raekwon-criminology

www.dotcomhunter.com Examining the Lyrics to RaeKwon Criminology There are many instances of violence that are portrayed to an almost grandiose manner in rap songs, and the RaeKwon Criminology lyrics are no different. Made up of several segments of lyrics, this rap song takes place almost as if on stage as a discussion between two people. It opens up with a conversation between two individuals in just thi s manner, before it goes into the song itself. In the opening dialog ue, two men are arguing and in the middle of a verbal debate that sou nds as if it is about to turn violent and physical, with the ending l ine being “You wanna go to war?” This makes it very clear what the i ntentions of the men are. They want to be aggressive and violent in the face of the person tha t they believe is holding them back or taking advantage of them. Th ere are names that are said which would help to call attention to th e racial tension that may exist between the two men, which is explor ed in more detail throughout the other segments of the song. In the first stanza of the song, the individual that is talking seems to be building himself up and calling attention to his ability to outmaneu ver those who would try to capture him or stop him from succeeding in wh atever it is that he wants to do. “Then I react, like a convict, and st art killin” is a line that is particularly indicative of the nature of t he individual. They are adopting the mentality of that which they have experienced through their formidable years. The rest of the dialogue continues to illustrate the points of pride f or the speaker which he finds in himself, as he also tries to play off any sense of responsibility or morality that may have otherwise exist ed in the situation had his position been filled by someone else who w as not as “sparkin and bustin” as the narrator is. Because of his abi lities, he considers himself to be successful and hardcore to some deg ree. The next portion of the song is a response. In speaking to the first person, this new speaker is trying to maintain that he has not only more ability than the first speaker, but also that he has more street credibility, which is almost more important. He wants to toast with the first speaker, but he also calls attention to the fact that he h as shot many people and watched them bleed. Nowhere in his discussio n of these events does he seem to be apologetic for what he has done, and indeed he seems to react as if the people who went through this deserved this kind of treatment. Instead of listening to these lyric s and perpetuating this type of violence between individuals who are trying to be more “tough” or “street” than anyone else, as a society individuals need to look at what it is that supports these kinds of t A gift from www.dotcomhunter.comwww.dotcomhunter.com houghts and desires. By understanding what it is that individuals ar e trying to accomplish through this violence, perhaps we can come up with different ways to achieve the same feelings of worthiness and respect. A gift from www.dotcomhunter.com