To what extent does the rap music genre reinforce negative
stereotypes of black African-Americans, with particular reference to ‘Straight
Outta Compton’?
“Rap is our invisible TV network. It's the CNN that black
people never had”[1]
Throughout this essay we'll see 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.
“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. “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 NWAs 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 Blumer 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 Malcom 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]
There is also 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.
Boyz n the hood is also another film which
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]
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.
[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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2. (2011). Retrieved December 06,
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P. (2015). Retrieved December 06,
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