Hip-hop culture, as well as music, is a big part of today’s reality. Even though it has a deep past, it has a successful present and future. The subgenres like drill, trap, mumble- and cloud-rap are still on top music charts. That proves that hip-hop has been relevant for almost fifty years after its birth in the seventies, primarily because of the transformation of its shape and structure through the years. Crime is not a forbidden topic in rap music and hip-hop culture in general. On the contrary, the origins of this subculture are deeply connected with crime, police, and jail.
Lyrics in modern rap music usually include words about drugs, gangs, prostitution, or violent acts. Even though times have changed and not every new rapper has a criminal past, the origins of the genre remain valuable for artists. In the early nineties, the practice of using “rap lyrics as criminal evidence” was widespread among persecutors and police across the United States, according to Lennis (2020, pa. 33). Similar occasions happened to modern rappers like Tekashi 6ix9ine and Mac Phipps. Other famous artists such as Chance the Rapper, Meek Mill, and 21 Savage have drawn public attention to the problem. Another renowned hip-hop artist named Drakeo the Ruler “was charged with ordering a 2016 shooting” (Lennis, 2020, pa 36). Even though the jury justified him, he was accused of criminal gang conspiracy because of his membership in the rap collective, the Stinc Team. He would have faced life imprisonment if prosecutions were confirmed. During his imprisonment, he released an album called Thank You for Using GTL that was recorded over the phone system in a jail. That case demonstrates the problem of mass incarceration of rappers, especially black ones.
Unfortunately, stereotypes that are inherent to this genre often breed injustice. It is known that “African Americans receive higher rates of arrest and more severe forms of punishment than all other racial/ethnic groups in the United States” (Steinmetz et al., 2012, p. 156). Even though there are many illustrations of criminal activity in hip-hop circles, it does not mean the presence of regularity in this question. However, this feature remains popular in the rap music of modern artists unrelated to criminality. The research showed that “law enforcement was the branch of the criminal justice system most likely to be mentioned by hip-hop artists, more specifically about fifty-eight percent of mentioning” (Steinmetz et al., 2012, p. 155). For hundreds of years, African Americans used music to convey their thoughts to those who would not listen to their words. Blues, jazz, and hip-hop are examples of genres that were invented by black people and made a revolution in global music. Because of poor living conditions, lack of education, racism, and other factors, many African Americans have no choice but to live by the laws of the street.
To conclude, the hip-hop community has frequently used the topic of crime from the beginning of this subculture. Modern rappers continue to write lyrics about captains of police, drug use, etc. However, these features are influenced by current tendencies in the lyrics of artists. Despite some characteristics that are common for rappers, there are many other topics that they write songs about. People need to revise their attitude and treatment toward African American artists to provide equality and justice for everyone.
References
Steinmetz, K. F. & Henderson, H. (2012). Hip-hop and procedural justice: Hip-hop artists’ perceptions of criminal justice. Race and Justice, 2(3), 155-178.
Lennis, A. L. (2020). The music of mass incarceration. American Bar Association. Web.