Bling Bling, Nigga!

For the last week or so, I was camping with some of my Comrades in Quebec.
I always enjoy this event, because with so many communists and progressive youth in one area, there is a lot of exciting discussion on every topic under the rainbow.

Anyways, one day the topic turned to Rap and hip hop culture. One of my Comrades argued that
the rapper Ice Cube was a progressive media influence because of the lyrics of some of his music. I personally strongly disagreed with this, as the majority of Ice Cubes music is not about
the plight of African Americans, just the typical "thug life" bullshit.

Anyways, from here things really took off, as I took that stand that not only Ice Cube, but Gangsta rap in general was not a progressive influence in the media, as far as the image of the black community was concerned. Let me tell you, I took a lot of criticism for this viewpoint from more than one comrade, on all sides. When I argued that Gangsta rap was misogynistic and sexist, the reply was "That's ( black) culture. Who are we to say it's misogynist". I got a similar response when I said that Gangsta rap only demeans the image of the black man as a savage. When I really tried to drive this point home, one of my comrades told me I couldn't really comment on the situation, as I am not black ( Neither was the Comrade in question, who also voiced his opinions on the subject. Hypocrite.).

I still stand by every word, and feel that my opinion is justified. Gangsta rap is not a progressive media influence at all, totally demeaning and undermining the struggle of the black community for equality.

Now let me make a distinction between rap and GANGSTA rap. Rap music originated in the black community, a grassroots form of expression that did not necessarily have any negative qualities inherent to it. There are many rappers/rap groups who are not a negative influence,
such as public enemy, Dead Prez, to name a few ( referred to as "Bourgie Rap" by a Comrade. Ironically, Gangsta rappers, who are propped up by wealthy capitalists are not "Bourgie rap" according to his criteria.).Gangsta rap is a bastardization of rap music and black culture, used by the corporate bourgeoisie to make profits and slander the entire black community simultaneously.

It has always been the tool of the bourgeoisie to divide and conquer, turning the various elements of the proletariat against one another. The best way to do this is by stirring up racism and ethnic ultra-nationalism within a population. Henceforth, the image of the black man as a savage has existed for a very long time, in many different forms. Gangsta rap is the latest form.

This is a different time. In the old days, you could have the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan on
a stage, preaching their poison against the black community. Now, times have changed. Now, a white person spreading hate propaganda would be easily identified as a racist. These days, you can't sell anti-African propaganda through a white spokes person. You need a black spokesperson
to slander their own race for this propaganda to be effective.

Also, legitimate black music, especially rap, was very threatening to the bourgeoisie. It couldn't be stomped out, so the Capitalist class realized that in order to destroy rap music, they would have to appropriate it.

And from these two initiatives Gangsta rap was born.

I am so sickened by my comrades who say that "Who are you to judge? It is black culture."
Oh really? So gender discrimination and objectification of women are "black culture"? Drive-by shootings, gang violence and murder are "black culture"? Rampant drug use and violent crimes are "black culture"? This viewpoint cloaks itself in progressive terminology, but is so overwhelmingly racist it's painful. This dramatically illustrates that even the most progressive elements of our society have bought in to this racist bullshit being shoved down the throats of the masses.

In actuality, this is basic biological determinism, otherwise known as Social Darwinism, the science of fascism. These racist notions are being spoon-fed to the masses in the form of music
and television. My own comrades, people who I thought knew better, reveal that they also have this deep rooted belief that black people and violence, crime and sexism go together, like spaghetti and meatballs. This is a very disturbing revelation.

Don't get me wrong. I love rap. I also love gangsta rap. But my personal preferences are irrelevant. Gangsta rap is still regressive and detrimental to the image of the black community.

When you turn on the news, you see the massacre of the month in Uganda, Sudan, Sierre Leone,etc. Than you switch channels to MTV, and you have some rapper waving guns and smacking hos and smoking dope. These are both the exact same image of the black race, being promoted by the media.
The white community (Even my fellow communists) are learning to fear, or at least accept, the inherent violence and barbarism attributed to "black culture". The black community are forced to contend with their only representatives in the media, made to emulate these gangstas and Hos, pressured into accepting this"culture" as their own.

In the meantime, the corporate bourgeoisie sleeps sound, knowing that their white subjects live in fear of the black man, their black subjects are being pressured into total rejection of all things cultural, and all the while they are making money off of the records. The perfect crime, executed to perfection.