A week ago today, K. Dot did a historic show, using his influence and platform to unite local musicians from all over Southern California for an epic performance. Some gang-affiliated featured artists displayed their stories and lifestyles to the world, showing that they could put differences aside for a special moment and more significant impact.
However, like anything else, the gesture was criticized and scrutinized by spectators and outsiders who do not reside within the West Coast region and have no genuine connection to West Coast culture. After all, it is common for those to scoff at the things they don’t understand. I want to add my two cents to the conversation because significant nuances regarding the topic are overlooked.
I do not condone the degeneracy accompanied by gang culture. Even with all of the understanding in the world, ultimately, the current state of the lifestyle has caused communities a great deal of hurt and pain. However, it is impossible to mention the contributions of West Coast hip-hop without mentioning Gangsta Rap and G-Funk. The radicalism of N.W.A.’s lyrical rhyming against corrupt cops and many of the M.C.’s breaking onto the West Coast hip-hop scene being susceptible to an environment beyond their control, which was a notable part of their rhymes. This is the result of intent versus impact. While I have not spoken with every gangsta rap artist, a common sentiment I’ve observed through their interviews is that while speaking of their gang lifestyle in their art, their intentions are not to condone or promote to their audience to become a part of gang culture. They are simply sharing their story.
Similar to rap artists who use the N-word in their lyrics as a form of expression, rap artists do not intend to make non-black consumers okay with using the N-word. They’re all simply expressing themselves through their various art forms and, in the process, influencing their audience. West Coast artist Ice-T comes to mind; he has stated that although he was not the actual member of the gang, they were his friends, neighbors, and schoolmates. He told their stories and shared his experiences in his music.
I’ve noticed that many of the critics are ok with music artists who grew up far removed from gang culture, impersonating the lifestyle by either cheering them on because it’s cute or turning a blind eye altogether. But when those who actually lived the life speak up and display their pride, the energy is not the same. My thing is if you see the wrong in the ones who live the life, then keep the same energy for everybody. The truth is that there are several female Drakes in the industry who are getting a pass (But we’ll discuss it in another write-up). Whether you were gang-affiliated or not, growing up in the inner city of LA and the sister cities during the height of gang culture was very dangerous. Depending on where you lived, every five blocks was a different territory. My grandparents were so green, being from New Orleans, refused to send us to Horace Mann because of gangs but sent us across town to Audubon, where we traveled through 4 different gang territories as opposed to one. As a survival tactic, many of us befriended and were in close community with those in other neighborhoods. My childhood friend lived in the Jungles. I was raised in the 60’s. Although neither of us were/are not gang members, we were each other’s pass into our neighborhoods. An unfamiliar face was not safe.
Ask any LA native, affiliated or not, how many sidewalk memorials they had to walk past on the way to school, how many family members they’ve lost to gang violence, and how it feels to see a schoolmate alive and well on Friday and return to school or Monday with teary eyes because someone you saw breathing 72 hrs prior will never walk into class again. No one is glorifying this. But there were also great moments, such as walking to school with your closest friends, stopping at the favorite local eateries on the way home, meeting at nearby parks, and standing at the bus stop waiting for the DASH, 40, or the 210, meeting up at the mall on the weekends, house parties, and sporting events. To experience this and survive builds a sense of pride for where we were raised and for seeing others from our communities WIN and make it out.
So excuse us while we do our dance and wave our hands. Tribalism has always been present among people, from where you grew up to what sorority or fraternity pledged to comparisons of which country has the best athletes. I recall one of my sociology professors presenting the argument that every person and thing has a place in society, even the undesirables. I want the naysayers to keep that in mind the next time they need to call for backup; suddenly, everybody knows somebody in that “life” and knows whom to go to to get off “that work.” I do not believe gang culture can be eradicated overnight, especially when there is nothing presented that can rival the interests of new and potential members. I do think Kendrick’s Pop Out was a good start.