Mean Street Theater-Gunfire kills another rapper-An awful image for black America-JOHN MCWHORTER

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Friday, May 30, 2003 | JOHN MCWHORTER

[TroutStalker]

There goes another one. Last week 21-year-old Savannah-based rapper Camoflauge was shot to death in front of his toddler son. Only two months before, New York rapper Freaky Tah was killed, at age 27, shot while leaving a party. Last fall pioneer rapper Jam Master Jay was murdered in his Queens, N.Y., studio at 37, leaving behind a wife and children.

[Huck]

Main Entry: syb·a·rite
Pronunciation: 'si-b&-"rIt
Function: noun
Date: circa 1555
1 [from the notorious luxury of the Sybarites] : VOLUPTUARY, SENSUALIST

syb·a·rit·ic /"si-b&-'ri-tik/ adjective

[presidio9]

Ping

[robjna]

Yea but at least rap gets the rapper their 3 Karat diamonds for their ears. Gotta have em

[verity]

RAP IS CRAP -YO ;~)

[AppyPappy]

The more I read about hip-hop culture, the more it resembles the Mafia. The hits, the desire to die on the street, the worship of crime, the desire of outsiders to emulate it.

[AmericanVictory]

"Poetry is a destructive force, Madam."
Wallace Stevens

Wallace didn't see nothin'

He shoulda seen bad poetry as a destructive force.

And to think that they used to tell us of the eagle, and speak of his dazzling wings.

[beaversmom]

It also stuck it to President Bush for invading Iraq

The hip hop generation doesn't like to think about the unnecessary violence of war while they are doing their drive bys--it can be very distracting.

[beaversmom]

The more I read about hip-hop culture, the more it resembles the Mafia...

or the Palestinians

[freedomlover]

Last week 21-year-old Savannah-based rapper Camoflauge was shot to death

Apparently Camoflauge's camo wasn't quite "real" enough.

[tell me]

I spent 4 hours on a train recently with a young black mother who was traveling with her children. I admired her as she struggled to teach her kids patience and manners during a very trying ride. Then I felt sorry for her when she eagerly borrowed my copy of the newspaper with a long article on the history of rappers. She seemed caught in the middle of knowing what's best for her kids and being drawn to the black culture of rappers.

[L.N. Smithee]

Fans object that there is plenty of hip-hop with constructive messages. True, but it's the "thug" brand that sells best. How many hip-hop magazines would there be if the music delivered only positive messages? Camoflauge, despite his searingly profane, violent lyrics, was regularly invited to speak at Savannah high schools. In the hip-hop world, "keeping it real" is everything, and the gutter is considered the "realest."

If Camoflauge's lyrics are any indication, he shared this view of gutter brutality being "the realest." Here's some lyrics from "Let's Ride" on his CD I Represent:

---

C'mon
Let's Ride
C'mon nigga let's ride

[Hook]
Let's ride, let's ride, let's ride, let's ride,
let's ride, let's ride, let's ride, let's ride,
let's ride, let's ride

[Camoflauge]
Gimme tha keys to tha car, I'm ready for war
When we ride on these niggas smoke that a-- like a gar
Hit your block with a Glock, clear the set with a Tech
Like rain you gonna get wet that's a promise not a threat
You think I'm jokin, see if you laughing when tha pistol be smokin
Leave you head split wide open
And you bones get broken
Sh-t you will be floatin out to sea like a bird with wings
When we ride on these niggas we bringing tha pure pain

[Hook]
Let's ride, let's ride, let's ride, let's ride,
let's ride, let's ride, let's ride, let's ride,
let's ride, let's ride

We gonna ride on these b-tch made

[Hook]
Let's ride, let's ride, let's ride, let's ride,
let's ride, let's ride, let's ride, let's ride,
let's ride,

Let's ride niggas for talkin sh-t
Bust in that nigga wig and it startin to split
Hot sh-t gonna touch ya, bullets gonna rush ya
Like Lil' Cease I crush it, yea motherf-cker
And when we ride it me homicide fo sho
And when we ride let em screamin let dem motherf-ckers know
(let em know) Uh-huh that we ain't playin no games

---

Looks like Camoflauge crossed someone who wasn't "playin no games" either.

From the USA Today article about Camoflauge's killing:

---

Many considered the rapper a role model despite his violent, profanity-laced lyrics and brushes with the law. Savannah high schools would invite Camoflauge to host pep rallies. In 2001, he was invited to appear at a Father's Day celebration at Savannah's Daffin Park.

Camoflauge said last year he always knew he would be famous.

"Everyone knew it was going to happen," the rapper said. "I just wanted to be like the boys I saw on the corner — with gold teeth and fancy cars."

