“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. 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've 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 Cents 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 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 to push away from these stereotypes. We can explore the lifestyle and
meaning of what people are trying to talk about which 'Straight Outta Compton'
does.
There's
no doubt that black males have always 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 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[3]”;the
song is 21 questions and 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”. [4]From
this 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's 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 who says we have dominant readings in the media
and with negative stereotypes of black males being a dominant reading it is
injected into people's ideology that they should be feared.
NWA,
“What's NWA stand for, anyway? No Whites Allowed”, [5]the
remark made by Jerry Heller when finding out about the name of the group NWA.
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”; [6]harsh
words which are used in the song by Ice Cube when released but also in the
film. The song had come under a lot of criticism which lead to the group
getting into a lot of trouble but isn't the cause of removing racism from
society worth fighting for. Well, NWA thought that it was 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”[7].
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”[8].
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”. [9]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”. [10]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.” [14]
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”[15],
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”[16].
This would link to theorists such as Blumler and Katz 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.
Over
the years since the case of Rodney King there has been little to none change in
terms of racism in society: 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” [17]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.” [18]
During this period of time and even now people who are black need to put on a
“white mask” [19]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’re 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” [20]
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’re a product of their nature and only do this
because they have no other choice "I don't wanna do time but I'm forced to
do crime."[21]
2pac was also a very influential role model, “I see no changes, all I see is
racist faces.”[22]
People in America had it worse when they were in poverty, “I’m tired of being
poor and even worse I’m black”[23].
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.” [24]In
society people always view the youth to be violent “everyone’s ashamed of the
youth cause the truth look strange.”[25]
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’s 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's also
taken off in England which shows that this isn't only an issue in America but
is global.
'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." [26]The
group of boys who are living in the hood are either in a gang or trying to get
out of the poverty they’re in but it’s hard when you’re black and living in
America, people aren’t trying to change who they are in order to do this
"I'm not trying to give up my blackness”. [27]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’s black and sees the youth as being troublesome
“the emancipation of a real n****r.” [28]'Boyz
n the Hood' showed how the way people in America felt when they were black and
in poverty, they didn't sugarcoat 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 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 mindsets for the audience to
see; one being black males aren't 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 associate
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.
There
may be multiple reasons why negative stereotypes are being reinforced but rap
music is a form of expression which people can use to mediate their voices
which can be for a good reason or a bad reason “this is why I say hip-hop has
done more damage to young African Americans than racism.” [29]
There are reasons why hip-hop has been seen to reinforce these negative
stereotypes but we’ve had artists trying to fight against this but what if it’s
just more than people rapping because it is seen to target a lower 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 which shapes more than peoples ideology but
lifestyle but it does play a part in people’s lives.
Bibliography
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Dyson,
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Lee,
H. (1960). To Kill A Mockingbird. United States. J. B. Lippincott & Co
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M. (2006). Rap and the eroticizing of black youth. Chicago, IL: African
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T. (1994). Black noise: Rap music and black culture in contemporary America.
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(2011). Who's afraid of post-blackness?: What it means to be Black now. New
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JOURNAL/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.
MOVING
IMAGES/TRACK LIST
2pac
changes
NWA
F the police
NWA
Straight Outta Compton
Public
Enemy fight the power
2pac
ghetto gospel
WORK CONSULTED
BOOKS
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
Collins,
H., & Rose, O. (2016). This is grime. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Monteyne,
K. (2013). Hip hop on film: Performance culture, urban space, and genre
transformation in the 1980s. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
INTERNET
LINKS
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-03/rapper-ice-cube-on-his-film,-racism,-and-gangsta-rap-lyrics/6748328
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/legendary-rapper-ice-cube-shares-message-of-hope-for-future/news-story/9ed07816fd59c77990989e1a8c626dce
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
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-racism-uk-post-referendum-racism-hate-crime-eu-referendum-racism-unleashed-poland-racist-a7160786.html
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/12/media-misrepresents-black-men-effects-felt-real-world
http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/15/young-black-men-slam-medias-representation-suit-tie-music-video/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/08/dallas-shooting-a-democracy-as-racist-as-america-will-never-be-a/
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.
Words
without quotes: 2022
Words
with quotes: 2387
[1]
Chuck D – Public Enemy
[2]
Porter, M (2006) p6
[3]
50 cent – 21 questions (2003)
[4]
Dyson, M. E. (1996) p4
[5]
Jerry Heller – Straight Outta Compton (2015)
[6]
Ice Cube – F**k the police (1988)
[7]
Powell, K (2008) p39
[8]
Officer in Straight Outta Compton
[9]
Dyson, M. E. (1996) p5
[10]
Ice Cube – F**k the police (1988)
[11]
Porter, M. (2006) p6
[12]
Ibid p xi
[13]
Rome, D (2004) p32
[14]
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
[15]
Womack, Y. (2010) p5
[16]
Chuck, D., Jah, Y. (1998). P n/a
[17]
public Enemy – Fight the power (1989)
[18]
lbid
[19]
Franz Franon (1967)
[20]
NWA Straight outta Compton (1988)
[21]
Wheatley, S. (2010) p113
[22]
2pac changes
[23]
libd
[24]
2pac ghetto gospel
[25]
libd
[26]
T. (2011) p209
[27]
Libd p210
[28]
Kendrick Lamar (2015) the Blacker the berry
[29]
Geslani, M (2015)
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