By and large, Who's enjoying gangster rap music in America? The question is answered in the opening scene of the classic MTV movie Office Space by Mike Judge (creator of "Beavis & Butthead") featuring Jennifer Aniston ("Friends"). The character Michael Bolton is observed rapping (Scarface "No Tears") in his car.
WQ READER: I thought I was the only one, a Buddhist and a rap fan. As a White male and a middle-class professional in the engineering field at a large Silicon Valley giant, I may not look the part, but I love gangsta rap.
I'm not the only one. The violence always seemed cartoonish and bigger than life, in spite of the fact that I drive through Oakland on my daily commute and either a car was backfiring or I once heard gunshots.
Being White means not thinking about race. |
My Buddhist practice is largely confined to the East Bay and the City [San Francisco]. I rarely make it into Marin to sit vipassana. But Buddhism of all the world's religions most conforms to my reservedly skeptical scientific outlook. I'm not sure how I feel about my teenage daughter listening to rap. However, rap does beat her Deadmau5 and Skrillex.
(Does it? See below.)
"Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" at "The Office" (chlcbuns)
In this very violent scene from the comedy "Office Space" Michael Bolton and two of the other main characters beat a stolen FAX machine senseless and unwittingly inspire Family Guy's Stewie and Brian Griffin to exhibit the same level of aggression against a record. It even seems to have affected electronic dance music aficionados Deadmau5 and Gerard Way:
Here are two for your daughter courtesy of Deadmau5 and G3rard, "Professional Griefers," as well as Skrillex "First of the Year (Equinox)," which begs the question: Is EDM the scourge of the 'burbs?
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