For MUS 1234 Fall 2012

3.  Rap has been around since the 70s
 Was originally used as a way for inner city
youths to voice their daily struggles
 Most rap songs had a simple beat, with
words spoken to the rhythm of the beat
 There were still many people that did not
know what rap was
 Songs were usually upbeat, even when the
subject material was serious we were still
left with an impression that it will get
better, as we have seen in blues music

6.  With the rise of rap came a subgenre called
Gangsta Rap
 Many rappers went from talking about how
they want the killing to stop, to them being
the ones doing the killing
 Because rap is widely listened to in the
African American communities, the youth
are listening to the music and thinking that
it is okay to kill, steal, sell drugs, pimp, etc.
 In the late 90s Gangsta rap becomes more
common, and record companies gain heat
from the explicit lyrics and videos

9.  Women joined the rap business as well, but never
achieved the same success of male artists
 While they spoke of women’s rights and equality
between the sexes, they were still sexualized in
the media and marketed to be sex symbols
 The artists that weren’t marketed as sex symbols
did not have long-lasting careers
 In the early 2000s, women rap artists started to
embrace the word bitch, proudly claiming they are
the “queen bitch” or the “baddest bitch”, and even
referring to their friends as bitches.

12.  Due to the successful marketing of gangsta
rap to rebellious teens, both in the inner city
and the suburbs, gangsta rap enters a new era
 “Studio Gangstas” emerge, which are rap
artists that rap about being a gangsta, when in
reality they have never even held a gun
 The stereotypical rap artist and videos are
born: big suv, big house, lots of jewelry, and
plenty of half-naked women
 Many artists start producing songs featuring
female singers, or incorporating more of a
musical element to the music and Hip Hop is
born

15.  Many of today’s rap artists grew up
listening to classic rap, or at least the
early 90s gangsta rap
 This new generation of artists emulates
everything the previous rappers did and
takes it to extremes
 The lifestyle that was once frowned
upon is now glamorized and sought
after

18.  African Americans have been
disempowered, disenfranchised, and
under-represented in the past
 Post-industrial America left many African
Americans in the inner city unemployed.
 Amidst the deteriorating low-income
housing, low-paying jobs, mounting
police brutality, and unjust depictions of
young inner city residents, rap becomes
black urban rebirth
 Growing up in poverty, rap music became
a way for African American youth to voice
their experiences and opinions

19.  Even though hip-hop has now become
commercially successful, it is distributed
by white-dominated corporate
America, and marketed by white-
dominated mainstream media outlets
 While many rap artists create songs that
are positive in nature, record companies
rarely ever release them.
 Record companies seek out controversial
artists that draw attention and free
publicity in the media

20.  The songs that glamorize the ghetto and
the hustler lifestyle are listened to by
African American teens across the US
 These African American teens emulate
what they see in the rap videos; they
strive to live the lifestyle of the rappers,
and many end up dead or in jail.
 Many African American teens also see
rap as a way out of poverty, but the
chances of being successful are so slim,
there are thousands of wannabe rappers
that will never amount to much

21.  Youths listen to rap music and feel that they
can model their lives after what they hear
 Rap sends a message that there is no need to
go to school when you can make more money
than your parents “hustlin”
 There are very few rap songs with no crimes or
violence in them, this desensitizes the teens
and young adults listening to the music
 Committing these crimes and living the hustler
lifestyle become an acceptable way of life
 Record company executives have full control
over what type of images they expose these
impressionable teenagers and young adults to

22.  Women rap artists that refused to confom to the
sexually charged music scene were quickly phased
out
 Rappers like Lil’ Kim, Trina, and Nicki Minaj reinforce
the negative “bitch” and “ho” stereotypes
 The “video ho” image reinforced the idea that women
are objects
 Women are constantly disrespected in music, some
rappers even discuss hitting their “bitch”
 Exotic dancing and prostitution is glamorized and
encouraged in rap
 The music videos of women dancing half naked are
played on mainstream music networks, reinforcing
that the behavior is acceptable

23.  Even though hip-hop has now become commercially
successful, it is distributed by white-dominated corporate
America, and marketed by white-dominated mainstream
media outlets. By participating in its
commoditization, young African Americans receive
jobs, financial stability, and a medium to express themselves
to an ever-growing audience. However, white-dominated
corporate America’s control over the
marketing, distribution, and production gives them the
ability to control the image and the voice of hip-hop. Those
in power get to reap the larger benefits of the artist’s
labor, while simultaneously controlling the image and
teaching the youth values that reinforce the same nihilism.
They get to make money, villainize the black man, and
prostitute the black woman all at the same time.

25.  Special Thanks to www.youtube.com
 Hunnicutt, Gwen, and Kristy Humble Andrews.
“Tragic Narratives In Popular Culture:
Depictions Of Homicide In Rap Music.”
Sociological Forum 24.3 (2009): 611-630.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Dec. 2012
 Reid-Brinkley, Shanara R. “The Essence Of
Res(Ex)Pectability: Black Women’s Negotiation
Of Black Feminity In Rap Music And Music
Video.” Meridians:
Feminism, Race, Transnationalism 8.1 (2008)
236-260. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5
Dec. 2012