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Samuel Staples

Professor Hingref

English Composition 1102

22 April 2016

21st Century Rap: Extorting Passion

Modern rap and hip-hop is going through a metamorphosis and has been for the last two

decades. When rap first started making waves across the nation, it was due to its irresistible style,

beat, and lyrics. In the early 1990s when rap became exponentially popular, it was all about

telling a story; each song held weight within its lyrics and had people fascinated. For about a

decade, rap became the fastest growing music genre, and was even referred to as Raps Golden

Age until two of the greatest rappers of all time were murdered. Money and greed would then

become a catalyst for the destruction of classic rap and make way for more than a decade of

repetition and competition based on economic status.

Rap as a genre is a subculture of hip hop. Rap first emerged in the 1970s at block parties

where DJs would isolate the instrumentals from music tracks and MCs or rappers would rhyme

over the tracks in sync to the beat (Dye 2007). During the 1970s, rap was considered just a fad

and quickly died off, until the early 1980s. Over the course of the 1980s, hip hop became a

popular genre. During that time, rap slowly evolved, as new techniques and style such as

scratching were created. Rappers like Run DMC and LL Cool J paved the way for the genre,

creating a pretty impressive following, as well as recognition for the once niche-based music.

Rap gradually became recognized as an art form and started gathering an immense following

(Mcnulty-Fin 2007).
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In the early 1990s, rap quickly became divided into two camps: East Coast and West

Coast. Tupac Shakur represented Los Angeles, while the Brooklyn created Biggie Smalls. The

separation and competitive style between these rappers would eventually lead to a murderous

outcome, but would also create some of the best rap music history has to offer (Churchill 2015).

Tupac emerged with countless hit songs that are still looked back on as some of the most

lyrically eloquent tracks for the genre. During the same time, Biggie Smalls released his album

Ready to Die which contained his most popular song Juicy. Biggie is consistently ranked as

one of the best and most influential rappers of all time. However, both rappers became separated

by their geographical locations, and some misinterpretations of their lyrics led to a battle

between the two rappers and inevitably between East and West coast rap. This battle between the

two rappers would eventually lead to both rappers being murdered in shoot outs. Their murders

are still left unsolved and are still a subject of speculation today as to who killed them and

whether their arguments truly were the main cause of their deaths.

What made Tupac and Biggie so famous and memorable were the lyrics in their

masterpieces. Their music was often about their upbringing and hardships in life, which gave

their tracks soul and a relatable vibe that America fell in love with. Reflecting reality, most

rappers in their era sang about turmoil, growth, and then success. Lyrics in 1990s rap also are

recognized as telling a story. This narrative style is what made the releases in the 1990s so

influential. A perfect example of the lyrical genius that provided growth to the genre can be

found in Tupacs Song Words of Wisdom:

This is for the masses, the lower classes

The ones you left out, jobs were givin', better livin'

But we were kept out

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Made to feel inferior, but we're superior

Break the chains in our brains that made us fear yah

Pledge allegiance to a flag that neglects us

Honour a man that who refuses to respect us

Emancipation, proclamation, Please!

Lincoln just said that to save the nation

These are lies that we all accepted

Say no to drugs but the governments kept it

Running through our community, killing the unity

The war on drugs is a war on you and me

This verse shows how well thought out Tupacs music was and is a perfect example of a lyrical

masterpiece.

In comparison, today we have songs that are often repetitive and even sometimes hard to

comprehend. This is why rap is in such a decline (Rakoczy 2010). The heart and soul of the

music is no longer there. Lyrics have become solely about money, status, and being sexually

provocative. Drake, Rihanna, and many other rappers alike have verse after verse about cars and

sex. In Rihannas song Birthday Cake which released in 2012, she uses the word cake nearly

75 times in a 3 minute song, which is more than once every 3 seconds (Fenty 2011). Repetition is

just one of the factors that has been killing rap in the last 10 years. Another flaw is the change in

narrative where instead of rapping about overcoming turmoil, rap is centered on how many cars

are in your garage and how successful you are.

When Drake released his first two hit albums, Thank Me Later, and Take Care, his music

was about growing up, and often about love. His music and smooth voice made people fall in
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love with him because it touched our souls, the way rap is supposed to. However, after Take

Care, Drake became obsessed with the money and fame, so much so that his music became

drowned by it. His music became about his houses, cars, and being something he is not. He

began portraying himself to be a gangster, when in reality he was a child actor who didnt know

the first thing about a gun or how gangs orchestrate their daily operations. This gangster attitude

would eventually lead to arguments with Chris Brown, and later Meek Mill (Kreps 2016). While

Drake still does release a poetic song or two with each album he creates, he is contributing to

raps downfall.

Another facet to the downfall of rap is social media. Social media has acted as an

outlet for rappers to show how wealthy they are. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are plagued

with photos of stacks of money, new clothes, and new cars. This is precisely what fuels the

lyrical garbage that we listen to nowadays. Rap is no longer about exposing the greedy and

overcoming, it is about being the greedy and bragging rights. The social media aspect of rap also

creates an overwhelming desire to one day be this successful in Americas youth. While this is

inspiring to some, it is unrealistic and negatively affects the mental health of our nation by

contributing to stress and depression (Bethune 2016).

There are some ways in which rap has stayed the same over the last few decades.

The beat and rhythm have maintained their dominance throughout the years that has kept rap

alive. Some rappers still contribute to the growth of the genre even today. Eminem is perhaps the

most well-known white rapper of all time. He is one of the few artists who has not allowed

money to change his narrative. While he is producing less music than he used to, his angry and

emotional music has stayed true even through his countless album sales. Some less well known

artists still have strong ties to the narrative style of classic rap, but they are not as popular
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because they dont have catchy repetitive choruses, and have not received any accolades from the

entertainment industry.

Although some parts of rap have stayed the same, overall, rap has changed for the

worse. Ever since the deaths of Biggie and Tupac, rap has been in a landslide set on destroying

the genre. Even Jay-Z, a once great rapper, with countless hit titles has fallen into the trap of

fame and fortune. Jay-Zs song Hard Knock Life is a perfect example of how 1990s rap was

about struggles and emotion. However, since Jay-Zs economic success, he has produced much

less music than he used to, and his lyrics are heavily infused with a holier-than-thou attitude.

This is a perfect example of how rap changes artists, and why rap is changing.

Rap is still one of the most popular genres in music, but it is extorting the passion

from the music. Rap was once an art form, but is now an outlet for boasting about economic

status. Today, raps future is uncertain. Hopefully, new and emerging artists will once again

reignite the passion within the music.

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Works Cited

Dye, David. "The Birth of Rap: A Look Back." NPR. NPR, 22 Feb. 2007. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

McNulty-Finn, Clara. "The Evolution of Rap - Harvard Political Review." Harvard Political

Review. Harvard Politics, 10 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

Rakoczy, Sam. "Why Rap Is Going Down, Down, Down, Down, Down." Common Place. MH

Learning Solutions, 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

Churchill, Maude. "10 of the Biggest Hip-Hop Feuds Ever" Highsnobiety. Highsnobiety, 03 Aug.

2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Fenty, Robyn R. "RIHANNA - Birthday Cake Lyrics." Directlyrics. Direct Lyrics, 2011. Web. 27

Apr. 2016.

Shakur, Tupac A. "2Pac Words of Wisdom." Genius. Genius, 1991. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Kreps, Daniel. "Meek Mill Rekindles Drake Beef." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 2016. Web. 2016.

"Biggie Smalls." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Bethune, Sophie. "Money and Stress." American Psychological Association. APA, 2015. Web. 27 Apr.

2016.