A Lyrical Controversy
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Submitted by nycchick19 on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: Philosophy
- Words: 1023
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A Lyrical Controversy
A Lyrical Controversy
A "gangsta" rapper parades around with his many women, gold teeth, and souped up cars. A tattoo-clad rocker drinks a beer in a room full of empties, as he sings in not-so-subtle ways about his hopeless addiction to drugs. These images and many others are put forth every day in numerous popular rap and rock songs that hit the airwaves with regularity. Along with these songs come the perpetuating of stereotypes and the demeaning of women that has many critics calling them just plain vulgar. Critics will say that these songs are obscene and tasteless and corrupt the minds of America's youth. While this stance can be argued, it can also be said that while the lyrics and images presented in these songs can be offensive, they depict the real life and struggles of a large sector of people living in this country. The writers of these songs may not simply set out to shock us through explicit vulgarity, but to invite the listener into their world in a real and poignant way, showing us that life isn't always "sunshine on your shoulders making you happy." (Sunshine On My Shoulders, Bob Dylan) Two such songs that illustrate this point are "N.Y. State of Mind Part II" by Nas, and "Slow Motion" by Third Eye Blind. Neither song paints a happy picture of life and could be deemed offensive in some respects, but both songs also show a vision of the writer and his reactions to the world going on around him. Both present a frustrated picture of a person who is both disillusioned and desensitized to the harsh realities going on in communities they are forced to live in every day. "N.Y. State of Mind Part II" by rapper Nas can be deemed offensive because of its repeated use of vulgarity, derogatory portrayal of women, and even blatant homophobia. But at the same time the lyrics to "N.Y. State of Mind Part II" read like a desperate look at life in the "ghetto." With lines such as, "Overcrowded cribs, uncles home from bids, sister's...
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