Word: gangstas
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...time/ Nation-time/ ready to put in work," the chorus goes, calling for black solidarity. The mesmerizing Black Ego starts with the sound of a policeman reading Butterfly (real name: Ishmael Butler) his rights and the rapper sourly answering, "Oh, like I ever had rights." But unlike cop-hating gangsta rappers, Digable Planets has a constructive rebelliousness. "There are messages in our music for people who are oppressed in America to recognize their oppression," says trio member Ladybug (Mary Ann Vierra). "So this is one little way to help...
...changed is that political rhetoric and pop culture are increasingly willing to exploit these shadows. When George Bush's 1988 campaign needed a name and a face for the bogeyman, it came up with Willie Horton. Some black rappers have turned the stereotype to their own profit, striking "gangsta" poses -- in black knit caps. Susan Smith didn't have to use much imagination. She just had to reach for the available nightmares...
...vigorous debate over the messages and merits of "gangsta" rap, three rappers squared off last night against a Harlem church leader who has waged a personal crusade against sex, misogyny and violence in rap lyrics...
Students interviewed after the debate said it shed light on the emotional issues surrounding "gangsta" rap. "It brought a lot of issues to the forefront that need to be discussed," said Alvin L. Bragg '95, former BSA president...
There are up-and-coming rappers out there who are making albums worth listening to: Coolio (who has been called post-gangsta) and Warren G (gangsta lite), to name two. Nonetheless, the hip-hop veterans who make up Public Enemy continue to offer listeners a choice -- their brand of adventuresome, committed music vs. the often degrading work of their successors...