How Hip-Hop Music Lost Its Way and Betrayed Its Fans

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THE NEW YORK TIMES
May 12, 2005
How Hip-Hop Music Lost Its Way and Betrayed Its Fans
By BRENT STAPLES
African-American teenagers are beset on all sides by dangerous myths about race. The most poisonous one defines middle-class normalcy and achievement as "white," while embracing violence, illiteracy and drug dealing as "authentically" black. This fiction rears its head from time to time in films and literature. But it finds its most virulent expression in rap music, which started out with a broad palette of themes but has increasingly evolved into a medium for worshiping misogyny, materialism and murder.

This dangerous narrowing of hip-hop music would be reason for concern in any case. But it is especially troubling against the backdrop of the 1990's, when rappers provoked a real-world gang war by using recordings and music videos to insult and threaten rivals. Two of the music's biggest stars - Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. - were eventually shot to death.

People who pay only minimal attention to the rap world may have thought the killings would sober up the rap community. Not quite. The May cover of the hip-hop magazine Vibe was on the mark when it depicted fallen rappers standing among tombstones under the headline: "Hip-Hop Murders: Why Haven't We Learned Anything?"

The cover may have been prompted in part by a rivalry between two rappers that culminated in a shootout at a New York radio station, Hot 97, earlier this spring. The events that led up to the shooting show how recording labels now exploit violence to make and sell recordings.

At the center of that Hot 97 shootout was none other than 50 Cent, whose given name is Curtis Jackson III. Mr. Jackson is a confessed former drug dealer who seems to revel in the fact that he was shot several times while dealing in Queens. He has also made a career of "beef" recordings, in which he whips up controversy and heightens tension by insulting rival artists.

He was following this pattern in a radio interview in March when a rival showed up at the station. The story's murky, but it appears that the rival's entourage met Mr. Jackson's on the street, resulting in gunfire.

Mr. Jackson's on-air agitation was clearly timed to coincide with the release of "The Massacre," his grotesquely violent and misogynist compact disc. The CD cover depicts the artist standing before a wall adorned with weapons, pointing what appears to be a shotgun at the camera. The photographs in the liner notes depict every ghetto stereotype - the artist selling drugs, the artist in a gunfight - and includes a mock autopsy report that has been seen as a covert threat aimed at some of his critics.

The "Massacre" promotion raises the ante in a most destructive way. New artists, desperate for stardom, will say or do anything to win notice - and buzz - for their next projects. As the trend escalates, inner-city listeners who are already at risk of dying prematurely are being fed a toxic diet of rap cuts that glorify murder and make it seem perfectly normal to spend your life in prison.

Critics who have been angered by this trend have pointed at Jimmy Iovine, the music impresario whose Interscope Records reaped millions on gangster rap in the 90's. Mr. Iovine makes a convenient target as a white man who is lording over an essentially black art form. But also listed on "The Massacre" as an executive producer is the legendary rapper Dr. Dre, a black man who happens to be one of the most powerful people in the business. Dr. Dre has a unique vantage point on rap-related violence. He was co-founder of Death Row Records, an infamous California company that marketed West Coast rap in the 1990's and had a front-row seat for the feud that led to so much bloodshed back then.

The music business hopes to make a financial killing on a recently announced summer concert tour that is set to feature 50 Cent and the mega-selling rap star Eminem. But promoters will need to make heavy use of metal detectors to suppress the kind of gun-related violence that gangster artists celebrate. That this lethal genre of art has grown speaks volumes about the industry's greed and lack of self-control.

But trends like this reach a tipping point, when business as usual becomes unacceptable to the public as a whole. Judging from the rising hue and cry, hip-hop is just about there.

― shookout (shookout), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"Brent Staples was the other drummer for Gay Dad."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

LET THE BEEF COOK!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

while in many ways I agree re: the "thematic narrowing" of hip-hop, this is not a particularly well-written or interesting article - the Greg Tate piece from months ago said pretty much the same thing, only better.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Ummmmm......does it?

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0007P3582.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:18 (twenty-one years ago)

they look more like scribbles than guns to me.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

christ he's in shape though! he must work out out all the time.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004WGVR.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

hello ladies, two tickets to the gun show right here

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm always surprised 50 isn't a massive gay icon. He always looks so soulful... and muscular.

I like this picture:

ihttp://www.worth1000.com/view.asp?entry=115130&display=photoshop

― mrjosh (mrjosh), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

ihttp://www.worth1000.com/entries/94000/94222OTVs_w.jpg

― mrjosh (mrjosh), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

arg!

― can't post images goddammit! (mrjosh), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Both Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria are ripped. Can't fuck with the Simpsons' cast...unless you're Carrot Top.

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

hip-hop has lost it's way though - can you imagine metal detectors or worries about violence or half baked editorials surrounding say the run dmc-beastie boys tour two decades ago? unimaginable.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

this lacks the sparkle of will smith review in the voice last week where greg tate said he wanted black evangelicals to burn in hell

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

where's chuck with the link

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

it also lacks the sparkle of the dumpster behind my apartment building.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

altho blount totally OTM about the perennially lazy editorials decrying hip-hop violence thing. this has been going on forever.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0519,tate,63795,22.html

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Thats an awesome editorial.

