500 WORDS, DAY 16: What’s Wrong With Hip-Hop?

Today’s post continues on the topic I introduced on Day 13, and started developing more on Day 14. I know that I mentioned at the end of that post that I would continue the topic on Day 15, but yesterday I just had to write about my wife and I’s 7^th anniversary, which was an amazing, beautiful day filled with so much love that I can’t even comprehend how I deserve it. You can check out yesterday’s post (DAY 15) if you want to know more about how our relationship started, etc. It’s time to get down to business though, and dive deeper into the topic we started a few days ago, this interesting topic of what I love and hate about hip-hop music and culture. I’ve been a rapper for over a decade, in case this is your first time reading one of my blog posts, and I’ve also spent a lot of time listening to hip-hop music, mostly in the past, studying rappers’ different styles and flows, as well as lyrics. It feels kind of weird writing about hip-hop on a blog that I started for the purpose of sharing philosophical and spiritual ideas with the world, and the reason why it feels weird is an indication of something which I’m fully aware of, as I’m sure you are too, which is the fact that hip-hop does not have a reputation for being the most wholesome or positive music genre, and in fact it is far from that. Just look at the current situation going on, for example, with Kendrick and Drake. Everyone is so comfortable taking sides and attacking someone they don’t even know. Even worse, look at the situation with 2Pac and Biggie in the 90’s. Hip-hop is the only genre of music where artists are not only encouraged, but almost expected even, to diss each other and beef with each other. What about hip-hop’s fascination with drugs, whether selling them or consuming them? Juice WRLD’s music was all about him struggling with addiction, real addiction to really addictive drugs, and yet no one around him was able to help him escape. Mac Miller had so much promise, and God knows I would love to hear a new album from him, but his life was also cut short by drugs. What about hip-hop’s infatuation with guns and crime? I understand that these things were everyday struggles for a lot of rappers, I understand that they lived difficult lives and that they witnessed their fair share of crime and tragedy, and I respect people who are willing to open up about their past struggles and the ways in which they overcame them. However, there’s a huge difference between songs like J. Cole’s “’03 Adolescence” for example, and songs like Future’s “Move That Dope.” The former tells a story about a young kid growing up in poverty, who falls for the appeal of the fast life and fast money, as he witnesses the life his drug-dealing homie lives. It isn’t until he asks his friend to get him into the drug game, and gets clowned for it, that he realizes how stupid he’s been up to this point. It becomes clear to him that the life he thought he wanted is actually the type of life he has been so blessed to avoid so far. The song ends with the main character expressing an inspiring, new-found gratitude for his life, and for his mother’s struggles that allowed him to live a better life than his peers. As far as the second song, we don’t really need to go into much detail. In fact, there’s not much to dissect about it, the title lets us know it’s main message: Move That Dope. Without a thought for the consequences of living such a life, Future encourages his listeners to sell drugs, all over a super hard beat, yet with a shitty mumbling voice. Enough said for today, you can make your own conclusions on all this. Stay blessed y’all, we’ll continue this tomorrow.

If you have a minute please listen to my song “REVELATION.” I put lots of work and effort into my music and lyrics, and it would mean the world to me to have you hear it. I appreciate you.