New rap and hip-hop artists, it seems, have been popping up left and right. Just go out to your local dance club, where the latest big hit gets everyone moving. The only problem is, the new stuff is indistinguishable from the next guy or gal.
The new up and comer from Atlanta, named VIC (short for Victor Grimmy Owusu), is no different, his sound is a carbon copy of the likes of Soulja Boy, if that means anything to you. His beats are catchy. For some reason, many people like this type of music. Now, his lyrics do shine a light on the current rap culture, but it tends to be hypocritical, especially with VIC, because on one hand, he raps about his faith in God, but then he raps about having women feeling him up and rather explicit lyrics about raunchy sex.
What ever happened to artists like De La Soul, OutKast, Public Enemy, The Pharcyde and Tribe Called Quest? Heck, throw in Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff. These artists rapped about black culture, but didn’t rap about killing, prostitution and drugs to give the wrong impression to black youth. They tackled issues of race, how bad domestic violence in the black community has become, as well as growing up in “the hood” without portraying women as sluts, men as thugs or addicted to drugs. These artists represented the commentary to pick the black guy up, and helped many people to live out their hopes and dreams. They also never took themselves too seriously.
Artists like VIC, are artists, and have the freedom to express themselves in their individual way as artists; after all they are all Americans. But, rapping about illicit acts makes racists feel they have a legitimate reason to judge all blacks as thugs and bad people. Sometimes the lyrics can backfire.
This is not to say rappers need to act and sing like white people. The white privileged race has no understanding how VIC and artists like him grew up; that is why rappers sing this way. More artists like VIC are growing up in tougher times. Especially with the violence in Chicago, black youth really need idols like Q-Tip, Andre 3000 and Will Smith, who exposed the racism that still exists and the problems which face black culture, and how to effectively and appropriately change the mindset of people’s opinions. These new artists are just adding fuel to the fire that is still smoldering silently from the backlash of the civil rights movement.
If you want to hear this music, go to a club where people perpetrate the activities in his lyrics, but don’t waste your money by buying the album. This is simple entertainment, and the better entertainment is in messages that are positive such as in the lyrics of Marvin Gaye, OutKast, Ray Charles and The Pharcyde.