The Hip Hop Wars is set up as a discussion between Brown professor Tricia Rose--a poetic voice of equanimity and strategic anger--and the most extreme sides of the ongoing debate about the quality of hip hop--the conservative reactors who unequivocally loathe the music and its parallel culture and the pro-corporate rap folks who feel like analysis of this kind is kill joy-ish. As she writes, "Too many people on both sides of this debate seem to have lost their collective minds, taking a grain of truth and using it to starve a nation of millions."
She takes on the following arguments:
From the Hip Hop Critics:
Hip Hop Causes Violence
Hip Hop Reflects Black Dysfunctional Ghetto Culture
Hip Hop Hurts Black People
Hip Hop is Destroying America's Values
Hip Hop Demeans Women
From the Hip Hop Defenders:
Just Keeping It Real
Hip Hop is Not Responsible for Sexism
"There are Bitches and Hoes"
We're No Role Models
Nobody Talks about Positive Hip Hop
I really appreciated this structure because it named all the pieces of the debate, that thus far, have felt more like rage, chaos, and projection to me. Rose has the capacity to parse out the different threads of argument, examine them, and then tear them apart. Plus she gives great context; Rose does a great overview of the effect of corporate media monopolies, mostly white-owned, on the (d)evolution of rap music over the last ten years.
The fact that she's traveling the middle path here, neither defending nor attacking hip hop, makes for a really nuanced, thought-provoking reading. She criticizes, for example, the "trinity of commercial hip hop--the black gangsta, pimp, and ho" but also calls music makers and takers out on their own responsibility:
This shift was not inevitable; it was allowed to happen. We must be more honest in thinking about how black ghetto gansta-based sales are the result of marketing and manipulation and the reflection not only of speicific realities in our poorest black urban communities but also of the exploitation of already-imbedded racist fears and black people.
With regard to sexism in hip hop, she makes some really important points. For example, those that are horrified by misogyny in hip hop often "rely on the fiction that American mainstream models of masculinity are non-violent, 'respect women,' and reflect a history of civility, honor, and justice." Some conservative critics also seem to purport that if we banished sexist hip hop, we'd be done with sexism. She writes, "It's as if one is saying: Once imagery and music are 'respectful,' order will be restored. Few are making the connection between the entrenched forms of polite sexism and acceptable patriarchy being touted by most religious figures and most middle-class leaders." And one of my favorite points, she looks at the danger of slipping from rejecting exploitative lyrics to explicit lyrics:
Yes we should protest sexually degrading imagery, but when pro-sex and sexual-agency language is not advanced in its place, then the whole arena of sexuality (especially outside marriage and beyond its role in procreation) faces the threat of being painted with a shameful, dirty brush. This places women's own sexual freedom and autonomy at stake.
It's harder to write when you're not making grand pronouncements and one-sided judgments. Rose does a beautiful job. There's a lot at stake. As Rose herself writes, "Debates about hip hop stand in for discussion of significant social issues related to race, class, sexism, and black culture."
For more check out Latoya's great series over at Racialicious.
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this book i'm assuming is talking about mainstream hiphop? because there is certainly a great deal of hiphop that is incredibly socially aware and on-point in terms of content, message, etc. Dead Prez being one example. I wonder why she didn't talk about them.
Marisel, the book references a lot of hip hop by conscious rappers, like Dead Prez. You should check it out.
Courtney, I checked your book's website and this article and appreciate your writing.
Although I would like to get in touch with Tricia Rose about her book, I would also largely would be overjoyed to get in touch with you about hip hop music articles or collaboration about conscious MCs.
"How about start with a salad - A fresh bed of lettuce with croutons, later we can play game of chess on the futon" :)
I can't take the critics like Oprah seriously when she says she knows hip hop cuz she has some Jay Z and 50 on her ipod. That's like claiming to be a biblical scholar cuz you know who Peter and Paul are.
I don't feel qualified to say much about hip-hop, but I'm old enough to remember that twenty or so years ago, similar moral outrage and paranoia (accusations of promoting violence, degrading women, etc.) was aimed at heavy metal. And there was among many an attitude of, "If we take away this music that reflects these problems, the problems will go away!"
cool. i think i saw the author in the rachel maddow show talking about michael steele wanting to make the republicans hip. ha!
the author seemed really awesome though. will read this over spring break :)
Interesting. I'll have to get a copy of this somewhere.