Hip Hop Wars Chapter 3 Hip Hop Hurts Black People

In this chapter Tricia Rose discusses how hip hop hurts black people, and if it is the main component that hurts them. She states black people face lower levels of academic and economic achievement. Rose provides three explanations for these two problems, self-destructive anti-education attitudes, she says hip hop is fueling this attitude or at least instigating it. The second one is the emphasis on violence, which, in hip hop, is said to promote violence in its songs. The third problem is misogyny, and how most rap songs degrade women. There is some truth to the notions that hip hop has taken a turn, and doing so has hurt black people, especially young males. There are however, some problems that come with the argument that hip hop is responsible for these issues among the black community. They are unfair generalizations, made through sweeping claims. There is a thought that all hip hop even "underground" hip hop harms black kids. The producers and major corporations of the music promote the bulk of the rap songs that show the worst of the worst. The destroying behaviors that are prevalent in rap are the norm rather than the exception. There is a "cool pose" that is associated with hip hop this attitude is said to hurt young black people. Rose states there are two key facts that this notion denies, one, this type of self-protective, male response preceded hip hop. Two, the "cool pose" is used as a sort of survival strategy in the face of violence. The second problem Rose talks about is the tone of disdain and disregard that is smuggled under "outrage" and is seen as tough love. Critics find a group of black belligerent youths and they use these kids as a picture to frame all black youths in. This is just simply unfair and untrue. It's not about what criticisms should be made but about how they are made. The third problem is, what is left out, in terms of the silence of many critics about structural racism. The notions that rap are made for and produced by black people is simply untrue. The images in the songs are said to represent black youth. These images are the ones that are promoted and produced by corporations. The primary audience for these real life black youth experiences, which are sold in rap songs, is white youth. The corporations promote what sells, and what the audience wants. However they say this as an answer to why they are promoting these violent songs. The rappers when questioned about their songs answer that they are "trapped" by contracts with these corporations. T These songs desired primarily by white youth, led to the success of these black artists. Black youth see the success of these rappers and try to emulate them. There is limited access to youth in general of alternate images in hip hop music. There is an overall embrace of profit over people, not only in the hip hop industry but also in many industries around the world.  These songs on the surface are meant to help protect and support black youth however it unfortunately harms them.