David Starkey, racism and rap

Article by Wayne Scott 30th August 2011

David Starkey’s comments on Newsnight expose the racist attitude of the British establishment. He implied that black culture is synonymous with violence and criminality. He also attacked rap music for glorifying riots. Starkey’s comments are to be condemned.

It would be foolish to deny that reaction is present in rap music. You only have to look to the rapper DMX who writes notoriously homophobic music.  You will not have to look far to find rampant sexism in rap either.

However, rap music has many positive aspects and is one the few types of music that paints an accurate picture of the life that many impoverished young people face, which is one of the many reasons that young people have come to love the genre.

The Black Panther Party influenced early hip-hop groups heavily. The Black Panthers were a militant black organization during the civil rights era that advocated self-defence against police brutality. However the group went as far as to call for socialist revolution as well as community control of the police. Their influence is shown clearly in the music of Public Enemy, 2pac (pictured above) and KRS-One.

Generations have came to love hip-hop because hip-hop artists are the only ones talking about the poverty and police brutality young people suffer on a daily basis, the same poverty and police brutality that many of the rioters will know about first hand.

Gangsta rap is in many ways reactionary, while rebelling against many of the same things as the more political rap like Public Enemy.

NWA were also rebelling against police brutality in the ghettoes. Gangsta rappers like Biggie Smalls talk about the criminal behaviour that people in the ghettoes can get caught up in.

However this is due to the fact that under capitalism, people often have a choice of criminality or going hungry. This is the same choice that the people we saw looting items such as nappies are faced with.

The ruling class has always hated rap music. When 2pac released his album 2pacalypse Now, the US Vice President called for the album to be banned. This was because the ruling class feared that millions of impoverished black youths might hear the message of this album.

The song Trapped deals with police brutality in the ghettoes. Words Of Wisdom is a vicious attack on the racist establishment. The song also encourages black youth to read the works of Malcolm X. Rap music terrifies the establishment, as they know that if young people hear the message behind it, they may realise that there is no need to have the class society that we live in.

So while racists like David Starkey may believe that it is rap that glorifies riots, rap has simply spoken the truth about the situation that many young black (and white) people face.

If we are to ever move away from poverty, police brutality, slum housing and drug addiction, we have to overthrow this rotten system of capitalism that leads to riots and misery for millions.

The alternative would be a programme of mass job creation as well building decent quality housing for all. This is summed up in the Dead Prez song Police State; “Organize the wealth into a socialist economy. A way of life based off the common need. All my comrades are ready we’re just spreading the seed.”