Essay due 12pm tuesday 1-2 pages
alonsuberi
minidialogue.docxAlon Suberi
Dr.Smyth
Cultural Resistance Mini Dialogue
Symere Woods (or Lil Uzi Vert) a very well-known modern day rapper and O’Shea Jackson (Ice Cube), American rapper infamously remembered as the star rapper for NWA and Da Lench Mob, meet to discuss the influence artists had on people and how rap today impacts peoples live in the modern world.
O’Shea Jackson: I feel like as a rapper, I spoke for a culture that was left unheard. The masses of America tried to ignore black communities, even though people who were raised in those communities were dominating radio billboards in attempt to be heard. The general trend today seems to lean toward artists who talk about taking dangerous drugs and driving sports cars while the main purpose of rap and hip-hop was to tell people that African Americans were being discriminated against and still are being discriminated against. Because the voice of activists in the rapper’s industry had started to fade away and modern rap took its place, others have protested and created movements in order to fill the void that was created with the disappearing of political rappers from the billboards.
Alon Suberi: I agree that modern rap has changed the general subjects discussed in rap, however this is because Gangster Rap was directly targeted to the African American people who were sick of the modern day social class system and wanted equality while today’s artists behave as if the fight for equality has been won. In order to keep the movement for equality going groups that are willing to protest for equality (such as Black Lives Matter) have been created as well as Colin Kaepernick’s controversial kneeling during the national anthem because he does not believe the anthem stands for all people of America.
Symere Woods: Clearly the black grammar laws and culture is often frowned upon by other cultures but artists should not always publish music that divides a nation. Violent lyrics in rap music in the 90s caused people to riot and caused many deaths. Why should people return to listening to a style of music that could put their friends and family at risk as opposed to listening to modern music which does not stir as much conflict?
Alon Suberi: Because rap still has a very strong influence on society. Much of rap used to be about marijuana until laws and bills were passed to allow its use in many states. And now the hip-hop culture has taken a turn for the worst where it mostly discusses the use of very addictive drugs and living a high-end lifestyle. As a result America has had the largest Heroin crisis in years as well as an opioid addiction crisis as well.
O’Shea Jackson: Modern day rappers do not realize that they have the power to determine what is considered socially acceptable and what is not. If an artist says do drugs many of the listeners will go out to do drugs because they now want to because the rapper claimed it is socially acceptable. That is just unacceptable because many of these rappers act as a role model for success yet their impact on society is very negative to their mainly young audience.
Symere Woods: The overall message modern hip-hop sends out today does not involve fighting for equality because once other groups took the reins to battle for equality (such as Black Lives Matter) hip-hop could focus on other messages rather than to constantly pressure people with politics and what you believe the social construct should be. The youth of America responded very positively to the music’s meaning because the message was no longer specific to only the African-American culture but also to many other cultures.
Alon Suberi: Hip-hops original purpose was to tell everyone that black people are just like everyone else but are discriminated against because of their color. They are stuck in schools that are not good enough to give them a promising future in education or vocation and bullied by police for their race. Now that hip-hop’s core message has been morphed into something else have you not in a way taken the spotlight from a matter that still bothers the public today?
Symere Woods: I believe some artists (such as Deandre Cortez Way or Soulja) already made way for other cultures to enjoy hip-hop rather than isolate it only to one group of people. If anything new hip hop did not steal the message of old hip hop, it just refined its original meaning to fit all the cultures that listen to hip-hop nowadays. There are also subcultures in hip-hop where rappers discuss their political believes.
