Was Rap Music Intentionally Debauched by the Powers-That-Be?
For those who may have read what I've written about the impacts of mainstream rap music on listeners in the past, you would know that I also point out the late 1980s / early 1990s as a turning point in rap music, where songs of violence and sex took over what once was primarily a politically-conscious and party music.
If the abovementioned allegation is true then the following conclusions can be made:
1 - Encouraging masses of people to be imprisoned in the name of personal profit has to be just about the closest modern-day America could get to legal slavery.
2 - Even if industry leaders did intentionally promote gangsta rap, there was definitely a "supply and demand" factor, especially amongst young African-American males, that made the music wildly popular. I know because I was there. Things had reached a point where if rappers didn't come out talking about the cruel acts they can inflict on their enemies, then they were labelled a "punk" or some other negative appellation, which prompted many rappers who may be nonviolent to still take the gangsta route.
CONCLUSION
The idea of some entity encouraging criminal behavior to populate prisons for personal profit is a disturbing one but not far-fetched in a hardcore capitalist country like America. After all, this country was largely founded on the backs of the lowest paid labor a person can possibly get - slaves. And honestly there does seem to be a long-standing "conspiracy" to keep mainstream rap music filled with images of violence and sex, but the question is who is perpetuating this conspiracy? Is it the industry, the masses or both?
If the abovementioned allegation is true then the following conclusions can be made:
1 - Encouraging masses of people to be imprisoned in the name of personal profit has to be just about the closest modern-day America could get to legal slavery.
2 - Even if industry leaders did intentionally promote gangsta rap, there was definitely a "supply and demand" factor, especially amongst young African-American males, that made the music wildly popular. I know because I was there. Things had reached a point where if rappers didn't come out talking about the cruel acts they can inflict on their enemies, then they were labelled a "punk" or some other negative appellation, which prompted many rappers who may be nonviolent to still take the gangsta route.
CONCLUSION
The idea of some entity encouraging criminal behavior to populate prisons for personal profit is a disturbing one but not far-fetched in a hardcore capitalist country like America. After all, this country was largely founded on the backs of the lowest paid labor a person can possibly get - slaves. And honestly there does seem to be a long-standing "conspiracy" to keep mainstream rap music filled with images of violence and sex, but the question is who is perpetuating this conspiracy? Is it the industry, the masses or both?
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