to black poverty, crime, and other destructive behaviour”[12]. Even through the film we saw predominantly black males getting arrested which in society we are more likely to hear about crimes black males do on the news and “It is interesting that, as a group, whites have managed to escape being associated with crime”[13]. We hear Ice Cube say: “officer can I ask why you jacking us right now?” Moreover, the initial reason these songs are used in the film is to get out the message of racism yet the harsh lyrics are only reinforcing the negative stereotype by making young black African-Americans sound aggressive; "hip-hop, the voice of the streets”[14], is a form of expression and an “art form is tossed aside as a ghetto game for black youth and that limited opinion is ignorant”[15]. This would link to theorists such as Blumler and Katz [16]because the audience would identify themselves in some of the roles that are played in the film due to racism they might have experienced and other issues. There may also be some element of personal relationships where the audience can establish a relationship with the character because they might have grown up around the music and always idolised a specific rapper which is played in the film.
Post colonialist Alvarado[17] says that the black community in the media have four representations which are being portrayed as exotic, dangerous, humorous or pitied. In ‘Straight Outta Compton’ the representation of the black community is seen as being dangerous. This can be because of the ideology of people at the time or the “rich, luxurious lifestyle” [18] that had now been a part of the rappers lives causing a negative change in their behaviour. An example of this was when the group N.W.A were in the hotel and as two males approached the room with a gun to get his girlfriend they went back outside to retaliate with the use of guns as well. This is what sold during the time though, what if the audience needed to hear this side of the group in order for them to make sales and to do so “blow up and become megastars is by presenting themselves in a negative light” [19]which supports Alvarado’s theory.
Over the years since the case of Rodney King beating in 1991 [20]there has been little to none change in terms of racism in society. This was a unique case which had a black African-American man beaten up by the police and was recorded by someone from their house with a video camera and this was one of the first forms of citizen journalism. Although, black African Americans have a better lifestyle there is still large amounts of racism in society today. Public Enemy being one of the first groups to make a change Fight The Power” [21]was an indication that things in society need to be changed and they used hip-hop to do this: “Our freedom of speech is freedom or death”[22]. This would be useful in developing the ideas of Propp[23] during the Rodney King incident; people viewing may automatically have their own idea of who is the villain and who is the hero. People who are not aware of the issues around racism may automatically assume that the police being the ones who protect us are doing so by brutally hitting Rodney King. During this period of time and even now people who are black need to put on a “white mask” [24]in order to be seen as an equal in society. We also have NWA and their music videos which show a large amount of police brutality in their music videos. This is seen in the music video ‘Straight Outta Compton’ which shows the violence of the police as they are getting arrested after running away but could also indicate that they’ve done something criminal which could be a reason these stereotypes are reinforced. Ice Cube: “from a gang called n****s with attitude” refers to the group as a gang and not artists. The artist has associated himself with people who are involved with illegal activity which is what a gang does. People could say that they are a product of their society and only do this because they have no other choice: "I don't wanna do time but I'm forced to do crime"[25].
 2pac was also a very influential role model, “I see no changes, all I see is racist faces.” People in America had it worse when they were in poverty, “I’m tired of being poor and even worse I’m black”. We can see that 2pac was rapping about the harsh reality that he lived in and saw people around him lived in. The ghetto was a place where people had to resort to crime to crime to survive but black people in poverty were seen to be worse than those who are black just because they were in poverty. In ‘Ghetto Gospel’ he talks about those who are black role models fighting for a fallen cause “All come in like Malcolm X or Bobby Hutton died for nothing.” In society people always view the youth to be violent “: Everyone’s ashamed of the youth cause the truth look strange”. Rap being a way for the black community to share news and information about their lifestyle and culture would bring into the theory of uses and gratification[26]; rather than people getting information from the news, new information is passed on through songs which is linked to surveillance. This would take the ideology that people already have on what is going on and enable them to survive in a world where they are not seen as equal.
We have recently had the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign which is still taking place on social media today, we see black males getting killed because of police brutality and it is done for no reason whatsoever. Even today in society we have to still put up with racism which is why people are now outraged online which has started the campaign. It is set to get awareness about what is going on around us. The citizens of America coming from African-American backgrounds have now found their voice and are now starting to fight back not through rap but through this campaign, it has changed people's ideology and helped with the awareness of the cause. Not only is this happening in America but it is also taken off in England  where citizens were chanting activists chanted “no justice, no peace”[27] which shows that this is not only an issue in America but is global. Peaceful protests have always been taken out of hand by violence and it’s those who are black which are seen to be criminal; “For black Americans, innocence was lost long ago. Violence has been the norm for centuries”[28]; the folk devils [29] created by the media are the black community, demonised and stripped of their self-worth but an officer in uniform who is white is able to decide whether a life of an African-American is worth taking.
