Stereotypes In Rap Music

Lastly, rap music should not be stereotyped as meaningless noise that has no purpose other than for something that drug addicts and gangsters can vibe with. Mainstream rap has been known for its simplistic couplets that glorify drugs, violence, and sex with multiple women. These lyrics are so simple that a kindergartener can write them. Unfortunately for rap as a whole, this became the characteristics that people first think of when they think of rap. But not all rappers make simple music. Rappers such as Jermaine Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and many more construct lyrical masterpieces along with morals, lessons, and messages for their listeners to reflect on. Unlike most songs currently out right now, these rappers display a variety of

Lamar is saying that all the people he had a relationship with were either associated with the Crips or the Blood’s, which are two rival gangs, and that his people were close like cousins in grade school, but then became distant family members in high school. At first glance, this couplet looks like basic imagery explaining that everyone he knew was gang associated and eventually grew apart from each other as they got older, but the second line has a double-meaning. If interpreted another way, one can see that Lamar may have been in an elementary school full of crips and then went to a high school where the majority were bloods. This is shown when Lamar chooses the words “cousins” and “relatives.” “Cousin” is a common term used by Crip gang members to refer to one another, while “relative” is a term used by Blood gang members to refer to one another. The relation between the words Lamar chooses also has a focus on family relations, and he utilizes that focus to show that both gangs are similar by valuing familial bonds despite being two contrasting, bitter rivals with a history of