Rappers criticising the REEL ESSAY

Hip Hop started in the South of the Bronx. Most rappers would rap about things which other black people living in America at that time could relate to, such as police brutality, racism and struggles growing up. When they were rapping about things like this, hip-hip was mainly consumed by black people, as they could relate to the topics being spoken about. Although the lyrics being spoken about in the early hip-hip white people couldn’t relate to, white recording companies saw hip-hip as a profitable investment. They then bought small recording companies, in doing this the lyrics began to change to suit white suburbia instead of black people, who it was first intended for. The lyrics went from touching up on socially conscious issues, to selling drugs, killing and sex. The process is called REEL, where people would act a certain way to fit in or for fame.

Many rappers criticise the REEL, one of those rappers being Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar is a black Compton based rapper, who touches up on socially conscious issues such as, police brutality, racism and growing up poor. He also criticises the REEL, and implements context which would be considered as ‘REEL’ within his songs. One song in which he does this is ‘The Blacker They Berry’. A bar which contains both of these concepts is ‘So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street, when gang banging made me kill a nigga blacker than me? Hypocrite!’ In this song Kendrick touches up on social issues by talking about Trayvon Martin, who was killed due to racism and police brutality. On February 26 2012 Trayvon was killed by a policeman by then name of George Zimmerman. Zimmerman wasn’t charged of anything, although he took the life of a young, innocent African-American boy. This proves that deaths of black people in America are not taken as seriously as they should be, and that white people are given a lot more leniency in the eyes of the law. Kendrick also criticises the REEL, as he talks about his time as a gang member where he took the life of a fellow black man. In doing this he is criticising himself and the REEL. He is criticising himself as he says he is a ‘Hypocrite!”, I know this as he talks about being involved in gangs and crime just to fit in and be seen as a threat to others. In doing this he is criticising the REEL as he then later says, he is not proud of what he has done and he could have chosen a better path in life.

Another rapper who criticises the REEL is Vince Staples, from Long Beach California, he touches up on many social issues as well as criticising the REEL. A song in which he criticises the REEL is ‘Intro’, where he talks about struggles growing up and how many young black boys were drawn into a life of crime at a young age, as they saw older people around doing it. An example of a line which criticises the REEL is ‘spend a week where I live most can’t do that’. This line means that Vince is one of the lucky people in his neighbourhood who hasn’t been dragged into a life of crime, and is able to spend time at his home with his family. In this line Vince is also saying that people who live a life of crime aren’t able to stay and live in their house as they are always in and around their area involving themselves in crime, or in extreme cases either in prison serving time for a crime they committed or even dead due to the target that they put on their on back in living a life of crime.

Akala is an example of another rapper who criticises the REEL in his songs. One song in which he criticised the REEL in is his SBTV Freestyle. A line in his song in which he criticises the REEL is when he says ‘Sorry kids let me apologise before I go further, Unfortunately I don’t rap about how many man I’ve murdered’. This line mean that hip-hop listeners have normalised rappers rapping about killing, selling drugs and things along them lines. Akala is also criticising rappers who rap about such things, but instead of insulting them, he criticises them in a way in which it seems as if he is giving them advice so they are able to think about the content in their music they are releasing for kids to listen. And instead of releasing music with hyper-violent lyrics they should touch up on topics which could benefit a child’s mind so they can enhance their knowledge. Akala also talks about white people affecting the hip-hop music industry. I know this as he says ‘Black rappers claiming they clap a black in the face, Talked about killing white people as much, would he still get embraced?’. This line means that white owned hip-hop companies have encouraged rappers to talk about violence on their own kind, which has also been normalised in today’s society, but if a black rapper was to talk about violence towards a white person it would be scrutinised upon and probably seen as racist.

Mos Def is an example of another rapper who criticises the REEL in his music. A song in which he does this is ‘Mathematics’. I know this as he says, .Young bloods can’t spell but they could rock you at Playstation’. Mos Def is attempting to say that children are influenced by media and rapers into thinking that the luxuries of life are more important compared to going to school and attempting to take life seriously, and studying to have a better life when they are older compared to the life they have now. I personally think Mos Def is totally right in thinking this as, luxuries in life such as entertainment systems are commercialised more than things which people need to succeed in life such as books and school supplies.

My final example of a rapper who criticises the REEL in his songs is Mick Jenkins. A song in which he does this is ‘Martyrs. I know this as he says ‘all the little niggas got guns now, and they carry them to the fucking beat’. This means young children are carrying guns and involving themselves in a life which is totally inappropriate for their age, and this is all happening as rappers who are being publicised in the media are rapping about these type of things therefore leading to young black hip-hop listeners thinking that style of life is normal. This criticises the REEL as Mick Jenkins is saying rappers are rapping lies and those lies are influencing the everyday lives of young children growing up. Another concept which is used in Mick Jenkins’ song is ‘satire’, this is where you use irony to criticise something or someone. Mick uses satire to criticise the REEL as, he is criticising rappers who talk about guns, drugs and sex in their songs, so he is doing what those rappers would be doing in their videos. For example, in a room with their friends ‘hanging’, smoking and other things like that. This is criticising the REEL as he is undermining rappers who would usually do things like that in their songs, by imitating them.

It is evident from my research that many hip-hop artists in the 21st century try to implicate a good message within their music. These rappers have chosen to make a unique style of music content, instead of being influenced by major label companies and other rappers, who channel a negative message to young children and people in the society of black people. At the end of my essay I hope I convinced you that real hip-hop has a positive message and rappers who talk about guns, sex and selling drugs, aren’t portraying the true image of black people, as well as hip-hop.