Sandra Finney asked:


Gangster rap or coined today as Gangsta rap has been around for over two decades now tracing Southern California as to where it was originated. As a west coast phenomenon, Gangsta rap had produced successful and famous artist including 50 cent, DMX, Tupac Shakur, Scarface, Notorious BIG and many others since it was launched into mainstream in early 80’s. Among these artists, it was ICE-T who has pioneered to release the very first gangsta rap song entitled “6 in the Mornin”.

Gangsta rap’s popularity is twined with controversies of promoting violence, drugs, profanity, gangster activities, abuse of alcohol and even homophobia. With issues concerning this, it had brought a lot of criticism and accusations stereotypically to be a manifestation of hostility that it said to turn as a bad influence and sample to youth groups. However, gangsta rappers and artists claim otherwise. They contended that, this hip-hop genre is not an indication of such controversies but a reflection of the reality that stricken inner-city suburbs and ghettos. Gangsta artist pleads that their intention is really to show and make the world realize that life in the ghetto and street is not a pleasing scenario. They want to deliver a message to the good government that they must take action and concern over this problem.

The usual content of typical gangsta lyrics tells a story of a gangster lifestyle that details their criminal background, hardships and struggles. It would be fair to assume that maybe gangsta rap artist are just misunderstood and mistakenly interpreted. They can always use this as their blanket defense; after all, what is important for them is that, through this type of music, they make a living out of it. Often than not, what the gangsta rap genre influenced is not the lifestyle itself but is only limited to the way others dress their self up like the admiration for bling-blings and loose pants.

This article aims to inform readers on what the genre right now is undertaking, with this gangsta rap involving mostly the youth, it influences them in many aspects. For more information about using criminal background, check out BackgroundPI.com

 

Sean Patrick asked:


With a name like Belly and an album titled The Revolution, it’s almost fitting when the rapper says he believes people hunger for an artist like him to revive hip hop.

“I think that people need this (album), at this point in hip hop,” Belly says. “The state of hip hop, everybody knows that it’s in a recession right now.”

Belly is a 23-year-old rookie rapper from Ottawa whose first album, a sprawling 28-song double disc debuted at the start of the month. It currently sits at No. 6 on the Toronto SoundScan charts behind established heavy hitters like Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Michael Buble, Amy Winehouse and Maroon 5.

His first video for the single “Pressure” earned him four nominations at the MuchMusic Video Awards, where he took home “Best Rap Video” ward. Read more:

Hip-hop artist Belly, known as CANADA’S GOD FATHER took home a -Best Rap Video- award for the song “Pressure” featuring R&B crooner Ginuwine, during the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday June 17th, 2007. This is such an honor for me, said Belly as he picked up his MMVA trophy. – Hip-hop lives strong tonight! – Poignant words from an artist who has been a part of the struggle to make hip-hop a powerful, credible and viable art form in Canada.

This Ottawa-based Palestinian rapper Belly delivered a standout live performance with song Pressure featuring special guest Ginuwine, dancing girls, two violin players and a gospel choir

A very hot performance as well.

But why is Belly already calling himself Canada’s Godfather of hip hop?

“If it wasn’t really how I felt I wouldn’t say it,” he says. “Before me, there was a void in Canadian hip hop and everybody can admit that.”

“Who (in Canada) has done anything controversial?” he continues. “Nobody really pushes it.”

Belly – a Palestinian born in the West Bank city of Jenin – already has the endorsement of a few veteran hip hop artists south of the border, such as Scarface and Korrupt, who both appear on The Revolution album.

Earlier this year, Belly toured Canada with Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. He also had three mix tapes that were presented by big name U.S. deejays. He has come a long way from his first recordings, done on a home computer. Word of Belly got to entrepreneur Tony Sal a year after those early recordings and Sal sought Belly out. Fifteen-year-old Belly and his friend, Lebanese-born singer Massari, were the first signings to Sal’s independent record label, Capital Prophet Records.

Belly is now vice-president and the head of artist development for CP Records. He has also wrote three top 10 hits for Massari prior to emerging as a solo artist.

So with everything he’s accomplished, there’s no question Belly is a very confident man these days.

