So, my lil bro is an avid fan of Gucci… Well… I wouldn’t say avid fan, but he does have a rather extensive collection of his mixtapes…So I sat down with the lil heathen as an attempt to understand Gucci’s appeal. ‘Now I ain’t even gon act holier than thou’ © Ye I am familiar with some Gucci songs, and may or may not indulge in bobbing my head along when en route to the club… but Gucci does not grace my itunes library. Does this make me any better than my lil bro? Nahhhh… not really. I’m trying to understand why Gucci is so appealing to my lil bro’s demographic… So here goes nuffin…Moi: Why do you like Gucci Mane?
Bro: Idk...its good ridin music..He has good beats...n sum of da things he say so ridiculous...it’s tite
Moi: So what makes good riding music? A nice beat?
Bro: Yea...pretty much...da rappin has 2 compliment da beat though
Moi: Oh
Bro: Yep
Moi: Like who's rappin doesn't compliment the beat?
Bro: Idk, pretty much niggaz music is ridin music..Jeezy n wayne n stuff..Wiz khalifa n wale n stuff isn’t..Its like vibin music
Moi: Why is the difference between riding music and vibing music?
Bro: Well wiz is kinda ridin music....he has sum hot stuff
Moi: Why can't vibin music be ridin music?
Bro: 2 many questions.. It can dependin on wut kinda mood ur in.. vibin is when ur chillin... laid back... n gucci n stuff is when im hyper or on the way to the club or somethin
Moi: Ohhhh… well you were NOT helpful… but thanks :)
Apparently this whole “riding music” and “vibin music” can’t be summed up in one interview, but I kind of get the point…Now I’ve seen a lot of niggas justify their liking of coon rap by stating “the beat is hot” and I hateeeeee that explanation it’s such a cop out… I like a nicely produced track as much as the next booty shaking skank skeez… but I do not think it’s appropriate to justify the niggadry of coon rap because of how amazing the beat is.
Don’t get me wrong… I occasionally go to the club (even though those that know me know it’s not really my scene) and I LOVEEEE to dance… and I’ll admit that I don’t necessarily wanna “get it” to A Tribe Called Quest’s Scenario.. But there has to be a happy medium… I am the female that will sit down when Every Girl comes on (think I’m lying? I definitely did last weekend at Club Exo in the Lou) and I find that songs like that are the ones blasting out of the speakers on the club scene which is why I’m so put off by it… We need to demand more from artists… (more importantly, the man, the industry, etc.) while I know people look to music as a form of entertainment I truly believe that you can be entertained without being intellectually belitted. Then there are the people that think listening to Gucci makes you more hood or whatev… But I guarantee at least 90% of the people can’t relate to any of the things that Gucci is talking about in his songs (my lil bro being one of them… He is a 20 year old that does not drink or do drugs)… And for those people…What’s his appeal? I’m still clueless… But lets not forget about the people that can relate to Mr. Mane… they are the ones using his music as a crutch that helps validate their lifestyle, which keeps them in the same spot… At the bottom… still dreaming of the lifestyle that Gucci keeps sellin… ‘and the white man gets paid offa all of dat’ © Yeezy. But hey, shoutout to MTV for making Gucci Mane #6 on the hottest MC’s in the game list.. For serious? GARBAGE. We need a change people… But what is the first step in making this change? My opinion (though it means nothing) is that people need to get past their primitive thinking pattern by no longer justifying your support of coon rap because “the beats hot” and admit to yourself that you deserve better.