The position of the gun in hip-hop culture is secure for eternity thanks to the bravado image of gangster rappers. The debate of whether gun talk is marketable posturing or a genuine threat to life has long been rendered irrelevant simply because of the many serious and significant incidents. The unfortunate death of rap icons are well known and highly publicized.
But gun-related incidents extend beyond the headlines of murder – industry executives and radio stations have been shot at, concert goers get caught up in violence and artists are arrested for possession. The development of technology has spawned a trend of home made DVDs created by artists for their own promotion, and it is hard to find one without gun footage. The gun is permeating hip-hop culture further and further.
It seems that the gangster image is becoming more like reality. Two Canadians have embarked on a project entitled Enter the Babylon System which will focus on the history of the gun from a hip-hop perspective. Rodrigo Bascunan and Christian Pearce will release their book at the start of 2007.
But gun-related incidents extend beyond the headlines of murder – industry executives and radio stations have been shot at, concert goers get caught up in violence and artists are arrested for possession. The development of technology has spawned a trend of home made DVDs created by artists for their own promotion, and it is hard to find one without gun footage. The gun is permeating hip-hop culture further and further.
It seems that the gangster image is becoming more like reality. Two Canadians have embarked on a project entitled Enter the Babylon System which will focus on the history of the gun from a hip-hop perspective. Rodrigo Bascunan and Christian Pearce will release their book at the start of 2007.
