Food for thought, you do the dishes.

I recently read a blog that discussed whether or not the new culture of 'gangsterism' is ruining hip-hop. This isn't so much a response to that as it is inspired by it. So read on, and discuss.

For most of the history of Hip-Hop it has been widely recognized that there are four main elements: MCing, Break Dancing, Graffiti, and DJing. These four elements sparked competition among individuals and crews in the early days of the artform. Unfortunately it seems as if today's culture is goverened by four new, subversive elements: Shooting, Robbing, Hustling, and almost as an afterthought, Rapping.

The new culture harms the urban environments and low socioeconomic populaces from which today's rappers more than likely rose from. As the other editorial read, "If a rose has grown from concrete, it's ok to rap about the garden, just don't only focus on the dirt." By glorifying crime and material possessions the vision of life outside of the `hood is tremendously warped. It severely limits the solutions for those who take rappers as role models. There are surely many ways out of the ghetto or harsh communities, but when the two most popular often end in leaving in a body bag or jail cell, something has to give. The lyrics of the current top artists give false representation to what life is really like. There are many legitimate ways to improve your socioeconomic status. Rapping is even one of them. The chances of blowing as a rapper, or making it as a professional athlete are highly unlikely. Not to discourage youth from trying to pursue something they're passionate about, but when there are rap songs that actually promote dropping out of school, promote gang life, drug selling and/or taking, that's really not helping anybody but the rapper. It feels as though rap albums are not blueprints for making it out of the hood, but rather for getting buried there.

Rap is not going to change. Hip-hop culture and commercialism is far too profitable for rappers to ever consider trying something different. Currently we are in a rut, entrenched in a game that only creates clones, one after the next. It seems as though another generation of great hip-hop is on its way out the door and ushering in cash cows that only differ in the dance that goes along with their radio single. Everywhere you look in urban America there is rap culture being mimicked. The only problem is none of it is authentic. Cheap knockoffs of everything from polos, allover print hoodies, rims, shoes, wallet chains, run rampant. Everybody seems to be benefiting from the culture except the consumers. They are a passive mass that just eats up whatever is put in front of them, be it on the radio, BET, MTV, or mixtapes. Anybody producing these products can't be expected to try and fuel change. Maybe it can come from within though.

Jay-Z, arguably the best MC of all time, has branched far outside the boundaries of rap. He has his own color for GM cars, his music video is also a commercial for Budweiser, and he is the head spokesman for the reintroduction of Cherry Coke. He also still makes music. His last album, Kingdom Come sold it's fair share of records. On it he spoke of his maturation and what life is like as one of Forbe's richest businessmen. The Grammy's, although no bastion of hip-hop culture, saw fit to nominate Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, and Ludacris for album of the year, with the latter winning it. All three are more conscious rappers who shun the popular convention of drug talk and gun play. This also doesn't try to ignore the contribution of artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, and the many other well and unknown rappers willing to buck the trend in expression.

As promising as that sounds, the media is not committed to projecting more positive music. On another hip-hop awards show sponsored by and aired on by BET, awards like "Hustler of the Year" were given out. Here is a mass media outlet, dedicated to Black Entertainment and giving air time to African American perspectives often ignored by other avenues, glorifying this gangsta culture. It's original programming, with shows like "American Gangsters" serve to perpetuate the stereotype that if you want to get rich, there are limited ways to go about it. If a channel like BET was willing to ignore the bottom line and produce something more constructive, perhaps we could see a great change in a culture that seems to offer little in the way of realistic and productive inspiration.

I understand this is not a complete essay, with arguments from many sides left out, but hopefully it gets you thinking about the music you're listening to, and the culture and products you're consuming. Let me hear your side of things, comment!