Gangsta and conscious rap have a place in hip hop culture as forms addressing social, economic, and political issues within the community.

---

What is Gangsta Rap?

Gangsta rap can be classified as a sub-genre of Hip Hop. The raps mainly focus on gang/street life and is often associated with crime, drugs, and street lifestyles. The rise of gangsta rap started in the mid 80’s and can be attributed to Hip Hop’s demeanor in the time. The oppression of the black body and soul could be felt through the 80’s as policy change and economics shifted not so much in their favor. The introduction of Reaganomics led to a poverty rate of 31.6% for Black Americans among gutting social programs that would would benefit and supply such a high poverty rate. The stigma of violent crime in black communities rose under the Reagan administration, and homicide would be the leading cause for death in black males aged 15 – 25 during this time. The death rate for a black man would be 6 times higher than that of any other race, and the perception of black people in America would further be skewed and divided as sensationalist media would report on the rise of violence.

“And lay us on our belly, while they fingers on they triggers
They boots was on our head, they dogs was on our crotches
And they would beat us up if we had diamonds on our watches
And they would take our drugs and money, as they pick our pockets
I guess that that’s the privilege of policing for some profit
But thanks to Reaganomics, prisons turned to profits
Cos free labor is the cornerstone of US economics
Cos slavery was abolished, unless you are in prison
You think I am bullshitting, then read the 13th Amendment
Involuntary servitude and slavery it prohibits
That’s why they giving drug offenders time in double digits
Ronald Reagan was an actor, not at all a factor
Just an employee of the country’s real masters”

“Reagan” – Killer Mike

We see that the policies of America are just another form of systemic oppression for people of color. The birth of gangster rap was a reaction to this oppression that was being felt throughout the Hip Hop community.

In an interview with Tupac Shakur he describes the violence and mistreatment of the law and society against black people in America. He also details why he makes gangsta rap: as it is a way to tell the street story and hope for liberation from an oppressive society.

“The central problem is this: How can the oppressed, as divided, unauthentic beings, participate in developing the pedagogy of their liberation? Only as they discover themselves to be “hosts” of the oppressor can they contribute to the midwifery of their liberating pedagogy.”

“Pedagogy of the Oppressed” – Paulo Friere.

Gangsta rap is a tool for the historically oppressed to be able to use their experiences in street/gangster lifestyles and use it to reach out to those still in the struggle. Although there is a glorification of negative parts of the lifestyle it is still important to the pedagogy and understanding a people oppressed.

East Coast Vs. West Coast

The street lifestyle followed the raps and that’s where gangster and hip hop met. Very braggadocios and machismo in nature there was disputes over who claimed the hierarchy of the rap game. Acts of violence would plague many artists at this time. This would lead to what is known as the East coast-West coast beef in the 90’s.

The East vs West beef started due to a feeling of lack of respect from East coast rappers to West Coast. They felt they were being underappreciated when they were in the East and in the video you can see the key players that started the “war”. Suge knight, a producer of Death Row records was the man in the West. He went out to call out the East Coast (specifically Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records) for their lack of love and respect for the West. This hostility would be further exacerbated by media attention and a back and forth between east coast and west coast rappers. The two main figure heads of this beef would end up being The Notorious BIG and Tupac Shakur. Spurred by a drive by shooting that Tupac was a victim of during his time in New York, Tupac blamed the East Coast along with Bad Boy Records and Notorious BIG for not assisting him in the time that he was shot at. This was more than enough fuel for the fire to start a violent spur of events that would ultimately lead to more shootings and the unfortunate deaths of both artists.

The deaths of both of these legendary artists struck a knife in the heart and soul of the Hip Hop community. It shed light though on the negative aspects of violence in Hip Hop. There were many movements against violence and murder within the Hip Hop following the deaths of Tupac and Big, as it caused Hip Hop to look at the bigger picture and realize how senseless the violence was. In order to grow and succeed they realized that they should be spreading positivity not resorting to the violence.

Why is Gangsta Rap Important?

“The language of the streets is the only language I can use to communicate with the streets. You have to build people up. You have to get under them then lift. You know all this pulling from the top ain’t working. So we have to take the language of the streets, tell the kids about the situation, tell them whats really going on.”

“Nappy Happy: A Conversation with Ice Cube” – Angela Y. Davis and Ice Cube

Gangsta Rap is an important piece in Hip Hop culture. It stays true, for the most part to the initial ideals of Hip Hop. When used as a form to describe street and gang life as a hopes to promote getting out of an unfavorable lifestyle that can relate to those living the very lives portrayed in the music it proves as a form of liberation. Hip Hop has always been a tool for change, knowledge, and empowerment. Gangsta rap fills a niche as a sub genre of Hip Hop and plays an important role in Hip Hops history.