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Tate is Grate.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:40 (twenty-one years ago)

But trends like this reach a tipping point, when business as usual becomes unacceptable to the public as a whole. Judging from the rising hue and cry, hip-hop is just about there.

Stupid meme alert: tipping point. Journalists always want to find or posit tipping points right before the tipping point because they read somewhere about a bestselling book that talked about tipping points. The article had just about reached a tipping point when it's author cited "tipping point" and it tipped over. If it gets read enough by TV news producers, perhaps the reporter will be asked to comment for a three second news segment on hip-hop's violent tipping point.

When the crazy guy stormed onstage at DamagePlan's final concert, heavy metal was just at the tipping point where fan assassinated artist. At 0 degrees Centrigrade, the state of water can be at a tipping point. Pressure will cause it to liquify. Expansion will keep it in solid form. And it will also tip into sublimation.

The tip of Janet Jackson's titty preceded a tipping point where pols would get all riled up and start goading the FCC to fine organizations and people. However, the titty tipping point was ignored by everyone else.

Promoters make heavy use of metal detectors at Peanuts and the Viper Room in Hollywood. The tipping point for deployment of metal detectors would seem long past.

Now your patience is at a tipping point. How long until it tips over and this behavior becomes unacceptable to the public?

― George Smith, Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm always surprised 50 isn't a massive gay icon. He always looks so soulful... and muscular.

his body is amazing and I'm very interested in his magic stick, but the reason he isn't a gay icon is probably because he's spectacularly ugly.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:43 (twenty-one years ago)

What rappers do make good gay icons?

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:44 (twenty-one years ago)

TUPAC

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:45 (twenty-one years ago)

George Smith OTM about "tipping point" meme reaching, uh, the tipping point. (haha I want to start a beer blog called the Tipping Pint now. and I don't even drink beer!)

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

[not work safe as if you couldnt have guessed] THREAD FOR FAKE NUDES OF YOUR FAVORITE RAPPERS

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.das-online-portal.de/bilder/roots.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I'd love to know what 50's diet/exercise routine is like.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I want to know how much body oil he goes through a day.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

what's the over/under on how many hack editorials malcolm gladwell has inspired this year? 6000? 60000?

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

do gay dads have hip-hop pinups?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

The print edition of this story had the rather embarassing typo "Critics who have been angered by this trend have pointed at Jimmy Iovine, the music impresario whose Interscope Records reaped millions on gangster rape in the 90's."

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 12 May 2005 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

who knew jimmy iovine was behind oz?

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 12 May 2005 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The 50-Game beef is so last month's outrage! There's pussies getting beaten up, ya know!

― Stupornaut (natepatrin), Thursday, 12 May 2005 22:27 (twenty-one years ago)

The thematic narrowing is much more of a problem to me than twats shooting each other. It's as tedious as what happened to rock when grunge came along, bitches.

― stet (stet), Friday, 13 May 2005 00:22 (twenty-one years ago)

This article also seems extremely relevant here:

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0323,coates,44584,1.html

It basically argues that increasingly violent gangsta rap no longer reflects life in American ghettos, where violent crime has dropped but poverty has not.

I also think "narrowing" is the key word. I don't think there's much harm in violent music; it's when that's the only thing offered that it becomes a problem.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 01:26 (twenty-one years ago)

that's a great article

― Sym Sym (sym), Friday, 13 May 2005 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

It was in the Da Capo Best Music Writing 2004. It leaves Brent Staples in the dust, and to date it's the only article I've ever read that actually makes that point.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 01:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Coates's writing, and he went to Howard slightly after I left D.C., so I can imagine he saw a lot of the worst of what he's talking about. (I lived in D.C. when it was the "murder capital," then New Orleans when it was the "murder capital," then Minneapolis when it was "Murderapolis.")

But he's being New Yorkcentric when he talks about the murder rate falling everywhere. Even at the time it was up in some cities, and it's way up now in North Minneapolis and Baltimore.

― Pete Scholtes, Friday, 13 May 2005 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)

That's a good point to make.

I also lived in DC in several years (at least) that it was declared murder capital. How old is Coates anyway? I have a number of friends who went to Howard.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 02:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know, but he once wrote about being at Howard when the Million Man March happened...

― Pete Scholtes, Friday, 13 May 2005 02:31 (twenty-one years ago)

So he's probably in his late 20s or maybe 30, cuz I think I was in high school when that happened and I'm 25 now.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, it's clear the real solution here is for hip-hop artists to make more songs about how it's ok to do well in school -- because we all know that that's been a can't-lose commercial scheme, not only in hip-hop, but throughout the history of popular music.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

by the way by posting this article I don't mean to imply that I agree with it, I'm just wanting to open the discussion.

And if ever I do feel myself wringing my hands about lyrical contents of popular music, which will be never, to put in check all I'll ever have to do is watch Zappa on Crossfire: "Words!"

― shookout (shookout), Friday, 13 May 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Speaking of...

