Words by Patrick M.

The list of people involved in making a hip-hop record is long, including a crew of producers, DJs, music-industry instrumentalists and ghost-writers. Only one person gets his picture on the album cover however, the MC. Record companies have made the decision to promote hip-hop music around the image of the MC. Lyrical virtuosity is important, but an attractive, marketable “image,” in terms of how the public views the character of the MC is also crucial. The image of this character is what the team behind selling the music tries to control.

Sprite and Miles Thirst were wrong.

In hip-hop, image is everything.

The list of MCs who have incorporated violence into their image is also long and spans the history of the last 20 years of hip-hop. Why? Because violence sells, America is obsessed with it, and willing to pay big dollars to have it brought to them in an entertaining format; (this month’s example: “300″ a terrible, racist movie, whose only saving grace is cool bloody battle scenes has made 161 million dollars.)

The list of people who have become rich and famous while still young is very, very, short. While every American dreams of reaching this holy trinity, few do. Those that are talented or lucky enough to have this happen to them face the scrutiny, expectations, and collective bloodsucking of the rest of the 99.9999 percent of the population. Many, many, young men and women, given a blank cheque and a crew of PR peeps and hangers-on to follow them around start believing that their fortunes are due to their inherent superiority. They buy into their own image.

I see these forces. The image of an invincible gangster, the limitless money, contributing to incidents like this one; Tony Yayo roughing up a 14 year old over a t-shirt. No one should be shocked at a story like this coming from the G-Unit camp; no rap group has ever been as good at manipulating their image as 50 and crew. (His Highness the Hova as the exception.) They are always feuding with someone, kicking someone out of the group, or beating the crap out of someone. This latest salvo from the group falls right into Yayo’s image as the Wee-bay Brice of G-Unit, as does the title of his album, Thoughts of a Predicate Felon.

Before I criticize G-Unit, I must first look to myself as part of the problem. What interests me is the connection between my love of hip-hop, and of the violent image it embraces, and with this guy beating up a kid. I love the dark violent side of hip-hop. Shit, my first post on TSS was about the Grand Theft Auto soundtrack, a game dedicated to driving around and murdering people while listening to rap music. I, too, am in love with violence, and am entertained by it.

But when fantasy becomes reality and vice-versa, victims emerge. And star MCs, that live on this border, under the weight of the image created for them, in a fantasy world of unlimited money and partying, often end up as perpetrators or victims.

So, TSS faithful, what is to be done? How do I balance my own personal like for violence in hip-hop and other forms of entertainment with the damage that this attitude does to our community when it becomes reality? Who is to blame here, the marketing execs? Some bad seed punks who ruin it for everyone else? What do you think about image management and hip-hop? Has it been a positive or negative over the last ten years? And if there is a problem, what is it and how do we solve it?

Loosies

DJ Presto Featuring Sadat X, O.C. and Large Professor -Conquer Mentally (Large Pro RMX)

Cuban Link – He’s Snitchin

Del The Funkee Homosaphien – Cyberpunks

Chauncey Black Ft Young Buck & Rah Digga – Ride Or Die (Prod. By Sha Money XL)

Marco Polo Feat. Masta Ace – Nostalgia

Mase – Extra Ordinary

Torae – Casuality (Produced By Marco Polo)

Loosies