arihant magazine

arihant magazine

arihant magazine Published this article page no  33  In “The Watcher”, Dr. Dre redefines the negative characteristic of violence by pointing to the police force as the source of violence, and therefore, referring to them as “gangster-like”: Things just ain’t the same for gangstas Cops is anxious to put people in handcuffs They wanna hang us, see us dead or enslave us Keep us trapped in the same place we raised in Then they wonder why we act so outrageous Run around stressed out and pull out gauges Cause everytime you let the animal out cages It’s dangerous, to people who look like strangers Here, the poet accuses the majority class of keeping them “trapped in the same place we raised in” and that the perceived violence is only due to the introduction of “people who look like strangers.” These are examples of how hip-hop artists redefine the image of violence by showing how it exists or was created within the majority social group. Drugs Another common disputed stereotype of hip-hop artists is their use and distribution of illegal drugs. In attempts to redefine this negative characteristic, many hip-hop artists have pointed at the majority social group as the facilitator of drug abuse. In “Justify My Thug”, Jay-Z speaks directly to members of government, raising questions about who has made the availability and use of these drugs possible: Mr. President, there’s drugs in our residence Tell me what you want me to do, come break bread with us Mr. Governor, I swear there’s a cover up Every other corner there’s a liquor store - what is up? In this example, the poet inquires as to why there is a liquor store in “every other corner” of his community. In “I Want to Talk to You”, Nas uses the same approach to challenge the notion of drug distribution by asking his representatives what they would do in his situation: Why y’all made it so hard, damn People gotta go create their own job Mr. Mayo,r imagine if this was your backyard Mr. Governo,r imagine if it was your kids that starved Imagine your kids gotta sling crack to survive Here, the poet claims that the distribution of drugs is not only an effect of the poverty that exists in his environment, but also a means of survival. In “Manifesto”, Talib Kweli actually accuses the government of being the body which allows drugs into the country: Like the C.I.A. be bringin’ in crack cocaine bailin’ out of planes With the George Bush connections, I push Reflection Like I’m sellin’ izm, like a dealer buildin’ the system Supply and the demand it’s all capitalism People don’t sell crack cause they like to see blacks smoke People sell crack cause they broke In this example, the poet accuses the C.I.A. of flying drugs into the country, and again reiterates the point that it is a means of survival due to the “supply and demand” of a capitalist society arihant gk  buy.

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