Gangsta Rap
(True Cause and Aftereffect)
By Ron "Mr. Kane" Alexander
Whenever the words “Gangsta Rap” comes to mind, I automatically think of artists and albums like “Dr.Dre (The Chronic, Snoop Doggy Dogg (Doggystyle), “Tha Dog Pound” (Dog Food), Spice -1 (187 Proof), Ice Cube (The Predator), 2-pac (Me Against the World and All Eyez On Me), Kid Frost (La Raza), D.J. Quik (Quick is the Name), E-40 (Federal), Cypress Hill, Ice-T, N.W.A. and so on. Basically, the actual “Gang” culture back then was on the brink of nation wide (and worldwide) exposure. And what mainstream America considered gangsta rap only made certain things more recognizable. Alright, lets back track to the old days when “Moblife” and Gangstaizm” existed in a different form. I’m quite sure you’ve heard of the notorious “Gambino Crime Family”, and their style of doing things, as well as characters such as “Bugsy Segal, Al Capone, Carlo Gambino, and later on John Gotti . They owned restaurants, ran casinos, and had many different properties and businesses in various ventures. They worked as individual groups, willing to run over anyone who dare stand in their way. Streetwise, they were all respected, that is until things started to eventually differ. But the difference is, even though these well known gangsters partially ran the streets of cities such as Chicago, New York, New Jersey, and other major cities, there’s one thing these guys failed to do! And that is to Influence the Youth!
Throughout the years that passed, things eventually changed. Back then, music itself wasn’t much of an influence. Allow me to explain to you how the two words “Gangsta” and “Rap” joined forces. Alright, let’s go back, this time, just back to 1986/1987, when gang banging was on the brink of evolution. Do you remember the gangsta flicks? I was only a kid when it came out! The movie “Scar face” is one of my favorites too, but it failed to cover gangsta culture from a “street standpoint”.
Anyways, do you remember the storyline of the movie “Colors”? You had Mexican gangs as well as Black gangs like the Crips and Bloods, and “Pac-Man”, the so called “cop” who had once been a gang member in his youth. My, being 6 years old at the time, I must admit I was truly intrigued and fascinated by the movie! In fact, some of my homies in my 2nd grade class were too!
I being from Dallas, Texas, bare “witnessing transformation” of culture like that was kind of cool! So, we little kids started running around school, as well as blocks, parks, ext. thinking we were really banging. We were jumping on other kids from different blocks, breaking windows, spray painting alleyways, buildings and so on. Next thing, music started to change as well. Later on, I came to find out this type of lifestyle existed in the West Coast decades before we caught on. Don’t get me wrong, it did exist where I’m from, but it was more camouflaged back then.
Then came N.W.A.! Pioneers of Gangsta Rap”... The super group consisted of the legendary “Dr. Dre” and “Ice Cube”, as well as “M.C. Ren, Easy-E (R.I.P.) and D.J. Yella”. What N.W.A. started was definitely, an extremely “defying” moment. Their music stood out from all the rest. That is the same group that motivated the streets to say “F@*k The Police”! And remember “Straight Outta Compton”, the song about the city in Cali that’s very notorious for gangbanging? Same thing with the movie “Colors”. Bottom line, “Gangsta” and “Rap” were on the verge of joining forces. Groups like N.W.A. made me realize the struggle. Hell, in fact, it made America realize the struggle! But the difference is, America, back then, tried very hard to hide (and separate) such realism from corporate America (and mainstream America). I’ve seen it in all places! Of course, it was drug dealing on my block as well. Cars, jewels, hoes, poverty, hustling, and struggling! So really, the message I got from “Gangsta rap”, was the absolute truth to me. I’ve seen (as well as come across) crooked cops, so me (being a kid from the slums of the murder capital of Texas) could relate to what “Ice Cube” and “Eazy-E”, “Dr. Dre” had to say! Not only me, but all of my homies, my whole hood, and other hoods around D-Town. So if I’m not mistaken, Dallas can’t be the only city with hoods! There are other hoods in major cities all across America. Chicago, New York, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, D.C., St Louis, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and even El Paso, San Antonio, Phoenix, and cities all across California. The Hispanic community was experiencing the same thing in their areas as well. Sooner or later, this, to us was what we thought was a normal life.
