Assortments of Thought

For various reasons, a lot of people aren’t too fond of rap and hip-hop music. Some simply don’t like the style, of artists rapping over beats. A few, sadly, shun it for its black origins, out of a sense of racism. Many, however, are simply turned away by the subject matter they hear: killing, violence, profanity, drug abuse, cheap sex, disrespect to women, and get rich no matter what schemes. While the artists that focus on these themes are not without talent or skill, it’s understandable that many people aren’t interested in what they have to say. Yet rap is not defined solely by these subjects, and indeed, there is a lot of rap out there that not only avoids them, but even delves into issues like persevering and working hard, setting good examples for kids, and taking life seriously and positively, among more trivial topics. I would therefore like to highlight the lyrics of one rap duo in particular, Blackalicious, that expresses such sentiments, as well as discuss those of Gift of Gab, Blackalicious’ emcee, solo, if only to demonstrate this often-overlooked side of hip-hop.

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