The 37th Chamber 04.23.08: Defending Hip-Hop Part 3

Posted by Patrick Robinson on 04.23.2008

The third and (probably) final installment on Defending Hip-Hop! This week we're looking at some of the possible reasons behind profanity in hip-hop and the resulting appeal it brings to the game.


I'm doing a group assignment at Uni at the moment, and I've asked each member to have their parts emailed to me by this Friday so I can put it together for submission next week. Anyway, I'm sitting happily at the computer on Monday and one of their parts has come through. I open the email and notice the attachment is in .docx format, which makes no sense to me, and given the fact that I asked them to send any attachments in MS Word files, I wasn't going to bother looking for a way to open it. I requested the piece to be sent again. Yesterday I open up my email and lo and behold, the file is now in .shs format. Is it too much to ask for a .doc format? Seriously?

Bah. In other news, I've been told that since my name is Irish, I'm somehow allowed to claim my outlandish behavior on the fact that Irish people are "as mad as hatters" according to this elderly lady that I served at work the other day. She assures me that she is Irish too (and having dealt with her, I would agree she is a little mad too) so it's all gravy.

Speaking of gravy, let's get to the MEAT of the column!

Oh one final thing, for those that have seen Eddie Murphy's Delirious and Raw, which do you think is funnier?

Reader Feedback
(May be edited for spelling, grammar etc.)

"I'm so spooked about what Carter III is gonna sound like... 'Lollipop' grew on me because of Static Major's hook (RIP) but it doesn't sound good for this epic album from the 'Best Rapper Alive'... and Lil Mama is on the album too??!?!
*sigh*... but anyway, have you listened to Drought 5? I stopped peepin for his mixtapes but I figured you might wanna check it out" - Guest#7313

Lollipop grew on me too eventually mainly because it's one of those bugged out kind of tracks that Wayne does surprisingly well. I'll admit that I really liked Da Drought 3 from last year that people were raving about and I got a bit confused as there are two "Drought" series as such. Anyway, I read your comment, downloaded Drought 5 and then forgot about it. However, given we've got a long weekend coming up here in Aus and I won't be at work Friday, I've got something to do (other than play Evil Overseer for my group assignment).

It's funny, and I may well have my hip-hop card revoked by saying this, but I'ma say it anyway, I don't mind Lil Mama. Put the damn pitchforks down for a second and listen for a sec. If you take away the fact that she's essentially a bubblegum rapper and focus on her actual rapping ability, she's quite talented. She has mastered her own flow at a very early age and whilst she may be rapping about lip gloss and tour buses…and whatever the hell "Get Loose" is actually about, would you rather her rapping about how good her head game is? Given she's only 18, I'm quite content to hear her rapping about cosmetic products thank you very much.

But yeah, focus on her raw rapping technique, not her lyrical ability (which I believe will mature as she does) and she's fairly impressive for somebody so young. I'll wait and see how the album turns out first before I continue the praise though.

"You should cop The Roots new album on the 29th instead" - SYC

I will definitely be giving it a listen as their last album impressed me but didn't quite grab me as I thought it would. However, using my extreme powers of retrospect, I do believe I had a headache whilst I was listening to Game Theory so maybe I should try it again before the new one comes out in a week.

On a side note, I managed to get a copy of the original 1994 Ready To Die at a second hand shop near where I live. Now if I can only track down a copy of Internal Affairs that's cheaper than $40 on eBay I'll be set for Christmas.

The Rant

Last week, we addressed the issue of sampling and credibility as well as other artist's perceptions of hip-hop. This week, it's something that I feel hurts hip-hop's credibility a lot more than the other issues, and that's excessive profanity and explicit content.

Now I swear in life I do. Some fool ran into my car while I was at work and did a runner. I swore yes because I'd just had my car serviced and everything was running smoothly for once. However, sometimes you come across lyrics in hip-hop that would make even the roughest customer blush. Whether it's a verse littered with cursing, or describing the many ways you could kill someone, these songs do exist and amazingly, seem to be the ONLY ones that people choose to mention when criticizing hip-hop.

