Alright, let me first just establish I am...er, um, caucasian. I'm not a huge fan of rap but I have nothing against it and do have respect for alot of the artists in this genre. So when I was posed with the idea of chosing someone I considered a "gangsta-rap" artist, I decided to go for a stretch. I chose the Beastie Boys. I know for a fact that most readers will already have a preconcieved idea about how wrong I am from this point on but let me explain (please).
Most people know about the Beastie Boys by their famous song "Fight for your right (to party)" from 1986. It is considered a rock- rap crossover song and has no real characteristics of gangsta-rap. However, if we look at the rest of the album "License to Ill", we find all the characteristics of a gangsta-rap group. According to allmusic.com, gangsta-rap is classified by abbrasive lyrics with profane, witty tales of urban crime and sex.
For example, there is a song on the album called "Paul Revere". It's supposedly about the day the Beastie Boy's all met each other. Here are some of the lyrics.
"He put the gun to my head and this is what he said, "Now my name is M.C.A. I've got a license to kill. I think you know what time it is, it's time to get ill. Now what do we have here? An outlaw and his beer. I run this land, you understand. I make myself clear?" We stepped into the wind he had a gun, I had a grin. You think this story's over but it's ready to begin. "Now I got the gun you got the brew. You got two choices of what you can do. It's not a tough decision as you can see, I can blow you away or you can ride with me" I said, "I'll ride with you if you can get me to the border. The sheriff's after me for what I did to his daughter...I did it like this, I did it like that I did it with a whiffleball bat. So, I'm on the run the cop's got my gun and right about now it's time to have some fun. The King Adrock, that is my name and I know the fly spot where they got the champagne."
In this paragraph alone, you can see the violence, profanity, breaking the law and certainly the gang aspect since they "ride" together. Although the Beastie Boy's angle on story telling can be very humerous I believe it still fits the qualifications of gangsta-rap. Later in the song when they meet the third Beastie Boy "Mike D", they hold up a bar together. Adrock even mentions "wasting two kids that ran for the door". I'm not great with the urban dialect but I know this means shooting them. The last line of the song is "Mike D. grabbed the money, M.C.A. snatched the gold. I grabbed two girlies and a beer that's cold." It's clear that although funny and entertaining, the Beastie Boys choose to portray themselves as gangsta-rappers (with a twist).
I think alot of people would disagree with me for the reason that when you picture a gangsta-rapper, typically you picture african-americans living in Compton who rape, steal and murder. Not 3 caucasian best friends with beards who grew up in Brooklyn and have no real criminal history or drug addiction. In fact, all three Boys were raised Jewish in upper-middle class homes.
It's hard to tell whether or not the group would agree that they are gangsta-rap. They have many websites, blogs and social networking sites. Some say they are gangsta-rap, others say hardcore-rap and some even say hardcore punk (which was their original genre). But, gangsta-rap is derived from hardcore rap so I stand behind my decision to consider them gangsta-rap.
I have never considered them to be gangsta rap! After reading your blog, though, I have to agree with you. You brought up some good points! Their lyrics aren't "I'll take you to the candy shop", but I can definitely see where you are coming from. Obviously I brought the aforementioned lyric up because I would classify 50 Cent as an artist in the gangsta rap genre. I agree with your uncertainty about whether or not the Beastie Boys would consider themselves as "gangsta", because they are three white guys. Maybe I just stereotype way too much, but 50 Cent just screams "GANGSTA" if you know what I mean. I feel like he would even be totally proud of being considered in that genre because isn't that something that is cool? Or...um..."fly"? Jess, you know how white I am; I'm ignorant of that type of "homie G" lingo. Gangsta rap doesn't have to be only the "fly" artists, though, right? I don't know if the Beastie Boys would say "We're hot cuz we're fly!", if you know what I mean. Great insight on an unusual choice of gangsta rap! I enjoy reading your posts!
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job on this blog! It’s funny but also informative and I can definitely see where you stand. It’s funny to me how every unit in the Music and Culture book ties in with another unit in the book. Like, you chose the Beastie Boys, which some people may not consider a real rap group because, well they’re white, and they aren’t exactly part of the culture. But they definitely have the trade down. Like you said, gangsta-rap is classified by abrasive lyrics with profane, witty tales of urban crime and sex. I think it’s awesome what the Beastie Boys have done for rap music though. They broke down barriers and brought something new to the table, perhaps even paving the way for other white rappers like Eminem. I mean The Beastie Boys are definitely not the first group I think of when talking about gangsta rap but I definitely see your point and it’s most definitely a valid one. Thanks for allowing me to see gangsta rap in a different light. I’m sure all your future blogs will also be just as intriguing and unique. Good luck with the end of the semester!
ReplyDelete