A Bad Rap

These rappers do, however, have some similarities. They all come from similar backgrounds: low class, in most cases fatherless families who lived in neighborhoods infested with drugs and violence. Yet somehow they managed to make it out of their troubled neighborhoods and become multi-million dollar rap stars. But yet and still, they're constantly criticized and the media has even gone as far as to blame 'gangster rap' for the violence in this country. All these rappers are rapping about is their lives and their experiences, as violent and repulsive as they may seem. Instead of listening to them and trying to do something about these problems, the media and American society just call these rappers bad people. The media makes it seem like these terrible 'ghettos' aren't even a part of America; like these rappers just made it all up to piss off politicians and upper class America.

The media blows rap conflicts way out of proportion:

One example of the media blowing conflicts in rap way out of proportion is the eastcoast vs. westcoast thing. There was never an eastcoast vs. westcoast rap war. The conflict was between two rappers. Tupac, who happened to be on the westcoast, was mad at the Notorious B.I.G., who happened to be on the eastcoast. Tupac had been robbed and shot five times on his way to a recording a song with B.I.G. and he thought he had been set up. But when the media got a hold of this feud, they blew it up into an eastcoast vs. westcoast rap war, which make a lot of rappers and rap fans angry.

Back to 'gangster rap' though. So what if these rappers clean up their language and rap about more 'positive' topics? Are they still 'gangster rappers' or are they suddenly 'former gangster rappers'? What if Will Smith or the Beastie Boys start glorifying violence and drugs? Are they now 'gangster rappers' even though they weren't before? The answer to both questions is no because there is no such thing as 'gangster rap'. Every rapper has his or her own style of rapping with his or her own topics to write about. So instead of putting them in a group and labeling them 'gangster rappers' we should respect them (even if some of us don't like them) for their own uniqueness and recognize them for their own talents and achievements (unless

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