Concrete Roses: The Truth About Hip-Hop, Survival, and the System
In a very real sense, rappers and hip-hop artists are the product of society, their community, and their environment. I see rap as being just like country music in one specific way: they are both forms of self-expression that tell a relatable story from the perspective of the vocalist.
The difference, however, is that hip-hop has traditionally been a Black genre. Because the poor and underprivileged are disproportionately Black and Latino, the story they tell is based on the often horrendous situations they are trapped in.
As Eminem famously said in If I Had...: "I rap about shit around me; shit I see." If you think about it, living in the ghetto is nothing like what the average American experiences.
The Great Divide in Policing
In many towns across the country, the police serve an important function and are seen as helpful or gracious. However, the average kid in the ghetto has never been helped by a cop, and every encounter is negative.
The attitude expressed by N.W.A—"Fuck the police"—was a direct response to the Rodney King beating and systemic abuse. In any real scope, I believe the police are the biggest gang or cult with guns just because their status is "legitimate."
I have personally been disrespected by the police and judicial system through what is clearly a coercive routine. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if I were Black, or if I were raised in the projects where evidence is planted and people are set up.
The Philosophy of the "Thug"
Similar to gangster rap, being a thug is not necessarily supposed to be glorified; it is a statement about success and principles. The most famous hip-hop thug was 2pac, who explained the situation better than anyone else could.
Pac said: "I'mma not thug'n for me, I'm thug'n for my family; wrong or right, that's what I gotta do." He was illuminating a very serious issue regarding survival.
People who live in the ghetto have basic, survival-level problems, worrying about shelter, clothes, and most importantly, if they will have enough to eat. As he noted in Changes: "My stomach hurts so I'm look'n for a purse to snatch." He had to do what he had to do to feed his family, believing the ends justified the means.
Roses in the Concrete
The fact is, if you put a man into an extraordinary situation like prison or the ghetto, he has to take extraordinary measures to survive, let alone be successful. Pac referred to himself as a rose that blossomed from the concrete with a damaged stem.
This symbolized his rise to stardom from a harsh development in a hostile environment. He was illuminating how the beauty of his soul and artistry grew despite his surroundings, rather than because of them.
There is a consistent theme in real hip-hop about the hood and upward mobility. The sentiment is perfectly expressed as: "I lived in the ghetto, the ghetto don't live in me."
Leaving vs. Giving Back
People aren't in the hood to be "hip" or "fly"—they are there because of a failed economic system. When hip-hop artists finally get money, no one should blame them for leaving that environment of desperation and negativity.
It is exactly what an individual should do to better themselves, their families, and their futures. However, a legitimate criticism arises when artists who supposedly represent their community don't give back to it at all.
I think Dr. Dre said it best in Still D.R.E.: "Still got it wrapped like a mummy. Still ain't tripping, love to see young blacks get money. Spend time out the hood, take they moms out the hood. Hit my boys off with jobs, no more living hard."
Join the Resistance at Helm 108
Understanding the environment that creates the artist is the first step toward reclaiming our creative sovereignty. We are building a space where the truth of the streets meets the strategy of the business.
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