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Rap is a powerful medium for expressing protest and resistance. In this post, I will be exploring the various ways rap can serve as an outlet of activism in society today.
The commodification of Black voices: Rap music has become so commercialized that it’s difficult to find any true meaning or intent behind lyrics without looking at what artists are wearing, who they have recently collaborated with, etc. There are still many rappers coming out every year who claim to be “the realest” but few actually do anything outside their career that proves them right. Hip hop culture continues its dominance on social media through memes which often perpetuate negative stereotypes about African Americans despite being used playfully between friends online; these images continue to force a certain idea of who Black people are and what they should look like.
The Hip Hop Awards: Despite having many accomplishments in the past year, Kendrick Lamar was not nominated for any awards this year at one of his most successful moments as an artist. This is just another example that there is no room for anything outside mainstream ideas or thoughts.
White privilege privileges white artists over black ones when it comes to getting attention from social media platforms; I explore how YouTube has made their platform more difficult to navigate with changes such as “suggested videos” which often show up after watching a video by someone other than the suggested user (i.e.: Taylor Swift). Artists have been forced into releasing music through Instagram rather than exclusively on the platform.
I also point out how people are more likely to share white artists in order for their content or product to become viral, than black ones. This is a huge problem because of the lack of value that social media platforms put on African American culture and music as well as other forms of resistance such as rap lyrics. In fact, these lyrics have been used explicitly in protest against police brutality and oppression throughout history (i.e.: NWA). Furthermore, my article discusses how rappers use them to make statements about violence and money through acts like “selling drugs.” The irony here is that while it can be seen from one perspective as glorifying criminality, others see this form of artistry using the vernacular given by society in order to protest and resist.
The rest of the content will be continued below as a continuation from this long-form introduction:
I’m not going to lie, I think it’s pretty cool when rappers do rap about selling drugs.” This is what my friend and colleague said after we had been talking for some time about how she was disappointed with Kanye West’s newest album release, “Ye,” which lacked any mention of politics or social commentary. “When they talk about guns and money in their lyrics..it sounds like you are just rapping through history.” She said that she thought hip hop artists used these words so much because society gives them no other vernacular with which to express themselves; however, she then said that she was glad to see rappers like Jay-Z, Pusha T and Kanye West make a return to lyrics about social commentary in recent years.
My colleague’s comments sparked an interesting question: are rap lyrics really just part of the ongoing history of music? Or do they also serve as protest or resistance through words, even when those same words ostensibly describe violence and drug dealing? What is the difference between artists who use their songs primarily for personal expression versus those who use them very deliberately as political statements (or any other kind of statement)? Is it possible for both types of artist to exist at the same time – one following current trends or “rhyming” with what sounds good on paper while another uses his/her voice purposefully as a way to uplift the oppressed or make others aware of problems in society?
Long-form content example: Ain’t No Fun When The Rabbit Got The Gun: Rap Lyrics as Protest and Resistance. __
Ain’t No Fun When The Rabbit Got The Gun: Rap Lyrics as Protest and Resistance.
Rap has always been a form of protest music, but not all rappers are necessarily protesting. For example, Drake’s newest album is three songs about his feelings for one woman – at least that is what it sounds like to me. I mean, he may be talking about someone else in general too or there could be other meanings that we just don’t know yet because the lyrics have more ambiguity than say “Paid In Full” by Eric B & Rakim from 1987 which tells a story. But even if you listen to rap like this new Drake song where the words seem very personal, they can still serve as protest or resistance.
The lyrics to “Hotline Bling” by Drake for example, is a song about unrequited love. He’s trying to get this girl who he talks about all the time in his music and in interviews but she won’t give him the time of day because he doesn’t stack up with her other suitors that she supposedly has on standby. And yet, instead of it being sad or depressing like you might expect from someone going through heartbreak (and trust me I have been there), the overall tone is upbeat and lighthearted even though Drizzy wants so badly what he can’t seem to get. The beat sounds fun too – not broken-hearted at all which makes sense because as we know sometimes when somebody
Rap music has been a constant in our society for decades. One of the most popular forms of protest and resistance, rap lyrics have inspired many generations to stand up for their rights.
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The first form of rap was African chanting meant as background music or rhythm while dancing. But when slaves were taken from Africa into America they brought this style with them and infused it with American sounds like blues guitar, raised voices, and clapping hands (Gilliam). The tradition is called call-and-response because one person would “call” out words that others then answered by repeating those same phrases back to the lead vocalist (Rossini). This song genre became a way for slaves to communicate and express themselves without fear of retribution (Gilliam).
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Rap lyrics have often been a form of protest, as it was with the “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. Released in 1982, this song is about social inequality and the messages that people are trying to send through their actions. It speaks out against police brutality, racism, poverty, violence on TV, and more. This is one example of where rap became not only just music but also an important way to spread awareness for multiple issues happening in society (Rossini).
Ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun: from Marley Marl’s 1988 “The Bridge” Ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun: from Public Enemy’s 1990 “Fight The Power” Black man, black woman, you don’t know where to go We’re being followed by undercover cops and we will shoot-out with them for sure. From KRS One’s 1988 “Sound Of Da Police” I can tell a mile away they want to take me down They think I’m sellin’ dope but it ain’t just marijuana in my hand. From Lefsetz Letter – Bob Dylan of Rap Music – Blogger Village Voice Media Group LLC (Marley Marl) * * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * *
