Rhetorical Analysis of

Gangster Rap Music

by Benjamin Holmquist

What is “Gangsta” rap?Rap music has a distinct style, and consists of many different subgenres. “Gangsta” rap is a style that consists of certain images, fashion, style, and location. The image of a “thug” from

the streets is common in this genre of music. Designers such as FUBU, Phat Farm, Rocawear, G-Unit and Ecko Unltd cater toward the gangster rap culture. The style consists of flat-brimmed baseball hats worn low, with overlarge clothing and an excessive amount of gold jewelry. Gangster rap is mostly based in urban areas, with low incomes and high crime

rates- and in fact, crime is a popular topic for songs in this genre of music.

Different perspectives on “gangsta” rapGangster rap songs mean different things to

different people. An African-American who grew up on the streets of Detroit is going to interpret a gangster rap song in a much different way than a

middle-class teenager from New England. Someone from Detroit would probably be able to

relate to the song more, because they have experienced firsthand the events described in the song. Someone from the suburbs of New England would probably listen to the song in the same way they watch a movie- enjoying it for entertainment

purposes, but not necessarily relating to it.

White vs. Black rappersWhile the vast majority of gangster rappers are black, there are a few

exceptions. One example is Eminem. However, his mainstream success is

arguably due to his high profile partnership with African-American rapper Dr. Dre. In a predominantly

black culture, Eminem relied on featured artists and the support of

African-American rappers to achieve his success.

“Keeping it real”

One of the most common themes in gangster rap is “keeping it real.” This means discussing real events, real people, and staying true to the “gangsta” culture. It is

very hard for someone who did not grow up surrounded by this culture to accurately represent it through music. The vast majority of African-Americans do not fall into the

“gangsta” culture- they lead civilized lives with careers and families. With that in mind, this brings the question of whether or not the gangster life truly keeps it real if it only

represents a small (and mostly negative) portion of African-American culture.

False claims in gangster rap: African-American culture is violent

• Major news outlets and rap music portray African-American culture as violent.

• The ideology of racism depends on the commonsense (but false) assumption that this is true.

• Gangster rap uses gunshots as sound effects in the music, furthering this stereotype.

• This is not a representation of the African-American culture as a whole.

False claims in gangster rap: African-American culture is obsessively sexual

• This ideology has historically been used to attempt to justify the sexual exploitation of African-American women to white men.

• Most rap music refers to women in derogatory terms and essentially dehumanizes them.

• This representation of women in gangster rap gives a negative and inaccurate image of how women are represented in African-American culture.

• Confirms and encourages the racist stereotype through this representation.

False claims in gangster rap: African-American culture is crassly materialistic• Capitalism encourages

materialism in everyone

• African-Americans are often stereotyped as thieves

• Excessive amount of gold chains, jewelry, expensive houses and cars in videos furthers the materialistic stereotype

• Lyrics about materialistic things

• Clothing brands allow anyone to be a part of the “gangsta” lifestyle.

Unfortunately, white people have historically always stood in a position of critique toward other cultures and races. Those who are racist toward

African-Americans may have only seen the “gangsta” culture, which is not a representation of the culture as a whole. There are many other types of rap music that shine a much more positive light on the African-American culture. And as with all cultures, there is always something to be learned from them.

Conclusion