The Definition

“Conscious rap is a subgenre of hip-hop that focuses on creating awareness and imparting knowledge. “ It believes that radical social change can occur through knowledge of self and personal discovery. It is introspective on the words that are used and provide critical analysis of life, injustice, culture, politics, among many other varying subjects.

“So much on my mind that I can’t recline
Blastin’ holes in the night till she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call, I can’t
Take it, y’all, I can feel the city breathing
Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving”

“Respiration” – Black Star feat. Common

Mos Def paints a vivid image of the strife of living in a state of constant stress due to conditions in the city where he resides in, we can see conscious rap is a form of Hip Hop where exquisite word play and imagery is a staple and is apart of what makes it so beautiful.

The importance of Conscious Rap

Conscious rap being a form of rap used to provide critical analysis is essential to true Hip Hop. The complex issues of social, economic, and political issues within the Hip Hop community need deep thought and conscious rap is the best way to spread and teach the lessons that may one day sow the seed of change.

The ability to say something poignant while adhering to the essence of Hip Hop is truly a magnificent feat. It is a way to achieve a pedagogy of black culture through an art form.

There has been a visible resurgence of various forms of black cultural nationalism. this has partly occurred in response to some of the crises currently facing African Americans, and partly reflects the sense of frustration and desperation many people, especially black youth, feel about the prospects for our collective future, and their hunger for some hopeful alternative.

“Black Popular Culture and the Transcendence of Patriarchal Illusions” Ransby and Matthews

Lessons from Conscious Rap

To better understand how conscious rap influences the culture, we can analyze the lyrics to see the messages they are conveying.

Mos Def, a conscious rapper came out with his critically acclaimed album “Black on Both Sides” on October 12, 1999. Leading with Afrocentric themes and going over many social issues such as the drug war, black prison rates, and police mistreatment he is a cornerstone of the conscious rap category.

” Hip-Hop passed all your tall social hurdles
Like the nationwide projects-prison-industry complex

“Mathematics” – Mos Def

Mos states that Hip Hop has gone through more than most genres have in terms of social and political issues. He relates it the struggles of black men in America having to go through the motions within the justice system and prisons.

Working-class poor, better keep your alarm set
Streets too loud to ever hear freedom ring

“Mathematics” – Mos Def

The working class being confined to their time and jobs describes the economic strife in America. They constrictions of needing a job to survive as a means for livelihood shows a point of anxiety for those in these conditions. The oppression of the street life also makes it hard or impossible to ever give the notion of freedom a chance under these conditions.

Say evacuate your sleep, it’s dangerous to dream
For ch-ching, cats get the “cha-pow!” You dead now
Killing fields need blood to graze the cash cow
It’s a numbers game, but shit don’t add up somehow

“Mathematics” – Mos Def

They say evacuate to sleep, but that is not an option under the same idea that your not getting that much sleep if you’re poor and in the working class. It also symbolically if we applies the ideal of the “I Have a Dream” message by Dr. King. Mos is inferring that having a dream whether literally or metaphorically is dangerous as you may die at any moment. All in Mos Def declares that death is part of the system that oppresses for corporate interests. The whole song is breaking down social/economic/political structures in the form of mathematics, Mos understands the numbers game and says that it is not favorable to the whole.

---

De La Soul, a group representing New York came out with their fourth studio album “Stakes is High” in 1996. With their unique style and conscious lyrics they are a staple to the conscious genre.

A skin not considered equal
A meteor has more right than my people
Who be wastin’ time screaming who they’ve hated

“Stakes is High” – De La Soul

An introspective of race relations in America De La Soul describes the conditions of black people in society. Describing the nonsensical racism against blacks and detailing that black people in society still do not have proper rights.

Neighborhoods are now hoods cause nobody’s neighbors
Just animals surviving with that animal behavior
Under I who be rhyming from dark to light sky
Experiments when needles and skin connect
No wonder where we live is called the projects

“Stakes is High” – De La Soul

For De La Soul, they can see that neighborhoods have been turned into a feeding frenzy where there is no sense of unity. The spirit of the people have been broken by an oppressive society and equates it to a non human like behavior. The last two lines are used as a double entendre. The first meaning is about the drug use in his community. Crack cocaine and heroin plague poorer communities and the drugs themselves keep the people stuck in those poor living conditions. The second meaning is equating the projects as a literal project, as the project housing is an experiment against poor people of color.

