Dancing Gorilla is no better than your average Drill Rapper

[Matt504]

I don't think anyone here is claiming that these guys are incapable of making songs where they're not basking in the tears of the Black families they've destroyed. Same goes for Big Groove, he's not "c00ning" in every video. The same conditions that manifests as raps about killing Black people also manifests as self-loathing and a desire to ingratiate one's self with the dominant group.

There's always a grace extended to these rappers who create anti-Black content that is not extended to others that do the exact same thing but in ways that make Black people deeply uncomfortable.

 

[BobbyWojak]

The same conditions that manifests as raps about killing Black people also manifests as self-loathing and a desire to ingratiate one's self with the dominant group.

This is where I totally disagree with you, the conditions that create drill are material, poverty, no access to healthcare, generational trauma, gang violence, real problems. Groove has a personal hang up, if he was Asian he would be eating huge bowls of sushi instead of watermelon, the environment he grew up in isn't relevant.

There's always a grace extended to these rappers who create anti-Black content that is not extended to others

Because people empathize with their story of rags to riches and are captivated by their dangerous lifestyle, they're seen as anti-heroes like tony soprano or tony montana. Big Groove has no redeeming qualities.


agree to disagree

 

[Micky Mikey]

Because I listen to a few drill artists and their albums aren't 49 mins of pure unrepentant racist murder music like some of you seem to think, it's gangsta rap or horrorcore with a focus on street rivalries. The artist can fall into tropes that are anti-black, but that's because the culture in some of these broken down communities is anti-Black. They (for the most part) aren't purposefully appealing to a white audience with the specific goal of c00ning like Big Groove with the watermelon. It's art from an imperfect group of angry young men, it isn't going to be positive or pro black, but sometimes it can be (Sheff G's Mistakes for example).

Who cares if it isn't their intention to spread anti-black hate. The end product they produce is minstrel entertainment for white people even if wasn't the intended purpose. Yes we get it, drill (gangsta rap in general) is a byproduct of broken communities, angry young men and systemic racism. No one is disputing that fact. And until those issues are addressed street violence and gang warfare will continue. Realizing that fact doesn't make the modern minstrel show we call entertainment any less problematic. The bottomline is that black death is being commercialized for global consumption. The fight for social and economic justice can be fought along side the fight against the glorification and commodification of black death.

 

[BobbyWojak]

Who cares if it isn't their intention to spread anti-black hate. The end product they produce is minstrel entertainment for white people even if wasn't the intended purpose. Yes we get it, drill (gangsta rap in general) is a byproduct of broken communities, angry young men and systemic racism. No one is disputing that fact. And until those issues are addressed street violence and gang warfare will continue. Realizing that fact doesn't make the modern minstrel show we call entertainment any less problematic. The bottomline is that black death is being commercialized for global consumption. The fight for social and economic justice can be fought along side the fight against the glorification and commodification of black death.

The fight against 'the glorification and commodification of black death', what does that entail? Because cultural responses to economic problems are useless, you can't stomach that type of content and that's ok, but complaining about it isn't gonna get you anywhere. You don't like problematic art alright cool, that's you, but on an artistic level I'm interested in what they have to say and the art itself is captivating.

You remind me of the husband in this scene

 

[Micky Mikey]

The fight against 'the glorification and commodification of black death', what does that entail? Because cultural responses to economic problems are useless, you can't stomach that type of content and that's ok, but complaining about it isn't gonna get you anywhere. You don't like problematic art alright cool, that's you, but on an artistic level I'm interested in what they have to say and the art itself is captivating.

You remind me of the husband in this scene

In response to the video - we are not Italians. Their stereotypical portrayals in American society was never accompanied with state sanctioned oppression and slavery. Black people are in a unique position in this country. There was a time when we weren't even considered fully human. The propagation of black stereotypes has and has had far more severe repercussions on us than any other group of people. There's no comparison. And that's not to belittle the plight of other people. But c'mon this is obvious.

Drill rap and gangsta rap is a market. And its product is not just art, but the glorification of black death. Whole podcasts and reddit forums are created to glorify and sensationalize the very real street violence celebrated in the music as if the young men from these broken communities are gladiators in the coliseum. Those might be extreme examples but it gives insight into the extent to which black death is being exploited for entertainment purposes.

And I haven't even touched on the impact the music has had on the black psyche. In particular the psyche of young impressionable minds. Social engineering through media is VERY real. And the music has impacted the way we relate to ourselves and each other. But that's what art does right? Who ever said art couldn't have negative consequences?

 

[BobbyWojak]

In response to the video - we are not Italians. Their stereotypical portrayals in American society was never accompanied with state sanctioned oppression and slavery. Black people are in a unique position in this country. There was a time when we weren't even considered fully human. The propagation of black stereotypes has and has had far more severe repercussions on us than any other group of people. There's no comparison. And that's not to belittle the plight of other people. But c'mon this is obvious.

