That Damned Rap Music

Don Imus' latest media circus has brought rap music into the public's condemnation. Many people claim that rap music, a multi-billion dollar industry that uses questionable language (the same language Imus was fired for using), promotes violence in its lyrics, and objectifies women, should be changed. Whether you think it's scapegoating or on-target, it's certainly something to think about.

As I was driving to work today, I was listening to rap music for whatever reason. What made this occurrence interesting was the beautiful juxtaposition of two songs that played one right after the other on XM's most popular rap station, The Rhyme.

The first song was, "Keep Ya Head Up" by 2Pac. It was recorded in 1993, and immediately became a very important song, as it conveys the burdens of the ghetto to the greater public. In particular, it talks about the disrespect for the female gender, particularly black women, that so many people exhibit. It later became a somewhat unofficial anthem for the streets, and a sounding point for those who believed in and stood up for women's rights. In many regards, it empowered a lot of people to fight against trends of oppression, misogyny, and bigotry. Here are some important lyrics:
"And when he tells you you ain't nuttin don't believe him
And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women"

This song reached #1 in 1993.

Then, the next song played was "Walk It Out" by Unk -- a song that is quickly approaching the #1 spot on the Hip/Hop charts. This song, as best as I can tell, is about dancing (I could very well be wrong here) and picking up women. Here's a little sample of the lyrics:

"I Threw My Head Back
Then I Froze Like Da Wind
West Side Walk It Out
South Side Walk It Out"

That's about it. Nothing positive, nothing uplifting. In fact, it was even difficult to listen to the whole song. I can't imagine anyone wanting to listen to that song.

I think that these 7 or so minutes I spent in the car were a great chance to stop and think about how much rap music has regressed in the last 14 years. I wish there were more messages from 2Pac, which sought to empower people to rise above oppression, rather than today's music, which seems to simply empower people to "Walk It Out."