The fat-cat links to the deadly, but lucrative, culture of gangsta rap may now crumble. That could deal a debilitating blow to the entire rap genre, a fate that is widely feared in the world of black music. No matter how successful independent black labels, such as Death Row, become, they often still need the distribution might of the majors. To lose that support would be a tragic legacy of Tupac Shakur’s short life.
Not that the major record labels don’t have something to answer for. In some twisted way, criminal records have become the rap industry’s requisite credentials of authenticity. Rap attracted many talented black youth from mean streets. Some came with rap sheets. The upshot: regional jealousies among young black men in the music business; often exploited young rap artists; beatings and bloodshed–and millions in CD sales.
With the fortunes to be had, gangsta rap attracted privileged young tycoons and major corporations, too. ““Why not?’’ seemed to be their attitude. After all, the music biz has historically tolerated gangsters and other unsavory types and embraced the democratic idea of free expression. Sex, drugs, rock and roll for white rockers. Why not violence from real or faux black gangstas? In any case, the outcry from the black community over gangsta rap’s violent message apparently wasn’t loud enough for the industry to hear. And there was no unanimous objection from the ranks of black execs within the music industry.
Perhaps nothing could have rescued Shakur from his fate. Yet in recent years, the music majors and heavyweight execs squandered opportunities to help clear away gangsta rap’s bloody background. In 1993 music companies should have questioned their roles when Time Warner faced pressure from the nation’s cops over rap artist Ice-T’s ““Cop Killer’’ song. Instead, Time Warner split with Ice-T–but boosted its investment in Interscope. Last year Time Warner grudgingly sold its Interscope stake under fire from conservative Bill Bennett and black activist C. Delores Tucker. Before long, Bronfman’s MCA had paid $200 million to buy half of Interscope. (MCA can reject any of Interscope’s Death Row music that MCA objects to.) As Tupac’s death begins to focus the harshest spotlight yet on gangsta, panicked majors might want out of the rap business entirely. Wrong move. The industry and the rap-hip-hop community must join to improve on the vibrant and viable genre. Do it for Tupac.
