|
|
  Cameron
Attacks Rap
article 0112 added
22.06.06 words:
Warren Dell technical:
QED
David Cameron’s comments on Radio 1 promoting gun violence have sparked a lot of debate from those inside and outside the genre, but while his comments were over the top, maybe we’ve forgotten just how much of an influence Hip-Hop now holds on society.
 Being an educated man, David Cameron would like to give off the notion that he knows what he talks about, but his attack on Radio 1 last week shows a man who is clearly missing the point and he’s going the right way about alienating voters and the future voters of today.
His comment in referring to a question about tackling the problem of knife crime that "I would say to Radio 1, do you realise that some of the stuff you play on Saturday nights encourages people to carry guns and knives?" is from someone who is very misinformed.
It will no doubt get the backing of his white collared backbenchers and the average person on the street that will turn a blind eye to what is going on in the streets and point the blame on Hip-Hop music.
It's no wonder a lot of young people choose not to vote when politicians, who in turn want the young vote, are attacking them. Six weeks ago David Cameron visited Radio 1 whose demographic is 18-34, an age range which he would clearly love on his side, where Hip-Hop is the back drop to the lives of quite a few.
Later on in reply to the gun crime question, he said that he had 'the courage to speak up when you see something that is wrong" despite the fact "you will get a lot of bricks thrown at you".
"...The solution to the problem is to stop the real reasons why gun crime is happening..."
Indeed you will get bricks thrown at you if you’re wrong about what you’re speaking about.
It's the same argument where people are quick to blame videogames for the reason behind a schoolboy shooting up a school. It's not necessarily the outlet they use but the situation of the person in question and what surrounds them.
 Hip-Hop doesn't actively encourage people to go out and kill, to deal in drugs or live a gangsta lifestyle, but by portraying images and playing music by people who've lived and been apart of that upbringing then unfortunately you will get people following their lead.
The solution to the problem is to stop the real reasons why gun crime is happening - better stability for people from poorer backgrounds, more outlets for youths to find out their niche and to keep them from going a stray.
Then young people will look to making a name for themselves and a decent living, rather than sell themselves short and falling into a stereotype.
By no means is Hip-Hop perfect and it could do better at promoting a more conscious lifestyle but that can be hinged on the trends currently seen in what Radio and TV play.
 But by David Cameron blaming Hip-Hop music for a crime that is currently getting out of control is taking the easy route out rather than making the situation better.
Although Hip-Hop doesn’t actively encourage anyone to pick up a gun it does raise the question ‘what sort of influence does Hip-Hop hold on people?’
Since the turn of the millennium Hip-Hop is today’s Rock'n'Roll with the charts in America full of Hip-Hop acts and plenty of times our own charts have been dominated by Americans. The main buyers of Hip-Hop are white middle class kids who look at 50 Cent as an entertainment, cartoon like figure whose lyrics are more movie like.
These white middle class teenagers buying into the music may be a million miles away from the tales of drug selling at the age of 12 that ‘Fiddy’ went through to make ends meet but his influence is everywhere. From seeing his life story at the cinema to picking his album up from the shelves of Tesco’s, it’s easy to see how these images of the rougher side of life can be glorified.
"...The main buyers of Hip-Hop are white middle class kids who look at 50 Cent as an entertainment..."
When a giant like MTV gets behind him and plays his videos on constant rotation, the sales will follow.
 Now when you flick onto Channel U you’ll see a dozen videos from acts that are doing just that, acting. It can only be from being influenced by these US acts.
There isn’t a problem with showing acts that rap about how much drugs they sold or how much money they make as they are telling the world what they went through and the riches they are now enjoying. We just need a balance.
Artists like Kanye West, Common and our very own Skinnyman touch on subjects on a more political tip and with more exposure for these and artists of a similar vein can only help and also stand Hip-Hop in a better light with people that would normally make a knee-jerk assumption of the culture.
When we’re older wouldn’t we want our kids to be reciting lyrics from these artists like we were to De La Soul and Tribe, rather than the scenario now when 12 year olds at school are singing the chorus to the latest G-Unit hit.
Although David Cameron was wrong to say what he did, maybe it’s time the record labels and media outlets began to help by having a better balance in Hip-Hop to change this stereotype attached to it by the mainstream, and to improve the health of the scene.
-
Warren
Dell
 Related
Links:
 
|
© ukhh.com 2006