Hip-Hop Getting A Bad Rap
Hip–hop. Rap. To many suburbian Charlotteans, the sound of “hip-hop” music conjures up images of downtown crime and illicit drugs.
Those images, unfortunately, tarnish what (and we have to face this) is a permanent and (yes) musical part of our society.
But what, exactly, is this phenomenon all about? It’s the new “bonga-bonga” music that sends local parents into a frenzy, thinking that their kids are going to be “infected” by it and turn into juvenile delinquents.
Ummm … pardon me, but … didn’t we hear something like that from our parents, so many years ago? They tuned into WBTV that night in February of 1964 to see a group of rowdy, musical kids calling themselves beetles or something — and, they swore, following those boys would be the ruination of us all! They had surely lost us to the grasp of the devil himself!
But wait a minute. Is this really something all that new?? I mean, back-in-the-day on radio stations like WKTC and WSOC, we heard guys like Ray Stevens “rapping” in something called Gitarzan, and, before that, there was Sheb Wooley’s That’s My Pa. Okay, maybe it was pretty much a country thing — this “spoken-word song” — for awhile, but, as far as the style goes, it’s not so new after all.
So let’s move on to the old “turntable” mix. Simple, yes … but, then again, some kids in Liverpool took simple items like washboards, tea chests (they made basses from them), guitars and kazoos to play something called skiffle. CCR has the best description of that “Down On The Corner” music of any song.
And as far as the synthetic loops used to make the background (both of these styles, by the way, are found at Club Mixx and Liquid Lounge): it comes from the day when they didn’t have the money to pay for big backup, so they had to turn to what was available … and economic. Our generation would’ve done the same, had it been handy back then — ask the guys who usedta be with the Chaparrals, Paragons or even my old group, Hy-Que. However, I believe it has been overdone a bit — especially with stars who now can afford more …
Now … the lyrics. Of course, this is the sore point for most parents. When you look at what many of these singers had to go through as they were growing up (poverty, prejudice, domestic violence — even here in parts of the Queen City back in the ’60s and ’70s), you can see they needed an outlet for their emotions. Since actual thugging (criminal behavior) had serious legal consequences, they put it all in their music.
People, we can’t say it ain’t true: What’d we do in the late Sixties, with the ‘Nam, race riots, and inequality? We took it to the streets, and the Establishment would haul us into cells. So guys like Country Joe and the Fish, Electric Flag and others put this angst in their music.
Of course, like in our time, there were some that let that anger out in a hostile way beyond the stage and studios. That, however, is the exception, when you look at the performers in the genre as a whole.
The bottom line is that hip-hop’s been given a bad rap. It’s danceable thanks to the beat, meaningful due to the lyrics (of course, you’ve got to be selective here), and an important part of our musical history.
More on this in the next blog …
October 1st, 2007 at 2:53 am
Dear Chuck, I am an individual who is open to new and different ideas. I strongly advocate the exchange of different points of view and discussion of differing ideas. I believe that everyone should have the right to express themselves within the law, showing respect for others with common courtesy and decency. I do not believe that anyone has the “right” to blast their “music” at ear splitting levels from their vehicle to every other vehicle and persons in a half mile radius. This “music” as you call it is not music at all but rather noise pollution. The only thing more powerful than the thug’s sound systems are the thug’s egos. With their high watt sound systems they are screaming, “Look at me, I’m stupid. Look at me, I have no respect for others. Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, I’m an idiot and you should respect me for acting, sounding and dressing like a thug”. Why should any decent citizen (of any city) show respect to someone who is so blatantly dis-respectful by blasting and booming their “music” at others in an attempt to disrupt others to call attention to themselves?
I was personally tuned in to channel 3 when the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. My parents did not react the way that you say “our parents” reacted. Why, because there was no reason to. Our TV had a knob on it that turned it on and off. It was and is up to the individual to decide if they wanted to view or listen. I watched and listened with my parents. It was our choice. Your comparisons of the Beatle’s music and the culture changes in the 60’s & 70’s are way off base. Quit reaching past reason in trying to defend the thugs and just call a thug a thug. Thugs “make you listen” without regard or respect for your feelings. Forcing the thug’s “music” on decent, civilized people is like pulling a gun on you and forcing their will on yours. They don’t ask because they don’t care. The truth that so many refuse to accept is simply this, they really are thugs. If it looks like a thug, dresses like a thug, sounds like a thug, acts like a thug, smells like a thug and talks like a thug, guess what? IT IS A THUG! It has nothing at all to do with what you said, “many of these singers had to go through as they were growing up (poverty, prejudice, domestic violence — even here in parts of the Queen City back in the ’60s and ’70s)”. The reason for this kind of behavior is sorry parenting, nothing else. The reason that many suburban Charlotteans have images of downtown crime and illicit drugs “conjured up” to the sound of “hip-hop” is simple. You explained it very well in your statement; “Since actual thugging (criminal behavior) had serious legal consequences, they put it all in their music.” By your own admission, this “music” is nothing more than, thugging set to “music”. I personally do not care what the thugs listen too, just don’t force me to listen to it.
Dave in Suburban Charlotte
P.S. You really should apologize to Ray Stevens and Sheb Wooley for comparing them to rappers and thugs. Again, you are reaching past reality to defend what cannot be defended by thinking people.
October 1st, 2007 at 11:38 am
Chuck, I dont know where Daves coming from, but he gets the world of production confused with the distribution. Its not up to the performers as to how these kids listen to the music. If its noise pollution, blame them and not the performers.
I pick up your blog here in Los Angeles and if he thinks its bad there in Charlotte, he ought to drive down Ventura late at night!
When my parents saw the Beatles they immediately turned the television off and my father even unplugged the set. He told me I was never to watch that filth again if I knew what was good for me.
Hiphop is music, plain and simple. Sounds to me like the mans prejudiced.
October 14th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
[...] hip-hop and rap have been unjustly tied to recent school violence. For more on that issue, click here and follow it up [...]
October 14th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Nick, I have to agree with you. While I appreciate Dave’s comments (he has every right to disagree, natch!), he’s obviously got a lot of studying to do.
If he were to look at the actual statistics (number of rappers AND hip-hoppers vs. the number who’ve actually gotten into “trouble”), he’d see that there’s more on THIS side of the law than THAT.
If music caused infractions, then why doesn’t COUNTRY music cause more drinking and cheating? Dave, it’s the same prejudice, just a different musical genre.
Y’see, it’s the INDIVIDUAL who makes the decision …
And, according to ROLLING STONE, the kids who listen to the rap are in it for the BEAT and ultraheavy BASS … not the lyrics!