Black Noise – The Social Politics of Rap Music

Chapters 4 and 5 of Tricia Rose’s Black Noise Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America addresses that social issues that rap musicians express in their lyrics. These lyrics are criticisms of the domination that the powerful people have over the oppressed.  This is not a novel idea for music, take the folk music of Woody Guthrie for example, his lyrics were the social commentaries during the dust bowl and depression era. His song “If You Ain’t got the Do Re Mi” deals with the exodus to California of those looking for opportunity. These characters must pay their way into the state, cut of their beards and “civilize” themselves before they are granted entrance to the state, furthermore, historically they were brutalized if they could not pay. How is this different from KRS-One’s lyrics on page 107 of her book? I realize that these lyrics and issues are far more violent than they were in the 1930’s I am just comparing the idea behind the music. Rose describes this “idea” in two ways, the Public transcript and the Hidden transcript, a concept that doesn’t seem exclusive to rap music.

Switching gears, chapter 4 brings up a few questions for me, I guess this will serve as my discussion question.  This is an issue that is not exclusive to rap but makes and appearance in the genre more so than any other. Why do lyrics that deal with such pressing and controversial social and political issues contradict themselves by spouting homophobic, and sexist lyrics? How is this productive?

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