"The Biggest Stunt of a Stunna"

So I was driving on the highway on my way to class and I overheard something on the radio. Apparently, rapper Rick Ross was allegedly reported to have been a corrections officer in Miami before he was a rapper. This was quite funny to me, not for the fact that he had a job in corrections but for the fact that he would lie in his raps where he speaks of his so called "gangster" lifestyle. He speaks of drug trafficking and other illegal acts that are a part of his life, but I have to question the validity of such after hearing about this alleged career of his. But aside from that, I have to wonder if living the life of a gangster is the only way to make it successful in the rap industry.

As I think about the rap industry, the first thing that comes to mind is the thuggish lifestyle that is often glamorized. But then after that thought, I think about the rappers that may have come from those types of conditions, but their lyrical content speaks to a generation in need of hope and love. Rappers such Common, Lupe Fiasco, Nas, and even Jay-Z have come from rough areas where an infestation of drugs, alcohol, violence, and sex circulated on a daily basis and survival was the goal each day. However, what stands out about each of these artists is that though their lyrical content once spoke of their detrimental surroundings, they have since today shown growth in their lives in their lyrics, lifestyles, and even public appearances.

I often look at some of the other popular rappers out there now that speak more about gang violence, sex, drugs and the like and wonder if this is really what rap is all about. Does an upcoming rap artist simply become respected based on how many times he's been shot, how many people he's killed, or how much time he's spent in a penitentiary? If that's the case, then how do we expect our younger generation to feel when they hear that the only way to get up is to put someone else six feet under? Can a rap artist be respected by only speaking of positive and thought provoking subjects?

Rap artists of today that are glamorized based on their hard core thuggish lifestyles are of course making platinum singles and selling out concerts. But that doesn't discourage the rap artists that have grown and matured from their years of the thug life. Even rappers such as Tupac that lived the life of a thug and grew up around drugs, alcohol, and sex, didn't let that outshine their true talent as an artist. He never shied away from political topics, uplifting topics, and other thought provoking topics such as mothers, strong women, and just getting together to have a great time. Until now, it seemed that rap told a story. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end. It contained characters, a narrator, and a lesson. However, nowadays, it seems that it becomes harder to find a story in a book that is written by bullets, blood, and the sounds of clanging cells bars.