'Boyz n the Hood' is a film which was released in (1991), it was set out to show how the lifestyle of black males in America had to live in the ghetto and the way they were seen to be inferior in society. The film shows the racism that is faced in America, "Black people have a complicated relationship with America. For us it's painful love." [30]The group of boys who are living in the hood are either in a gang or trying to get out of the poverty they are in but it is hard when you are black and living in America, people are not trying to change who they are in order to do this: "I'm not trying to give up my blackness”[31]. Furious Styles who was the father of Trey styles were trying to find a way for him to educate himself and not fall into the trap of joining a gang and throwing his life away. A black officer appears twice in the film but during the second time he harasses Trey because he is black and sees the youth as being troublesome: “the emancipation of a real n****r” [32]. 'Boyz n the Hood' showed how the way people in America felt when they were black and in poverty, they did not sugar-coat the issues that have always been around. The fact that the characters felt like they had nothing to achieve and resulted to crime highlights the struggle. This relates to Katz and Blumler’s theory of personal identity where the audience are able to identify themselves with the characters in the film. The dominant ideology was that black males are criminals so the film conveys the two types of mind-sets for the audience to see; one being black males are not all criminals and the other that black on black crime is only a way for the government to reinforce the moral panic of black males being criminals. Due to this being the case it has had an impact on hip-hop because the groups of people associated with the hip-hop are seen to be thugs or 'gangbangers' which gives hip-hop a negative look so people associates it with violence. This can be seen in the film as some of the characters fit the typical image of someone who is a hip-hop artist so being associated with this label it makes everyone else who dresses like this to be seen as a thug.
However, since black youth has come under a lot of criticism about the effects that it has on the community today and how rap has created a new ideology to obtain these materialistic goods; white rappers such as Eminem, Mac Miller, G Eazy haven’t been  criticised as much. Although these rappers have been in the media it is only ever to do with the lyrics of the songs that they produce and never the representation and glamour they give off which comes with the fame of rap. Eminem is seen to have “cultural hybridity” [33] which allows him to be accepted in the rap genre as it is dominated by the black community and also accepted by the black community. Could this be a factor of being a white rapper and not a black one?  Although this is the case, after the moral panic of 9/11 which caused people to fear Islamic terrorists in a similar way that they had feared the black community, and therefore displacing them as the prime folk devils. Society has somewhat moved on from the black community in terms of the negative stereotypes that they face and shifted that fear to the terrorists instead. However, this could also spark more hatred for ethnic minority groups as they may all be seen as a threat to white Americans ideology.
Also, black Feminists believe that the situation would be even more imbalanced in society for them due to its patriarchal society alongside the racism which is around. In rap videos women are seen as "puppets , they do whatever a man tells them to do and are considered objects”[34] and because of this reinforces Alvarado’s theory of black representation[35], black women in the media are portrayed as being exotic. However white Americans feel that bias against black people was rapidly declining[36] and that it was no longer a problem to be black, yet “Racial profiling is a reality that so many refuse to acknowledge” [37]which can also be intentionally done due to the canteen culture in the police. 
There may be multiple reasons why negative stereotypes are being reinforced but rap music is a way to “express themselves and tell a story about their lives in order to relate to people like them”[38]. This particular form of expression which people can use to mediate their voices which can be for a good reason or a bad reason and some may argue that: “hip-hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism”[39] Is the relationship between the two the reason for people’s negative ideology towards the black community? There are reasons why hip-hop has been seen to reinforce these negative stereotypes but we have had artists trying to fight against this but what if it is just more than people rapping because it is seen to target a more working-class audience which are more likely to be seen as black so not everyone will see all the negative images or the ones which show the harsh reality that people are in. Maybe hip-hop is an art from which shapes more than people’s ideology, but a lifestyle which plays a part in people’s everyday lives.






Bibliography
Books cited
Blumler, J. G., & Katz, E. (1974). The uses of mass communications: current perspectives on gratifications research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
D, C., & Jah, Y. (1997). Fight the power: Rap, race, and reality. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.
Dyer, G. (2013). Advertising as communication. Place of publication not identified: Routledge.
