Rescue Rap Music

Those of us who attended high school or college in the 1980s can recall the humble beginnings of Rap Music and often debated its future.  At the time,  Rap was basically a protest against the inequities of society,  especially in the black community.  Its goal was to raise awareness of the ills of drugs and crime in urban America and to ignite neighborhood pride. Today, its mission has undergone a severe metamorphosis in the form of materialistic artists who exaggerate sex and violence in their lyrics instead of hope and prosperity. Like the crumbling neighborhoods where it got its start,  Rap needs rescuing.

It needs saving from artists who downplay its legacy of public and spit rhymes that glorify life in the fast lane.  Such vocals entice youth or young adults by promoting the drug culture, for instance, rather than addressing the high school dropout crisis affecting rural and urban teens,  many of whom view rapping as a way out. 

Rappers who advocate violence and destruction could take a valuable lesson from pioneers in their field like  The Sugar Hill Gang,  De La Soul,  Poor Righteous Teachers,  Queen Latifah,  MC Lyte,  Big Daddy Kane,  Public Enemy,  D-Nice and hundreds of other Hip-Hop legends who not only preached tolerance in their raps but saw it as a unique vehicle for self-expression,  while having fun doing it.  Their music has likewise withstood the test of time in a turbulent industry.

Not all new school rappers should be blamed for the downfall of Rap,  however.  Newcomers like Kid Cudi,  Lupe Fiasco,  and Field Mob, for instance, have mostly shied away from Gangster Rap with big record sales and huge followings on social media.  It serves as a crucial blueprint for future entertainers.

Many rappers cite the booming record industry for their hardcore image.  For example,  New York-based rapper Jadakiss and other contemporaries have admitted that music executives and the general public expect a degree of toughness in their Hip-Hop performers compared to less aggressive R-N-B singers.  It supposedly boosts much-needed record sales and promotes a cherished sense of manhood,  especially in the nation's hard-hit cities,  where life can be a constant struggle for African-American males.  Anything less, they argue, may not get the full backing of company heavyweights.

Rap saved black music in the 1980s.  R-N-B was caught off guard by Disco and the second British invasion.  Today,  it needs saving from itself to survive as one of America's cherished inventions.