The History Of Violence In Hip-Hop: 6 Years Changed Everything

What's The Headline

Last week's death of Takeoff from the Migos marks more than 60 Rap artists who have been lost to gun violence. The latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline examines the history and evolution of violence in Rap music. The conversation, which draws from actual statistics, also looks at why 1987 - 1993 marks a turning point in the musical content and imagery that is very much still driving the consumption of Rap music.
0:00-2:00 intro - More than 60 rappers have died from gun violence
2:01 - 6:10 - AFH’s coverage of Migos and our personal relationships to the music
6:11 - 9:30 - There is a history and evolution of violence in Rap music. This is not preaching, but analysis and commentary from two Hip-Hop Heads
9:31 - 12:30 - Rap music has always possessed the power to influence in many ways
12:31 - 17:30 - Violence is one of the ways that Rap music can influence. Trick-Trick makes the point that music can put a spell on the listener
17:31 - 21:40 - There was a time in recorded Rap music where violence themes were barely existent
21:41 - 25:50 - Boogie Down Productions, Schoolly D, Ice-T, and N.W.A. changed things substantially, especially by 1987
25:51 - 29:30 - Shortly after BDP releases “9MM Goes Bang,” Scott La Rock is killed. It is also their most-streamed song on Spotify
29:31 - 36:30 - N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton began a time when violence in Rap music went from being the exception to the norm. That coincides with the crack epidemic
36:31 - 40:00 - The Geto Boys’ “Mind Of A Lunatic” took violence in Rap music to that other level
40:01 - 45:50 - N.W.A. raises the stakes again with Efil4zaggin and that album goes to #1 on the pop charts
45:50 - 47:59 This trend continues with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, a critically-acclaimed, commercially successful, radio-embraced albums
48:00 - 49:50 In a five-year span Rap music has gone from barely cursing to glorifying violence and misogyny
49:51 - 53:10 - Art imitates life with Snoop Dogg, the death of Philip Woldemariam, and Murder Was The Case
53:11 - 58:30 - The mid-‘90s emergence of Horrorcore and a whole movement built are violence and death
58:31 - 1:01:40 - The movement continues, into Tupac, Drill music, and beyond. People are addressing real violence in the music
1:01:41 - 1:09:00 - Some powerful statistics about murders in America, and the relationship those figures have to what is happening in the lyrics
1:09:01 - 1:16:00 - A history of anti-violence Rap songs involving KRS-One and H.E.A.L., We’re All In The Same Gang, Heather B, Organized Konfusion, Black Star, Gang Starr, Kendrick Lamar, Main Source, and more
1:16:00 - 1:19:00 - Beyond Rap music, there is an increasing prominence of violence in film, television, and video games
1:19:00 - 1:21:00 - Some powerful statistics about the murder rates and gun homicides of Black Americans versus white Americans
1:21:01 - 1:29:00 - What is the role that we, as Heads, and AFH play in this carnage?
1:29:00 - 1:33:00 - What role do record labels and digital streaming platforms play in this?
1:33:01 - 1:36:10 - Is art really imitating life for some Rap artists?
1:36:11 - 1:40:20 - What can society do to be better with our appetite for destruction?
1:40:21 - Song of the weeks from Heather B and Ab-Soul featuring Zacari