Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Evolution of Rap


I was driving to work yesterday and a song came on the radio that I hadn't heard in years; in the golden era of rap and the crude beginnings of Hip Hop...I loved this song. It was a huge hit in NYC and back in the day, you could often hear it blasting from boom boxes and car stereos. It's funny how certain songs stick with you: even after having not heard this for a long while, I found myself reciting every single word at a stoplight yesterday.
At first, I was simply rapping along...but then I began to listen...and here's what jumped out at me:

He went outside but there were cops all over
Then he dipped into a car, a stolen Nova
Raced up the block doin' 83
Crashed into a tree, near university

Escaped alive, though the car was battered
Rat-a-tat-tatered and all the cops scattered
Ran out of bullets and he still had static
Grabbed the pregnant lady and pulled out the automatic

Point it at her head, he said the gun was full of lead
He told the cops, "Back off or honey here's dead"
Deep in his heart he knew he was wrong
So he let the lady go and he starts to run on

Sirens sounded, he seemed astounded
And before long the boy got surrounded
He dropped his gun so went the glory
And this is the way I have to end this story

He was only one teen in a madman's dream
The cops shot the kid, I still hear him scream
This ain't funny, so don't ya dare laugh
Just another case about the wrong path
Straight and narrow or your soul gets cast


Today I firmly believe that I would hear a different song; songs about killing cops, and how the kid had been done wrong, and how society doesn't give a F**K...there wouldn't be a hokey video with "bobby" cops and all that jazz. Rap has evolved. I'm not about to comment on whether the changes are for better or worse; I can often be caught rapping along to Jay-Z at that same stoplight.
I just felt that it was worth mentioning. Perhaps you feel it's worth commenting on.
Have at it.

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