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Originally Posted by mulattogyrl
I agree, the messages were delivered more carefully. But then again, I'm all grown up now and don't always understand what the gangster rappers are referring to in their songs. Like somewhere in another thread, one of us didn't know what 'Ds' were in a song. My question is this: As far as the negativity in rap music today, is it the fault of the rappers, music industry, etc., or is it really a reflection of what is going on in the streets? The reason I ask this is because like I said, I don't understand some references, but these younger kids sure do, and just like Ms Docta Kay said, when we were young, we didn't understand. So, is that a reflection of how the younger generation is different/growing up too fast, etc., or are lyrics really that much worse? Or maybe a little bit of both?
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Sometimes I think it is a little of both..Back in the day when they were talking about 'killin' it was mainly killin on the mike and that was it. Your ego was crushed and you picked it up, went home and came up with a new rhyme to battle them with next week and regain your title or claim a new one. Today they mean it as in taking your life and meaning exactly that. Sometimes I wonder if the whole thing of what begat what is the million dollar question. There was always violence on the streets but no one ever talked about it the way rap did. Violence and Sex is all around the children today & in some instances there is nothing to balance it out so it is all one sided. Those that remember back in the day we had different genres (battle rap, conscious rap, fun rap and gangster rap) going on at the same time or at least overlapping. Today you don't have those choices as prevalent and popular as they were in the past and what sells is the violent, sexual rap.
It seems right when gangsta rap took off, all the older indie labels that had the other types of rap got bought out by the bigger labels (Big Beat, Sleeping Bag, Rawkus et.al) So there is the gap in the rap industry because all the big boys want to make $$$. In turn that's what the audience gravitates to. Since everybody and their momma has a record label nowadays it would be nice to see some alternate forms of rap emerge again.
But it all reminds me of a quote from the movie Brown Sugar; "Here at Millenium Records we keep it profitable, if you want to keep it real go to Rawkus" .
And that's the double truth Ruth!!