---

Well, next Father's Day is going to be great for that kid, won't it? And what say we investigate who the genii are in the Savannah school system who thought this gentleman was a role model, and see what they have to say now?

[randita]

If white people had invented rap, they would be accused of attempting to destroy the hearts and minds of young blacks.

[Camerican]

Am I the only one that really could give a gram of Sh%t about these punks offing each other? Every crip, blood and gangsta rapper (black, hispanic, white or otherwise) that takes a glock round in the head is one less future addition to our already overcrowded prisons. America is a free country. If this is the life they want to lead, so be it. They can take the consequences that go with it.

[Nachoman]

Reading those lyrics just got me all misty-eyed.

[chit*chat]

More like an accurate image of black america. Unfortunately; but they are loathe to learn from past mistakes.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Reading those lyrics just got me all misty-eyed.

Then you'll love the following lyrics that I heard booming from a passing car here in Springfield, MO:

(gun shot)
Man get yo punk a-- down
Come on let's go let's go, shots, we out
F-ck all y'all homeboys, yeah that's what I said

[Kurupt]
All up in the shadows with calico's in the fo'
Dippin' in my lo-lo I'm a mutha f-cking fool
G stands for gangsta first and foremost
Posting with my pistols, holding my pose
MC dipping not giving a f-ck
Kurupt slide, Daz roll I'm shotgun in the ride
Like nigga did you see that motherf-cker over there?
The first motherf-cker with his hood in the air
Round up the homies in the park
12 double-O, afternoon check the homies heart
Sh-t's about to spark, thunderdome popping off
When you checking niggas heart they start dropping off
I'm a gangsta a gangsta, a bitch is a bitch
Change up and switch f-ck around and then snitch
Walk, gangstas just walkin'
Talking that gangsta talk with that gangsta walk
Count the homies off by the tens, and rows of fives
If we all don't get the f-ck in we ride
That's how the gangstas move, I'm a G, I'm a fool
I'm a dip, I'm a trip if you want me to
I'm a ride, I'm a slide, with that gangsta glide
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga

[Chorus]
When you see me in the street best believe I got heat
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga
On the grind living life in the fast lane motherf-cker
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga
Making money and the fame for a mutha f-cking gangsta nigga
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga
When you see me in the street best believe I got heat
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga

[Kurupt]
You thought you had a grip, well we did too
That's why me and the homies decided to come through
Whip out the pistol, snatch off his head real quick
Bitch nigga, where the f-ck did you stash the grip
On some gangsta sh-t 'cause gangstas make the world go 'round
Whip out the fo' pound, dump 'cause he's moving around
I bet he never move again, the next time a motherf-cker say stay down
On the ground, I bet he won't make a sound
This is G land nigga, Thailand nigga
Lulla-bye, high, do or die land nigga
Gangstas like f-ck a bitch, hit the streets, hit a switch
Me and D-a-z like bitch pay me
That's how a gangsta moves, I'm a G, I'm a fool
I'm a dip, I'm a trip if you want me to
I'm a ride, I'm a slide, with that gangsta glide
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga

[Chorus]

[Kurupt]
Have you ever once looked back, looked into the mirror
Saw your self falling flat, like where the f-ck am I at?
I'm sick of this sh-t, I'm a put it all on the line
Before Daz start slapping bitches out they mind
Like bitch you wanna get slapped out your mind?
Bitches I'm a tell ya one more time, see
We can do anything, pull any ho
Do anything we wanna do don't you know
Kurupt and Daz, Daz and Kurupt, lick it up
I'm a aqua-boogie with a bitch walking up and down the strip
Not giving a f-ck bitch, Daz dropping gangsta sh-t
It's nine let's get high, ya ho's need a ten
This is G land nigga, Thailand nigga
Lulla-bye, high, do or die land nigga
Gangstas like f-ck a bitch, hit the streets, snatch a snitch
Me and D-a-z G, bitch pay me
That's how a gangsta moves, I'm a G, I'm a fool
I'm a dip, I'm a trip if you want me to
I'm a ride, I'm a slide, with that gangsta glide
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga

[Chorus]
When you see me in the street best believe I got heat
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga
On the grind living life in the fast lane motherf-cker
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga
See me, it ain't a thang for a mutha f-cking gangsta nigga
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga
When you see me in the street best believe I got heat
I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga, I'm a gangsta nigga

(La la la la la la la la)
[What about you.. what about him?.. (repeated)]

[razorback-bert]

I have to admit that the old dead white guy Robert Frost, never wrote any poetry like that.

[Publius6961]

As long as the street trash sweepers are on the job, what's the problem?

[razorback-bert]

When you see me in the street best believe I got heat

Okay, I do!

Fore warned is fore armed.