Gangster Rap In The UK

MUSIC IS ART AND ART IS AN IMITATION OF OUR SURROUNDINGS. WHEN GANGSTER RAP CAME OUT IN AMERICA IT WAS HAILED AS A SOUND THAT WOULD DRIVE SOCIETY INTO THE GROUND AND CAUSE THE YOUTH TO RIOT THROUGH LIFE WITH NO RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY.

THEY WERE SO RIGHT, BUT LETS LOOK AT WHY THIS MUSIC WAS CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE. IN L.A. THEIR WERE SEVERAL REPORTINGS ON POLICE BRUTALITY THAT FELL ON DEAF EARS UNTIL RODNEY KING WAS BATTERED TO NEAR DEATH, WHICH CAUSED THE L.A. RIOTS AND THE RAPPERS REPORTED ON WHAT WAS GOING ON MUCH LIKE GREEK POETS AND PHILOSOPHERS OF OLD.

THERE WERE GANGS IN THE STREET THAT GROUPED TOGETHER FOR PROTECTION AND IN SOME INSTANCES TO POLICE THEIR OWN AREA. THESE GANGS WERE TIRED OF THE JOBLESS, POLICELESS, DISENFRANCHISED LIFESTYLE THEY LED AND THEY WANTED CHANGE.

IF IT MEANT DRUG DEALING, GUN DEALING, PIMPING, OR SIMPLY BUYING AND SELLING WITH A RUTHLESS EDGE, THIS IS WHAT IT HAD TO BE: FOR THE GOVERMENT HAD FAILED THESE PEOPLE AND THEY REFUSED TO BE LOSERS.

MUSIC WAS A WAY OF RELEASING ONE'S EMOTIONS AND IN AN INTENSIFIED HIGHLY EMOTIONAL ENVIRONMENT MANY PEOPLE TURNED TO MUSIC TO TALK TO AN AUDIENCE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HOW IT FELT TO LOSE A LOVED ONE OR HAVE A MURDERER IN THE FAMILY.

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME WE AS HUMANS HAVE TOLD STORIES USING MUSIC TO ELABORATE ON TIME. THIS STORY TELLING, EMOTION TALKING, HAS TRANSENDED INTO POPULAR MUSIC TODAY, FROM JOHNNY CASH TELLING US HE'S GONNA SHOOT SOMEONE DOWN TO TUPAC SHAKUR TELLING US HE'S GONNA SHOOT SOMEONE DOWN, THIS IS ART REFUSING TO HAVE LIMITS AND LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW IT.

IN BRITAIN WE'VE SEEN SIMILAR RIOTS, SIMILAR GANG CULTURES AND HAD SIMILAR OUTCOMES FROM PDC [ POVERTY DRIVEN CHILDREN] TO ROADSIDE G'S, TO NORTHSTAR, IT'S ALL RELEVANT.

THESE ARTISTS SHOULD NEVER BE SCAPEGOATED AS THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY ARE MEARLY A PRODUCT OF THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH THE LOCAL GOVERMENT HAS ALLOWED TO BE A REALITY. THEY ARE ONLY TELLING YOU WHAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED.

SAY HELLO TO GANGSTER RAP/GRIME IN THE UK!

Written by D-Raw

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