“Paris Hilton is not going to get to hear my album,” he jokes. “I heard through the grapevine that she was dying to hear it.”

But behind Belly’s bragging on The Revolution, he’s written some lyrics with a serious message.

He criticizes politicians, questions religion, laments about poverty and comments on civilian deaths in war zones, on such songs as “Revolutionary”:

“Who cares what your religion is, there’s people living in a world full of hate, hunger, war and missing kids.We are living privileged lives. Believe me, there’s no reason anyone should feel limited. They say listen kids, rap is a bad influence, when we committed less than half the crime politicians did. Now the secret’s in the safe. They knock gangsta music when Cheney’s shooting people in the face.”

And from -A History of Violence-:

“Mind’s spinning as the world’s revolving. Right now we’re teaching our kids, if there’s problems, only war can solve them.”

Belly says, “I think the message behind (my music) is: Enough is enough. People are people no matter where you go. Now when you portray certain people and show people in a certain light, those people become hated within the society, and that’s what has happened.”

Belly – whose family left Jenin when he was a year old and lived in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Jordan before making the move to Ottawa when he was seven – has experienced those stereotypes first hand when travelling to the U.S. on tour.

“When I first started going … it was crazy,” he says. “I would spend 11 hours in a detainment room.”

Those experiences, along with his experience selling drugs at the age of 13 have given him plenty to rhyme about. He has got so much to say, and so much on my mind. Also admitting he has a lot of weight on his shoulders that he has got to get out.

Todd A. Smith asked:


It is no secret that high incarceration rates are an epidemic in the Black community. Many of today’s biggest celebrities, from sports to music, are survivors of this epidemic. Some of today’s biggest hip-hop stars often rap about their struggles growing up in the Black community, but few return to their old neighborhoods and mentor children about avoiding the temptation of street life.

Few rappers have been criticized as much as Long Beach legend Snoop Dogg, whose early success led to the popularity of “gangsta” rap in the early 1990s. Despite the raw lyrics of Snoop’s early records, he is determined to see that the youth in the Black community do not follow in his footsteps, which led to his incarceration before achieving international fame.

According to reports, the West Coast rapper has teamed up with documentary director Gabriel London, filmmaker Alex Munoz and Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) Urbanworld Film Festival to present Bigg Snoop Dogg’s Youth Authority: California, an autobiographical streets-to-prison documentary production.

According to a released statement, “The resulting documentary weaves together Snoop’s experiences growing up in the midst of daily violence and gang activity with the stories of young men still caught up in the streets-to-prison cycle. Bridging generations, London has painted an intimate portrait of Snoop and the ‘young G’s,’ current prisoners and parolees who struggle to find their way in a system that is too often focused on punishment rather than education and rehabilitation. The film is Snoop and the filmmakers’ attempt to break a vicious cycle that leads to over 10,000 youth being locked up annually in California alone.”

Before signing to Death Row Records in the early 1990s, Snoop was active in the nefarious street gang the Crips, experiencing frequent run-ins with the law. The rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, actually spent time inside California’s infamous “Youth Authority” (also known as CYA).

Not long after high school graduation, the future rapper was arrested on cocaine possession charges and spent the next three years in the judicial system. Unlike so many others in the Black community, Snoop was able to find an alternative lifestyle when he discovered a love for hip-hop. Snoop, along with Nate Dogg and hip-hop producer Dr. Dre’s step-brother Warren G, founded the group 213 and began recording mixtapes hoping to impress Dr. Dre. At a NWA house party, Warren G persuaded the disc jockey to play a 213 mixtape, and Dr. Dre was so impressed with Snoop’s rhymes and charisma that he collaborated with him on his debut solo single “Deep Cover.”

Snoop would go on to become an overnight sensation in the world of hip-hop. However, he could not escape his violent past, and at one time was charged with the murder of a rival gang member, Phillip Woldermarian, a charge he was later acquitted of because of self-defense.

Despite his numerous run-ins with the law, he is determined to see a change in the mentality of youth in the Black community. Snoop’s idea for the documentary was to use his personal story to teach children in the Black community that there are alternatives to the criminal lifestyle.

Bigg Snoop Dogg’s Youth Authority screens Friday, September 12 at the Urbanworld Film Festival.