Hip hop identity in a township reality. - Poppunt

stories about the specific lives that they actually live. They offer the listener a
perspective on the typical events that happen in their life, and that is not so
different from what Full Stop does, except of course with the difference that Full
Stop is not a gangster and thus talks about different things, because he lives a
totally different life.
“I think those cats are doing what they / you see their life is gangsterism and
my life is my life / I express my feelings by writing songs / and I think they’re
pretty much doing the same but in the other life in their gangsterism way life /
(…) / so he’s actually expressing what he feels but in his gangster life.”
They use rap music for the same purpose, expressing what they feel, giving an
account of what happens in their lives.
“So what I feel I think he’s just he’s doing the same thing but on a different
level.”
Conversely, he did think that gangsta rap could possibly have a bad and negative
influence on young children, although he did not know of any definite stories that
proved this point of view. He thinks that children believe too readily that what they
see in music videos is a reflection of reality. It would not surprise him if they would
try to imitate what their idols do in their music videos, because their idols get away
with it, since they show off their luxurious life achieved through living a gangster
life. Of course that picture is a distorted one, but when children realise that too
late, it might have a very negative impact on their life.
“Because once you see 50 Cent on TV robbing a bank and you gonna go out
there and wanna be 50 Cent and go rob a bank and you gonna die obviously /
you’re not 50 Cent y’know.”
We asked if it was not a bit too easy from those same rappers to claim that they are
just rapping about their lives, while they apparently do not consider the
consequences that their actions and lyrics can have on the lives of the children who
listen to their songs. Full Stop thinks that you can not only blame the rappers, but
that you should also take a look at the role the media plays in this whole situation.
The media are very eager to write and make shows about the houses and the cars of
the superstars: on television, on the radio, in newspapers and magazines,
everywhere you can read about or look at the possessions of all kinds of superstars.
Children, especially living in disadvantaged situations, will focus on that wealth and