Drill rap and gangsta rap is a market. And its product is not just art, but the glorification of black death. Whole podcasts and reddit forums are created to glorify and sensationalize the very real street violence celebrated in the music as if the young men from these broken communities are gladiators in the coliseum. Those might be extreme examples but it gives insight into the extent to which black death is being exploited for entertainment purposes.

And I haven't even touched on the impact the music has had on the black psyche. In particular the psyche of young impressionable minds. Social engineering through media is VERY real. And the music has impacted the way we relate to ourselves and each other. But that's what art does right? Who ever said art couldn't have negative consequences?

I used the Sopranos clip to illustrate how you're taking aim at drill music on behalf of our collective self-image, not to compare us to Italians. At the end of the day, industries under capitalism will take any advantage they can get, if people are drawn to the Black dysfunction in drill, then that is what they will commercialize. My point is at an interpersonal, cultural level there is no way to stop this, so muzzling the artistic ambitions of people in these communities isn't doing anything except engaging in respectability politics. Direct your anger towards the systems that creates these types of people, not some random mf with talent who is trying to gain upward mobility, playing with the hand he was dealt. Yes, art can have negative consequences, but on the list of things we should care about, drill is at the bottom, plus the music is good.

 

[Matt504]

I used the Sopranos clip to illustrate how you're taking aim at drill music on behalf of our collective self-image, not to compare us to Italians. At the end of the day, industries under capitalism will take any advantage they can get, if people are drawn to the Black dysfunction in drill, then that is what they will commercialize. My point is at an interpersonal, cultural level there is no way to stop this, so muzzling the artistic ambitions of people in these communities isn't doing anything except engaging in respectability politics. Direct your anger towards the systems that creates these types of people, not some random mf with talent who is trying to gain upward mobility, playing with the hand he was dealt. Yes, art can have negative consequences, but on the list of things we should care about, drill is at the bottom, plus the music is good.

Do you mind sharing some of these songs?

 

[MisterMajesty]

"The streets say that its dope! I can't go against that!!"

Remember that thread in that Joe Budden podcast when Jadakiss was there with his pops? And his pops exposed his past as a well behaved kid with no criminal record and getting good grades at private school? People damn near erased that shyt from the internet already, and people still have that WWE belief that if they can suppress it long enough, it actually never happened. So in their minds, people still believe Jada is some super killer/ super hustla from the YO because it fuels their desire to be one themselves.

Same shyt in Drill Music. People legit think that the more "real nikka" shyt you do, the more authentically black that you are and no one can question you if you did dirt towards your own people.

That thread was quite something

 

[BobbyWojak]

Do you mind sharing some of these songs?

Look, if you're dead set against a genre, you're not going to be receptive to it.

 

[Matt504]

Look, if you're dead set against a genre, you're not going to be receptive to it.

The issue with me isn't reception, I've consumed countless hours of the genre as early as 2012. There was a point where I realized that I was making excuses for the content because I found it to be enjoyable in spite of the fact that it was celebrating in Black death while the leading cause of death for Black males between the ages of 1-44 is homicide.

I can't on one hand claim to hate the violence so many Black people are on the wrong side of while rocking to music that literally celebrates the dysfunction.

 

[BobbyWojak]

The issue with me isn't reception, I've consumed countless hours of the genre as early as 2012. There was a point where I realized that I was making excuses for the content because I found it to be enjoyable in spite of the fact that it was celebrating in Black death while the leading cause of death for Black males between the ages of 1-44 is homicide.

I can't on one hand claim to hate the violence so many Black people are on the wrong side of while rocking to music that literally celebrates the dysfunction.

We'll it leave at that, but the word 'celebration' is an exaggeration, crime films aren't celebrations of death, it's a depiction of a criminal lifestyle.

 

[Roger king]

There is no comparison, one is perpuating harmful stereotypes but with blood loss and while the other perputates a culture of violence and blood letting that has killed so many innocent black folks including children, drill rappers and those who rap about drugs, guns, killing nikkas etc are far more of a danger to the society than tiktok dancers. The world would be a better and safer place with less king vons and other murderous drill rapping goons and with a high number of tik tok dancers. There is no comparison, drill rap music perpetuates evil and senseless violence, while the other isnt doing that at all

 

[Matt504]

We'll it leave at that, but the word 'celebration' is an exaggeration, crime films aren't celebrations of death, it's a depiction of a criminal lifestyle.

Definitely not an exaggeration but...

 

[BobbyWojak]

Definitely not an exaggeration but...

C'mon now that's lazy and unfair, the entire point of that song is provocation through humor, some artists will take it there, some won't. I can cherry-pick too, here's the patron saint of hip-hop Kendrick Lamar.

I wait in front a nikka's spot and watch him hit his block
I catch a nikka leavin' service if that's all I got
I chip a nikka, then throw the blower in his lap
Walk myself to the court like, "bytch, I did that!"
Ain't no Black Power when your baby killed by a coward
I can't even keep the peace, don't you fukk with one of ours

 

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