Why is hip-hop since the mid 90’s terrible, and how has it affected society? 2
Mar23
guess asked:
My take… The problem is that at some point rap stopped being a reflection of the streets and became a parody of itself. Worse, it became a “lifestyle” that has been perpetuated by the few who can profit from it and suffered by those who are still in poverty. It was one thing for NWA to say “F–k the Police” years ago out of frustration, it’s another to say not to snitch so criminals can walk free.
My take… The problem is that at some point rap stopped being a reflection of the streets and became a parody of itself. Worse, it became a “lifestyle” that has been perpetuated by the few who can profit from it and suffered by those who are still in poverty. It was one thing for NWA to say “F–k the Police” years ago out of frustration, it’s another to say not to snitch so criminals can walk free.
There were some artistic tours de force (Gangsta’s Paradise, anyone?) but like anything so overwhelmingly successful it generated a lot of copycats, as well as perpetuating an inner city stereotype that neighborhood activists had been trying to shed since the civil rights movement. Rather than using their success to move past it, a lot of the gangsta rappers used their money to wallow in the world that any normal person with their money would have tried to improve or outright left.
That all points to how the creative juices have ceased flowing in hip-hop.
