Summary Of How Hip Hop Lost Its Way And Betrayed Its Fans By Brent Staples

Brent Staples, an author, wrote an article called “How Hip-Hop lost its way and betrayed its fans,” (2005) was originally published on the New York Times. Brent argues how rap artists were betrayed by their song lyrics with dealing violence and drugs. Brent supports his explanation by arguing that there’s dangerous myths about race that is targeting African American Teenagers are beset on all sides. To prove this, “People who pay only minimal attention to the rap world may have thought the killings would sober up the rap community.” This means that rap artist have been mentioning a lot of violence in their rap songs which gained of attention to the community. It may be a misunderstanding to the other communities that can be in danger. Another evidence is, “Mr. Jackson is a confessed former drug dealer who seems to revel in the fact that he was shot several times while dealing in Queens.” Brent mentions a popular rapper that was dealing with drugs and doing a “diss” track about to the controversy about him that made him angry. The author writes it in a formal tone for the community to understand the rap artist social issue that expresses themselves through rap and making it into controversy.

The rap artists would relate to their songs that is expressing their pain and what they've been through especially speaking up with certain stereotypes. He also claim how the most toxic one characterizes working class regularity and accomplishment as "white," while embracing violence, illiteracy and drug dealing as maybe “dark”. It may lead to shocking controversies from the reporters had find out the rappers past personal lives. From these strategies that the author used, helps us what Staples is trying clear up for the hip hop