Dyson, M. E. (1996). Between God and gangsta rap: Bearing witness to black culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
Dyson, M. E. (2007). Debating race: With Michael Eric Dyson. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Fanon, F. (1991). Black skin, white masks. New York: Grove Weidenfeld.
Porter, M. (2006). Rap and the eroticizing of black youth. Chicago, IL: African American Images
Rose, T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music and black culture in contemporary America. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England.
Rose, T. (2008). The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop--and Why It Matters. Basic Civitas Books.
Procter, J. (2004). Stuart Hall. London: Routledge
Smith, P. (2001). Cultural theory: an introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
T. (2011). Who's afraid of post-blackness?: What it means to be Black now. New York: Free Press.
Wheatley, S. (2010). Don't call me urban: The time of grime. Newcastle upon Tyne: Northumbria University Press.
Womack, Y. (2010). Post Black: How a new generation is redefining African American identity. Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill Books.
Links cited
Bennett, W. Benoit, H. Holbourne, Z. Rigg, M. Growing up with racism in Britain. http://socialistreview.org.uk/351/growing-racism-britain
Charity, J., Diaz, A., & Drake, D. (2014). A History of Rap Songs Protesting Police Brutality. http://uk.complex.com/music/2014/08/rap-songs-police-brutality/
Does Hip-Hop Drive Negative Stereotypes Of Black Men? | The MSU Spokesman http://www.themsuspokesman.com/2013/12/21/does-hip-hop-drive-negative-stereotypes-of-black-men/
Donaldson, L. When the media misrepresents black men, the effects are felt in the real world https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/12/media-misrepresents-black-men-effects-felt-real-world
Gordon, T. Young Black Men Counter Negative Media Representation With Creative 'Suit & Tie' Video - Atlanta Black Star. http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/15/young-black-men-slam-medias-representation-suit-tie-music-video/
Hip-Hop Reinforcing Stereotypes Against Black People. http://rapreinforcesstereotypes.weebly.com/
Marcin, T. (2016). Racism In America: White People Think It's Worse For White People, Research Finds.http://www.ibtimes.com/racism-america-white-people-think-its-worse-white-people-research-finds-2393588
Siddique, H. (2016). Black Lives Matter protests block roads around UK. from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/05/black-lives-matter-protest-sparks-heathrow-traffic-chaos
Stanely, T. Dallas shooting: A democracy as racist as America will never be at peace http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/08/dallas-shooting-a-democracy-as-racist-as-america-will-never-be-a/
Yates, R. How I confronted police brutality on the streets of Chiraq. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/oct/10/reggie-yates-how-i-confronted-police-brutality-on-the-streets-of-chiraq
FILMOGRAPHY
Boyz n The Hood October, 1991, John Singleton, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Straight Outta Compton, August, 2015, F. Gary Gray, Universal pictures
MOVING IMAGES/TRACK LIST
2pac changes October 13, 1998 Death Row Records
NWA F the police August 9, 1998 Ruthless Records
NWA Straight Outta Compton August 8, 1998 Ruthless Records
Public Enemy fight the power June, 1989 Motown Records
2pac ghetto gospel January 21, 2005
50 Cent 21 questions April 29, 2003 Aftermath Records
WORK CONSULTED
BOOKS
Angelou, M. (1970). I know why the caged bird sings. New York: Random House
Bloom, L. (2014). Suspicion nation: The inside story of the Trayvon Martin injustice and why we continue to repeat it. Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint.
Collins, H., & Rose, O. (2016). This is grime. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Dyson, M. E. (2007). Debating race: With Michael Eric Dyson. New York: Basic Civitas Books.
Lee, H. (1960). To Kill A Mockingbird. United States. J. B. Lippincott & Co
Monteyne, K. (2013). Hip hop on film: Performance culture, urban space, and genre transformation in the 1980s. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
INTERNET LINKS
Bradshaw, P. Straight Outta Compton review – how hip-hop pioneers NWA took on the world.
