Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, and Public Enemy would be good examples of rap that was politically and socially progressive, I’m sure a bit of digging would give a long list
De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Brand Nubian, Digable Planets, The Pharcyde, Digital Underground, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, Freestyle Fellowship, Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, Outkast, Fugees…
Or because many of these rappers came from poor and violent areas, where drug addiction, gang banging, and frivolous spending was what they knew
But why continue to sell destructive concepts to their people once they make it. But yeah it’s a conspiracy level thought.
Because that’s what got them there? I don’t think Tech Nine switching to positivity rap would go so well.
Except that a lot of early and grass-roots rap railed against those things, but that wasn’t what got large scale commercial backing in the long run
Run DMC’s My Addidas says what?
Can you suggest me songs from the early days that does this? I’ve always hated how much rap songs glorify those things.
Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, and Public Enemy would be good examples of rap that was politically and socially progressive, I’m sure a bit of digging would give a long list
De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Brand Nubian, Digable Planets, The Pharcyde, Digital Underground, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, Freestyle Fellowship, Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, Outkast, Fugees…
I’m not that into rap, but I do like jazz, and De La Soul is a very cool mix.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Are you joking? Most of those acts are from the late 1980s or later. That’s not the early days of rap by any standard.
Basically all of Public Enemy’s career