Cam'ron and Dame Dash on the O'Reilly Factor:

http://www.islanddefjam.com/www2//av/go.wvx?num=28763649873

― Pete Scholtes, Friday, 13 May 2005 02:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I couldn't really sit through the O'Reilly thing. All too predictable -- O'Reilly being his usual idiot self, Cam'ron and Dame dodging any responsibility for anything, producer playing videos while they're talking to undermine what they're saying, debate breaks down into everyone shouting "CanIfinishcanIfinishcanIfinish?" The teacher was the only one who sounded anything close to reasonable.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't have anything intelligent to say about this article. But I'd like to toss my hat into, proverbially, the ring, with: "what a fucking stupid and poorly reasoned piece of tripe."

― Remy (x Jeremy), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like to toss my hat into, proverbially, the ring

Interesting syntax.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm always surprised 50 isn't a massive gay icon.

He came out of the closet early this year actually.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:21 (twenty-one years ago)

(SPITTAKE) Wha?

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 03:23 (twenty-one years ago)

(SHITTAKE)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 13 May 2005 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

That coates article argues that 50 is bad because he's not "real." I'm not feeling that part of it, anyway.

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Friday, 13 May 2005 07:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean maybe i'm misinterpreting that Coates article but it seems like he's saying "50 is supposed to be good because he's authentic, but he's inauthentic and therefore bad" which seems like a pretty shaky conclusion to me.

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Friday, 13 May 2005 07:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, it's clear the real solution here is for hip-hop artists to make more songs about how it's ok to do well in school

Well, I think it's now an obligation to do shitty in 1-12 school for anyone with half a brain. The country is moving to teaching science as that which is determined to be scientific fact by popular opinion, meaning, creationism side by side with evolution in biology. When I was in high school decades ago, creationism was crtiqued as an example of superstition in science, right up there with the Soviet "science" of Lysenko. And that was in a very rural public school.

― George Smith, Friday, 13 May 2005 11:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, I was being sarcastic anyway.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the most noteworthy thing about 50 cent and his record company is that they stage shootouts where real and unsuspecting people involved get shot. And I think that's the real story. The fact that they got Mike Tyson with a mic, a blunt, ultra ignorant musclebound idiot to go out there starting conflicts, then getting restraining orders and snitching on organized crime. I think that 50 doesn't realize it but his handlers are well aware that he'll be dead in the next 5 years. Hell, they're counting on it. The entire investment in 50 cent is predicated on his 'most likely to die' status.

But come on, gangsta rap has *always* been kayfabe. Biggie Smalls was riding in limos and drinking champagne in his first video, before he sold a single record, indeed before his full length was even available. Tupac? He only moved to Oakland to become a backup dancer for Humpty Hump and then decided to 'go gangsta'. Before NWA, Dr. Dre was dressing up in drag for a wacky electro funk band. None of it is real, and none of it was ever real.

― Morgan Patrick (public_radio), Friday, 13 May 2005 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

That coates article argues that 50 is bad because he's not "real." I'm not feeling that part of it, anyway.

-- Lethal Dizzle (ddrak...), May 13th, 2005.

Um, sorry, I don't really see that argument in there. And most of it isn't about 50 at all.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 14:24 (twenty-one years ago)

"How come you don't wanna dance—you shy?" Uh uh. Noooo. Sounds like borderline sexual harassment.

really? does it?

― N_RQ, Friday, 13 May 2005 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude, are you sure you're on the right thread?

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 13 May 2005 14:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Why don't you drink beer, Matos! It's great! Summit Oatmeal Stout is the bomb.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 13 May 2005 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

hurting --yeah, that was tatester on will smith. sucky single but come on.

― N_RQ, Friday, 13 May 2005 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

HAHAHAHAHAHA oh my god

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 13 May 2005 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, that Coates article is great.

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, Coates' article is excellent.

(tho in Oakland, the murder rate has definitely not dropped in recent years - quite the opposite, in fact)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 13 May 2005 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, that Coates article is great.
yeah, Coates' article is excellent.

I'm with them. Pretty outstanding.

― giboyeux (skowly), Friday, 13 May 2005 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm really confused why people I think are very smart think the Coates article is so great. I mean, he certainly makes good+important points within it, but...

"The narrative of the post-crack era black male - poor, unemployable, and long resigned - is a direct challenge to that mythology. The inglorious plight of the black male is a disturbing reality tht might make for compelling art. But for the record industry, that's a nonstarter.

Too bad..."

let's put aside for the moment that Coates' assertion that post-crack era black male narrative is a better caricature to thrust black males into, because frankly I think it's just a humiliating and degrading a stereotype and it's certainly one that much of white America would latch onto in a heartbeat.

I don't see why fiction is a bad basis for music. In and of itself. I see the side of the argument that says it creates a stereotype, but Coates solution isn't about stereotyping, its about how "real" the rappers are. Hurting, could you perhaps expand on why you think I'm wrong in my interpretation of the piece?

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Friday, 13 May 2005 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I should edit that - it is a great piece in many, many ways, including how fantastically its written, but a couple of his conclusions are leaving me with questions about his assumptions.

― Lethal Dizzle (djdee2005), Friday, 13 May 2005 17:21 (twenty-one years ago)

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