Donaldson, L. When the media misrepresents black men, the effects are felt in the real world https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/12/media-misrepresents-black-men-effects-felt-real-world
Gallagher, P. Over 3,000 police officers being investigated for alleged assault - and almost all of them are still on the beat http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/over-3000-police-officers-being-investigated-for-alleged-assault-and-almost-all-of-them-are-still-on-10220091.html#gallery
Lusher, A. Racism unleashed: True extent of the 'explosion of blatant hate' that followed Brexit result revealed http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-racism-uk-post-referendum-racism-hate-crime-eu-referendum-racism-unleashed-poland-racist-a7160786.html
Moran, J. Legendary rapper Ice Cube shares message of freedom and hope for future http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/legendary-rapper-ice-cube-shares-message-of-hope-for-future/news-story/9ed07816fd59c77990989e1a8c626dce
Myrie, C. (2016). Is white America blind on racism, or just playing dumb? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/18/white-america-blind-racism-majority-ignore-black-minority-bubble-privilege
Schafter, M. Ice Cube: Nothing much has changed since police beating of Rodney King, says NWA rapper http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-03/rapper-ice-cube-on-his-film,-racism,-and-gangsta-rap-lyrics/6748328
Stanley, T. Dallas shooting: A democracy as racist as America will never be at peace http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/08/dallas-shooting-a-democracy-as-racist-as-america-will-never-be-a/
JOURNALS/ARTICLES
King, D. (2006, May/June). Black filmmaker. Soundtrax: Experimenting Hip-hop.
Spence, J. (2004, September/October). Black Filmmaker. Partners in Porn.
Spence, J. (2004, July/August). Black filmmaker. Rappers vs Actor.
FILMOGRAPHY
Life  August, 1999, Ted Demme, Imagine Entertainment
12 years a slave January 2014, Steve McQueen, Regency Enterprises



[1] Chuck D – Public Enemy
[2] Porter, M (2006) p. 6.
[3] Dyson, M. E. (1996) p. 4.
[4] Procter, J. (2004). p. 68.
[5] Powell, K (2008) p. 39.
[6] Dyson, M. E. (1996) p. 5.
[7] Gordon, T. Young Black Men Counter Negative Media Representation With Creative 'Suit & Tie' Video - Atlanta Black Star. http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/15/young-black-men-slam-medias-representation-suit-tie-music-video/
[8] Bennett, W. Benoit, H. Holbourne, Z. Rigg, M. Growing up with racism in Britain. http://socialistreview.org.uk/351/growing-racism-britain
[9] Donaldson, L. When the media misrepresents black men, the effects are felt in the real world https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/12/media-misrepresents-black-men-effects-felt-real-world
[10] Dyer, G. (2013).
[11] Porter, M. (2006) p. 6.
[12] Ibid p. xi
[13] Rome, D (2004) p. 32.
[14] Womack, Y. (2010) p. 5.
[15] Chuck, D., Jah, Y. (1998) p. 42.
[16] Blumler, J. G., & Katz, E. (1974).
[17] Smith, P. (2001).
[18] Dyer, G (1982) p. 73.
[19] Chuck, D., Jay, Y. (1998). p. 4.
[20] Charity, J., Diaz, A., & Drake, D. (2014). A History of Rap Songs Protesting Police Brutality. http://uk.complex.com/music/2014/08/rap-songs-police-brutality/
[21] public Enemy – Fight the power (1989)
[22] Ibid
[23] Smith, P. (2001).
[24] Fanon, F. (1991).  P. xxv
[25] Wheatley, S. (2010)  p. 113.
[26] Blumler, J. G., & Katz, E. (1974).
[27] Siddique, H. (2016). Black Lives Matter protests block roads around UK. from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/05/black-lives-matter-protest-sparks-heathrow-traffic-chaos
[28] Tim Stanely Dallas shooting: A democracy as racist as America will never be at peace
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/08/dallas-shooting-a-democracy-as-racist-as-america-will-never-be-a/
[29] Cohen, S. (2011). p. 1
[30] T. (2011) p. 209.
[31] lbid p. 210.
[32] Kendrick Lamar (2015) The Blacker The Berry
[33] Greadly, K (2008) p. 860.
[34] Hip-Hop Reinforcing Stereotypes Against Black People. http://rapreinforcesstereotypes.weebly.com/
[35] Smith, P. (2001).
[36] Marcin, T. (2016). Racism In America: White People Think It's Worse For White People, Research Finds.http://www.ibtimes.com/racism-america-white-people-think-its-worse-white-people-research-finds-2393588
[37] Yates, R. How I confronted police brutality on the streets of Chiraq. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/oct/10/reggie-yates-how-i-confronted-police-brutality-on-the-streets-of-chiraq
[38] The Spokesman: Does Hip-Hop Drive Negative Stereotypes of Black Men?
http://www.themsuspokesman.com/2013/12/21/does-hip-hop-drive-negative-stereotypes-of-black-men/
[39] Geslani, M (2015)