I’m sick of bitches shakin’ asses
I’m sick of talkin’ ’bout blunts, sick of Versace glasses
Sick of slang, sick of half-ass awards shows
Sick of name brand clothes
Sick of R&B bitches over bullshit tracks

“Stakes is High” – De La Soul

A critical take on the rap industry De La Soul expands on the ridiculousness of misogyny, drug use, and materialism in Hip Hop. The commodification of the rap industry has pushed that these ideals are “important” and sell records, but Hip Hop is a tool for liberation and teaching and the group expresses the disdain for its negative messages here.

A Take on Hip Hop by Farrakhan

Farrakhan goes in depth on how Hip Hop effects the black community. He expands upon the idea that De La Soul spoke upon which was promoting negative ideas such as violence, drug use, misogyny. He sends a message to all those with power in influence within the hip hop community to be leaders of their community. Not only to be a leader but to be a teacher, he understands that Hip Hop reaches all over the world as one of the most popular forms of music so he asks rap artists to be positive role models and teachers of the youth. He claims that “if you’re eating filth you can’t have a clean system, and if you are eating filth in your head day in and day out, you can’t come out with clean language and a clean mind” Although that is prevalent through the Hip Hop community he says to not give up hope, as we cannot give up on the black artists in Hip Hop as they are important to making change.

“We’ll never become a great nation without our artists. Our artists are the key, not only to the liberation of black people, but the liberation of humanity itself”

“Farrakhan: Hip Hop and the Power of Cultural Expression” -Louis Farrakhan

Hip Hop Scholarship

To be a Hip Hop scholar, you have to be Hip Hop and you have to be Hip Hop all the time. What does that mean though to be Hip Hop? If we go back and remember what the 4 pillars of Hip Hop were; Djing, MCing, break dancing, and graffiti that gives us knowledge about what Hip Hop is. Although that knowledge, while if we look at the question objectively may suffice as an answer, is not good enough. Hip Hop is a culture, and cultural knowledge can never be objective. It is impossible to look at a culture and truly say you know what it is. On the surface level, the fault lies in those who are not true Hip Hop scholars teaching others what they think it is to be Hip Hop. True Hip Hop scholarship though is changing your mindset on learning as a whole. It is an emphasis on truth and teaches against injustice of the right to be your true authentic self.

“Rap music is a school system itself, and one of the best school systems that we have. It’s entertainment, but it’s also a school system.”

“Nappy Happy: A Conversation With Ice Cube” Angela Y. Davis and Ice Cube

So if this is the case then what is Hip Hop? The answer to that is you. You reading this right now are Hip Hop. You have chosen to devout your time to listen to this video or myself. KRS-One states in the video, you are the culture therefore you are Hip Hop.

To expand on this notion of Hip Hop scholarship, KRS-One states ” Self Knowledge, cultural knowledge, inner being knowledge and the courage to be yourself” is what you should be striving for. If you have all that, or are searching for that; you are Hip Hop.

“The study of Hip Hop is not only inspiring, but it’s transforming. It’s self transforming. This is culture, so when you’re studying culture you yourself are changing.”

“40 Years of Hip Hop Documentary” KRS-One

Hip Hop scholarship is a culture of being knowledgeable in the truths of Hip Hop and therefore in all facets of life. It is a culture of growth with an emphasis on knowing thy self. It is not so interested on dwelling on the past but for striving and creating a better present and future.

A person who knows not
And knows not that they know
not
Is foolish — disregard them

A person who knows not
And knows that they know not
Is simple — teach them

A person who knows not
And believes that they know
Is dangerous — avoid them

A person who knows
And knows not that they know
Is asleep — awaken them

A person who knows
And knows that they know
Is wise — follow them

And all these persons reside in
you
Know Thy Self
And to Maat be true

“Know Thy Self” – Kemetic Poem

The Colonial Mentality

The corporate systems of governance and education that run our society go against the grain of the idea of Hip Hop scholarship. One reason being is that the government isn’t really for the people. Another reason being that our education system is a lie. The basis of the foundation of the knowledge that we get is derivative from the creators of our land and laws. This “reality” of an education that we are taught from a young age is a lie. The basis of American “reality” is taught to us by the colonizers and thief’s. The point here being is if the nature of our teachers or teachings are based off thief’s, liars, and colonizers, then that is what is going to be taught to us in an objective manner.