So once suburban areas started to pick up on the music, that’s when the government tried its dearest to take a stand! They tried to ban cassette tapes with such content, still trying to distance and separate the truth with fiction. But it was too much of a force, too much of a movement, and too strong of a “phenomenon”. Corporate America, figured it as a way to capitalize financially from it! But at the same time, the streets only got worse. Crime rates started rising, gang violence was at an all-time high from 1988-1995. Some chose to blame it on the types of messages Snoop Dogg presented, what Dr. Dre had to say, infatuated with Pac and his thug type image, at Kid frost and his laid back Cholo Style, Lighter Shade of Brown, and hard core Cypress Hill! Basically, just influencing all youth (especially minorities) as a whole. A totally different side of life was truly exposed to the world. I, truly wish I could go back to those days! Negative or positive, all messages are two way messages, meaning you can either take them one way or another. And for those who were influenced in a negative way, chose to take it like that! I took it as inspiration! I embraced it as freedom! As fun! As unity in my hood! As something I could pop in the deck and ride and smoke to! Pac, telling all the young Sisters and Chicas to keep their heads up! Songs like “Dear Momma” reminding myself the importance of having a mother there for you through thick and thin, good times and bad times. I took it as an escape goat, for me to make it out of the hood doing what I loved doing (which is rapping). Although a lot of it was misinterpreted because of its explicit content! What about songs like Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day”? Everybody and their Granny were on that! Things got so out of hand, to where whenever some type of major crime took place, the first thing they did (and still do) was blame rap music.
Whenever most rappers make some type of ends meet, it seems like police trigger then as targets. Constant harassment, rape accusations (2-Pac for instance), endless amounts of drug charges, and so on. Well, in a way, I guess they figure that’s all apart of rappers lifestyles. Lets take snoop Dogg for instance, whenever he had his murder trial? It’s a shame what he had to go through just to prove he was innocent. Buts its things like that, in which are contended to ruin reputations. It makes you look bad either way. But at the same time, there are other things like War, Racism, Hate, and Discrimination and so on, that gets the cover up! Crazy isn’t it?
But there are some things “Gangsta Rap” triggered in a negative way, in which “truly”, I, as a supporter regret. And that is, mixing street beef with music beef! The two don’t go together, due to the fact of how it makes the artist look. It makes you look fake, knowingly the camera is on you 24-7. Don’t get it twisted, there is nothing wrong with battle rapping and microphone beefs, but as far as trying to take it to the streets when you have all the wealth and fame? It’s ridiculous and foolish! When you have two strong forces like 2-Pac and Doggie, two of the best, with the talent and ability to make a whole region stand behind what they feel is right or wrong, then things should be fully more “understood”. Fully more clarified! The image and reputation sometimes is not as big and important, as saving lives, including your own as well! (That’s something to really think about. Real Talk!) And as of today, you got thousands of rappers “Capitalizing” off “Gangsta Rap”, is exactly what’s going on today. Declining record sales, everything going digital, technology, and the internet first week sound scan focus, pop-like singles, and last but not least, whack ass dance songs. I can go on and on about it!
It’s time for a “re-creation” process! That is where me and “Blue Azul Corral” come in. We’re bringing “G-Rap” back! I promise you, all I need is one more chance (seriously) to show the world what I’m holding, and just like that, the game just got stolen! And I’m sure you all will agree (once I’m heard) as well. By the way, remember this street? Yeah, this street right here? Yeeeah, this is where you live! Which means this is where I drop you off! I gotta take care of some business, so I’ll be back later to pick you up for another journey. You can take your seatbelts off; it’s been fun as always! I enjoyed the company of course!
I want to thank Casper and Blue once again, and next time will soon bee possible! Courtesy of ConvictedArtist.com, Mr. Kane is who I am, thank you all very much. And be sure to look for “Tales Frum Tha Metrosection”, the album coming in the near future. Much love to my “Brothers” and ESE’s on the lock.
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