Philosophy of Rap Music (1st installment)

Nava Sepehri (10)

Philosophy 1030

Installment #1

Dr. Oliver

Philosophy of Rap Music

   Every generation has the genre of music that is more controversial than the other genres. When jazz music first blew up it was controversial, as was rock music. My generation’s controversial genre is rap music. Rap music plays a very vital role in the American culture and it’s important that people understand why this is. 

   Rap music first began at the end of the 1970’s. This rap music was very different than today’s, obviously. Rap music began very clean and very simple. Towards the middle of the 1980’s rap music began getting its bad reputation. This was because of rappers like Slick Rick, Dr. Dre, and most notably, the talented yet troubled Tupac Shakur, who had run-ins with the law. N.W.A. also began growing popularity, and their music was different…they disrespected the police and, as they said themselves, tried to curse as much as possible. Flash forward to today. Rap music degrades women, glorifies drugs, sex, guns, and violence overall. According to my research, statistics show that rap music can lead its listeners to drink, do drugs, and participate in sexual activities. 

   Yes, rap music seems to have a “negative” impact, but that depends on what you deem to be negative. To me, drugs, alcohol, and sex aren’t necessarily negative. First of all, people have been drinking alcohol since the beginning of time, it really has nothing to do with rap music. People will drink it no matter what and that’s just the basis of reality. Next is drugs. Some drugs may have a negative impact on one’s health, but not all drugs. The drug most commercialized in rap music is marijuana. Personally, I find nothing wrong with marijuana. I believe it’s safer than alcohol and every other drug on the face of the planet. It’s impossible to overdose on and its only side effects are hunger and happiness. I do understand what the issue is when rappers commercialize drugs like codeine and Xanax, these are dangerous drugs, but you have to look at it from the rapper’s point of view. Many rappers grow up in an environment where their family members do drugs. These rappers are simply a product of their environments. Lastly, there’s sex. Sex is definitely nothing negative. It’s simply human nature, and just like alcohol, people have been conducting sexual tendencies since the beginning of time. I think our society likes to use the words negatively, bad, and immoral on certain products and actions so that it makes those who don’t drink, smoke, or have sex, feel like their better than others. This is not at all true, no one is better than anyone else. We are all the same, it doesn’t matter what you do with your free time, as long as you’re not harming another human being. 

   Rap music is critical to American culture for a few reasons. First, it gives a section of unheard American’s a voice, second it displays the problems within these sections, and third it’s a common outlet for American’s who live in troubling neighborhoods. Rap music is mainly embodied by African American’s in general, African American men in particular. This is how rap music all began. African American men have been shut out for so long, this is what let them speak. They rap about what they go through on a daily basis, it’s important that we note this. Rap music gives many African American men an outlet, a platform to speak about not only what they were going through, but about anything else they wish to speak about. It gives them a freedom of expression, one that gained popularity. Rap music displays many social problems in America, even to this day. There’s a reason why drugs are deeply embedded in rap culture. Many of these rappers who blow up come from nothing. Many of them grew up in a poor community, in the ghetto. They have a terrible education system and many of the people they know and live with either sell drugs or are drug addicts which lead to jail time. They basically grow up in a system set up for them to fail. This brings up the problem in America, such as systematical racism, mass incarceration, and discrimination against poverty. If you grow up poor you grow up with a crappy education which leads you nowhere in life. This brings me to my last main point, rap music gives young African American men an opportunity to get out of a system designed for them to fail. J. Cole once said in a song called “Immortal” from his album “4 Your Eyez Only,” an album that discusses gun violence and mass incarceration, "They tellin' *****’s sell dope, rap or go to NBA, in that order.” Many rappers have said themselves that music was their way out. A rising rapper who goes by the name of 21 Savage even has a song titled “Rap Saved Me.” It did indeed save him. 

   In conclusion, I understand why many people regard rap as controversial, but take a minute and look deeper than the curse words. There’s a reason why this genre of music has gained immense popularity. It gives a voice to an entire community, one that has, and still is, being shut out. It doesn’t have to be so serious all the time either. If you’re like me you may listen to rap because you don’t have to think, in certain cases, while you listen to it. It’s an escape from reality and I will continue to defend its legacy.

Above is a video showing ice cube, a member of the rap group N.W.A., describing rap music. This isn't actually ice cube, it's from a scene in the movie "Straight Outta Compton" because I couldn't find the actual clip :(   (fun fact, he was played by his own son in this movie)