Oct. 31

Baldwin talks a lot about commodification in Black Empires, White Desires, which is a big part of the economic disparity that comes with hip-hop.  Many hip-hop artists talk about how they come from the streets, about being gansta and thug and real—meaning that they grew up and lived in low income housing in big city ghettos, basically.  However, many hip-hop artists (like Lil Wayne, for example) grew up in suburbs in middle (or upper) class households.  It’s wonderful that they want to connect with people of more limited means rather than just aiming for people with excessive amounts of money (which could lead to their own personal gain) but sometimes it just comes off as hypocritical.  50 Cent is a perfect example.  He constantly talks about being shot and being so hood and so street, but he’s living in a multi-million dollar house in an upscale neighborhood driving cars that are worth more than some people’s homes.  It doesn’t matter how many scars he has or tattoos or grills, he still spends more money a year than many of the people that he claims to be a part of make in ten.  Baldwin talks about how in the eighties hip-hop could be iconized with an image of a street in the Bronx with graffitied walls and kids in warm-up suits and Puma sneakers.  Now an image of hip-hop is T.I.’s music video where he’s talking about letting his girl use his jet to go wherever she wants and draping her in diamonds and expensive clothing and furs.  Consumerism is a big part of popular hip-hop, but in a big way it’s very anti what some people believe hip-hop to mean.  When I think of hip-hop, I think of kids in ghettos shouting out against the world that they have been a part of since birth.  I think of people like David Banner being frustrated and angry at the level of living in his home state and the lack of attention paid to the needy minority families that could definitely be helped.  I think of people bringing past injustices to light and demanding that people pay attention to parts of history that have been covered up or ignored.  That’s a big part of what hip-hop is supposed to represent, and so much of it has become consumerism and commodification.  You never see people like Rhianna or Usher in ratty old clothes; they are always dressed in the latest fashions.  The price of the jewelry or clothing that gets worn one time by one artist to an award show could support a family for months.  People on welfare can’t get enough money to have electricity in some parts of the country, but hip-hop artists can spend obscene amounts of money on tooth-jewelry.