The funny thing though, is that hip-hop didn't have cursing or explicit content in it to start with. Look back at the albums of the mid 80s-90s. LL Cool J, Eric B. & Rakim, Run-D.M.C., Will Smith (The Fresh Prince), The Beastie Boys, EPMD and De La Soul have all released albums that didn't require a "Parental Advisory" sticker in order to sell. Similarly today, Gnarls Barkley, Chamillionaire have released albums free of profanity and have achieved success (well, moderate success sadly).

The problem is, look at the list of rappers from the mid 80s-90s, and think about where they are today. LL Cool J is still around but is a shell of his former self lyrically. Rakim is doing who knows what, but it's not releasing a new album anytime soon, that I know for sure. Run-D.M.C. sadly disbanded after Jam Master Jay's death but had gradually been losing their touch over the years. Will Smith released a very underrated album Lost & Found back in 2005 which was eventually Certified Gold, but has been MIA from the hip-hop scene since then. The Beastie Boys continue to make music but again, are largely overlooked by most of today's fans. EPMD, I don't know if they're back together or not as every time I hear a rumor of them reuniting, it's immediately shot down. Finally, De La Soul last released new material in 2004 and whilst they haven't broken up, much to my annoyance, there doesn't seem to be any plans for new material in the near future.

Whilst Gnarls Barkley's debut album went Platinum, their latest effort, The Odd Couple will struggle to go Gold. Likewise, Chamillionaire's sophomore album also struggled to receive any form of certification from the RIAA.

So does profanity really sell? If you look at the albums from the early days of hip-hop, you could make a strong argument that you don't need profanity in order to sell however, as time has progressed, so have our musical tastes. That's not to say that all we want to hear is a four-minute "crap boobs crap" fest, but rather, the appeal of a more ‘raw' music is getting stronger all the time.

Hip-hop was once a method of escapism for people living in the poorer areas, faced with gang violence, drug use and hard living conditions, music that took you away from that and transported you to a feel-good party vibe was desirable. These days, the majority of people are living in better conditions than those of the mid 80s and the majority of those people are the ones buying the albums.

To many, the argument is that suburban white kids are the ones buying the majority of the albums, essentially for the same reason that hip-hop albums were selling back in the mid 80s, escapism. Personally, I don't believe in this argument as the underlying connotations are essentially racist but for all intents and purposes, we shall generalize from here on and say "people living in suburban areas" instead.

Take my life for example. I work 4 days a week, go to Uni twice a week, I own and pay for my own car and I have my own room to myself in a nice house in a nice area. To me, the hardest things I have to face is the car battery dying on me, the rising prices of fuel, and the fact that one day I will have to apply for a full time job. Since I don't earn enough money and the average price of a house in Sydney is rising each year, I'm still living at home and I don't have to worry about bills or budgets. I'm willing to be that my situation is similar to a large number of people around the world.

So for the argument to hold, what we're saying is that the people living in these suburban areas use hip-hop as a way to escape their everyday 9-5 or the 30 or so hours they spend at school each week. Hip-hop these days are being used as a way to escape the drone of real life, and immerse oneself into a life that is by comparison, more exciting. The appeal of a hip-hop lifestyle is even greater when you realize that these rappers once came from nothing, (or in many cases, drug dealing) and now they're riding around in Phantoms, rocking chains and watches that cost more than your average home. The fact that 9/10 rappers glorify that kind of lifestyle certainly doesn't help either.

Me personally, I love hip-hop because of the engaging word play, the hard hitting beats and the charisma of the rapper involved. Many people I know though, HAVE at one point or another, attempted to immerse themselves into a hip-hop lifestyle a little too much and ended up looking like a poser or some such variation upon that label.

What does this have to do with profanity though? Everything.

