UNAPOLOGETICALLY hip-hop

Floating around the the internet lately and getting waay waay too much buzz is the recent video rant of a single mother and her disapproval for a local radio station playing a hip-hop song. But not just any song, it was Vince Staples song "Norf Norf" (which currently has over 9 million views). But aside from the obvious comedy of a suburban white lady reading hardcore west coast rap lyrics, there are some serious problems going on in this video.

1. The local radio station that she was listening to was the top 40.. Not Disney Radio and not a Kids Pop CD but Top 40. Meaning the top records as pertains to the age group of 13 to 44, not 11 year olds. One of her arguments is that music isn't like it was back when she was younger, going as far to say not Brittany Spears or Backstreet Boys. But lets examine this a little. Brittany Spears at the top of her career had the smash single "Oops!... I Did It Again", which was released in March of 2000 and top the Billboard top 100 on June 3, 2000. A few other interesting songs that topped the charts at the same time was Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" which has arguably worse lyrics than "Norf Norf" and  Sisqo's "Thong Song", and everybody remembers The Thong Song. (Billborard Top 100 June 3, 2000)

2. The thing about rap rather good or bad, is that it often reflects a truth. Meaning the things that are going on, the killings, the fact of having to keep a gun on you cause you can't safely walk down the street. The fact that there are actually women that are hoes that trick, lie, and steal to get a dollar, or the fact that someone has to sell drugs in order to make ends meet because where they stay there are no other opportunities, is somebody's reality. The fact that there is some glorying of violence, which will always be apart of the music (another article for another day), is too easy of an out for people to say, if they didn't rap about it, then certain events wouldn't occur. But I would bet you that 9 times out of 10 any rapper would tell you that they would rather rap than sell drugs or be involved in violence, and if questioned would say hopefully there music opens up the dialogue that could bring about change in their community. The same way that when N.W.A. came out it was soo shockingly real, the violence and the stories were things known about for years in the community by people who lived there, but to the outside suburban kid, they were both geographically and socially shielded from and had no idea of. But it brought certain social issues to light, which most rappers I would say attempt to do, especially with "Gangster Rap".

3. Its a free country, so if you don't like it then change the channel. But lets be honest if your kid is already 11, then listening to "Gangster Rap" is the least of her problems. This is a digital age where everything is at her fingertips, hell YouTube is more dangerous that the local Top 40 radio station, cause they actually say the curse words and show em. This is the digital generation, almost everything has parental controls and admin privileges that can be used to monitor kids activities, except for the radio, but who listens to that shit. Too often hip-hop gets a bad rap for not raising someone's kids correctly, like really hip-hop's job is to raise your kids, naw homie. Do your job.

Norf Norf the original version. Which probably got a huge bump after this video.

​But the internet has its own way of getting its own justice, Remember before putting something on the interet. THE INTERNET HAS NO CHILL....