A revolutionary leadership must accordingly practice co-intentional education. Teachers and students (leadership and people), co-intent on reality, are both Subjects, not only in the task of unveiling that reality and thereby coming to know it critically, but in the task of re-creating that knowledge. As they attain this knowledge of reality through common reflection and action,they discover themselves as its permanent re-creators. In this way, the presence of the
they discover themselves as its permanent re-creators. In this way, the presence of the oppressed in the struggle for their liberation will be what it should be: not pseudo-participation,but committed involvement.

“Pedagogy of the Oppressed” – Paulo Friere

The definition of colonial mentality is : A colonial mentality is the internalized attitude of ethnic or cultural inferiority felt by people as a result of colonization, i.e. them being colonized by another group. It corresponds with the belief that the cultural values of the colonizer are inherently superior to one’s own.

Hip hop Conscious

What does Hip Hop mean? If we deconstruct the word itself a little bit we can have a better understanding. Hip means to know, and hop means movement. To know is to be conscious, aware, knowledgeable. Hip Hop means conscious movement. It’s a deliberate movement without any opinions or bias.

It is an idea, not a physical thing that we can see. Hip Hop is an idea that starts with consciousness. KRS-One attributes it to be a collective conscious, its all of Hip Hop’s thinking coming together. If you know the Hip Hop conscious then you understand the people in that culture. It allows you to relate to those same people in the culture and community. It allows you to speak the truth to your fellow peers.

Hip Hop Culture

Hip Hop is the courage to being yourself. It is the knowledge of self. It is having knowledge of your inner being. It is consciousness. It is not accepting the falsehoods of reality and being ones true authentic self. If this is the case, then that’s the only thing that matters. Where you come from, what language you speak, what race you are has no meaning if you adhere by these principles; you are Hip Hop. Real Hip Hop is a culture of acceptance of all people regardless of where you come from or what you look like. Hip Hop in its truest form is liberation for all people.

The culture is shown through action. It comes from acts of Hop Hop, such as break dancing, graffiting, DJ’ing, MC’ing, beat-boxing, street fashion, street language, street knowledge and street entrepreneurship.

hip hop products

KRS goes into the concept of hip hop products. With an understanding of the Hip Hop conscious, and the Hip Hop culture you can integrate into the final form which is hip hop products. This can be many things, it can be making music, it can be dancing, it can be fashion, anything with a product label or something that can be for sale is a hip hop product. The product is what you give the people. It is a integration of all 3 of these concepts. It is understand that these things go together or are meant to be together. You can’t have a hip hop product without the understand of the conscious or the culture.

Conscious, Culture, and Product

How do these three elements all tie in together? It starts from the bottom down. This initial steps to Hip Hop start with the conscious. The conscious effort to be your true authentic self, asserting your right to be yourself. You understand the real issues in Hip Hop and in life. You have an idea or knowledge and you use that knowledge to teach others in an effort to liberate the mind. When you have the conscious, you can understand the culture. If what KRS-One says is true and there is a collective conscious in Hip Hop so to speak, then you can relate your ideas to the culture and for the culture. The can be done through all the acts of Hip Hop aforementioned earlier in this post. You understand the culture because you are the culture, being a true and authentic version of yourself. From there the hip hop products are made, whether you are discussing hip hop or performing it, that’s a product of the Hip Hop itself.

Hip Hop’s History and Cultural Significance

We started from the top, on that fateful day August 13, 1973 in South Bronx with DJ Kool Herc Hip Hop was born. What has grown and flourished is a beautiful idea and culture that has stood the test of time. It is a tool for liberation of a people oppressed and has transformed beyond that into an idea and art form that looks to connect all people. Starting with humble beginnings Hip Hop in all its forms has influenced the minds of generations of people and has claimed its spot as one of the most poignant and popular art forms in modern society. Hip Hop is everywhere you are, because the essence of Hip Hop is you. When you go to seek truth, when you teach others truths, when you know the truth about yourself and can be yourself; that is Hip Hop. This is the lesson that KRS-One A.K.A. The Teacher explains in “40 Years of Hip Hop”.

“Rap is something we do, hip-hop is something you live.”

“Well, well, today hip-hop, we are advocating that hip-hop is not,
Just a music, it is an attitude, it is an awareness, it is a way
To view the world. So rap music, is something we do, but HIP-HOP,
Is something we live. And we look at hip-hop, in it’s 9 elements;
Which is breaking, emceeing, graffiti art, deejaying, beatboxing,
Street fashion, street language, street knowledge, and street
Entrepenurialism – trade and business. And uhh, that’s where y’know
That’s the hip-hop that that that we’re about “

“Hip Hop Knowledge” KRS-One