It's kind of hard to describe coming up in a ghetto or life as a drug dealer on the streets without using language that people would consider profane or content that most would deem explicit. I personally would like to see a rapper try their hand at gangsta rap and NOT use any profane language. To younger listeners who may not be allowed to curse around the house, hearing rappers in this raw element can be exciting in a taboo way. In this sense, hip-hop becomes edgy and to those with a rebellious streak, something that your parents wouldn't like. Admit it, even the most straight laced people will get a thrill doing something risky, whether it's skydiving, or investing in Enron, the risk gives you a boost of adrenaline that will not only encourage you to possibly take a risk another time, but also make "normal" life seem much less appealing.

Naturally, though, this kind of edge in music has lead to criticism from mainstream sources. Look at Marilyn Manson and Eminem. Both have been attacked because their musical content has supposedly driven people to do unspeakable acts (Columbine anyone?). Really though, it is up to the individual themselves if they are over legal age, and the legal guardian if not, to instill a sense of morals within the music. I listen to gangsta rap, the first record I listened to was "F*** Tha Police" but did I want to go out and kill a cop? No, because I knew, even at the young age of 12, that killing people is wrong. It is the morals and knowledge instilled in us by our parents or legal guardians that allow us to discern the difference between real life, and entertainment.

The WWE gets sued on a regular basis by parents who have children killing other children by emulating moves they see on the television. The latest case I can think of, was when a four-year-old child strangled a two-year-old child with a curtain cord whilst the mother was in the shower. Debate was heavy on the message boards but the general consensus (and many people commenting had children of their own) was that no matter how busy you are, or what lifestyle you live, you should never leave two children that young alone. When I was a kid, I was forced to sit in the bathroom and listen to a tape on cassette until my parents had finished having a shower. Once I was old enough to know some basic principles such as strangling people will hurt, I was allowed to move around the house of my own free will.

Face it, you can't sue an institute like the WWE or a rapper because of the content they portray/rap about. Why? Because there is a damn sticker on the cover of albums and a big-ass warning before every WWE program that says "PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED" which basically means, parents, until your child is old enough to discern reality from fiction/entertainment, it's up to you to do it.

This is why I laugh when you hear of parents trying to stop their kids listening to hip-hop. The more you push, the more the kid will push back and essentially go behind your back to listen to the music. What my parents did (after they gave up trying to convince me to listen to something else) was explain that whilst hip-hop contains explicit content, it's all entertainment for the sake of entertainment. It shouldn't be treated as a Bible, nor should it be treated as Law. Hip-hop is a form of entertainment, one that is not going anywhere anytime soon so stop trying to make it out as this big, bad demon from the netherworld that has come to consume people's souls. It's up to the people themselves to remember that while things such as gangbanging, drug dealing may sound appealing, 9/10 the people involved will have to bear the consequences of their actions for the rest of their life. Whether it's the death of a friend, or being sent to prison and being anally raped.

Random Boondocks references will lighten any mood.

Of course, not all hip-hop music is profane. These days, for the mainstream fan there is Chamillionaire and LL Cool J (I guess…). For the fan of ‘alternative' hip-hop, there is Gnarls Barkley. For the underground, there is Murs and DangerDoom. Good music is out there, and it's up to you the consumer to find it and embrace it. Maybe one day we'll see the end of the need for gangsta rap. Who knows, it may even get stronger. Either way, I'll still be listening to hip-hop.

Stupid-Ass YouTube Of The Week

Not really Safe for Work

Riskay – Smell Yo D***



Yeah, I didn't think this song was serious…and I still can't tell if it's meant to be a parody of sorts, but either way…it's friggin hilarious. The concept is just…if this is the future of parody music, I feel sorry for artists like Weird Al Yankovic who actually put effort into their parodies instead of this.

Before We Go…

We'll be back to usual format next week as I do believe this mini-series is over. Next week, I'll be bringing back the Top 10 with my Top 10 favorite Dr. Dre beats that AREN'T on The Chronic or 2001.

Catch you tomorrow on the News Side of things!