Violence in the Real
This article appeared last July in the Sunday edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, by the newspaper's expert on hip-hop music, Florentin Schuhmacher. He regards gangsta-rap, and its sub-genre Drill, as a legitimate art-form. He can understand the reservations that law enforcement, parents, and teachers have toward music that glorifies gang-life, describes the rush of killing one's enemies, the pleasure of drugs—as a source of wealth—and demeaning women; but Schumacher also says the police cannot simply censor it. They must distinguish between art and criminal acts, shooings, and robberies.
Schuhmacher expresses his regret that concert venues shut out gangsta-rap, that the police censure YouTube videos when the songs depict violence. The police, Schuhmacher says, worry especially when gangsta-rappers mentions zip-codes in their songs, knowing that this will aggravate the gangs in those postal-zones, and touch off more violence.
Schuhmacher's article just proves again that to be out-of-sight is also out-of-mind. He lives far away in Germany, while the violence happens mostly over here. Faced with the increasing lawlessness in their neighborhoods, and mistrusting the police as much as they do, the Blacks turn to White leaders for their expertise and solutions—and demand more money for young Blacks, in order to keep them turning violent. That approach works until the program-funds runs out; then the cycle of violence starts all over again.
Obviously, the Blacks as well as Schumacher lack the proper perspective for the issue of violence. Baltimore broke its homicide record in 2021; Chicago broke its record just last year; but why talk about just the fatalities? The walking-wounded who hobble into area hospitals number looking for nurses and doctors to take care of them number about fifteen for every homicide that occurs.
If nothing else proves the inaccuracy of Schuhmacher's article, take note of the facts concerning the death of Pop Smoke. Wikipedia reports that five hooded men broke into his home through a second-floor balcony. They found Pop Smoke taking a shower and shot him five times, stealing his jewelry and his diamond-encrusted Rolex watch.
One participant later admitted that they shot him because he started to resist—five times because he resisted? Then they sold the Rolex for $2,000.
White people have watched slasher movies for years. Instead of killing people, they just buy more dogs and cats, install better burglar-alarms, and helicopter their children. I remember the long lines of young people waiting to see the classic slasher movies and wondered, "What are they really like? Future mass-murderers?" Apparently not, but sick imagination and CGI have their limits.
If I had to choose between slasher movies and Rap, it would be tough.