Alicia Keys: "Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other"

Posted about 1 year ago

Artist:

Alicia Keys
Album:

As I Am
Track:
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Wreckless Love

I don't think I've ever heard Alicia Keys say anything that would cause anyone to raise much of an eyebrow before today. During an interview with Blender Magazine, Alicia lets off a few conspiracy theories including the statement "`Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. `Gangsta rap' didn't exist."Another of her theories: That the bicoastal feud between slain rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. was fueled "by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing."This entire thing is SO out of left field I'm not even sure what to say. I was always under the impression that Gangsta Rap was started by people who didn't care for the authorities too much (see the cover of Ice Cube's 'Death Certificate' for reference)."Keys, 27, said she's read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead," according to an interview in the magazine's May issue, on newsstands Tuesday."*"Read The Entire Associated Press Article HERE":http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibsAEZmYrooKgmHaezmgGUKZu-lQD8VVUAHG0*

Comments (14)

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Jonh Ingham says What?? NWA were tools in a government plot?!?! No wonder Easy got invited to the White House.

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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Joxley says That would explain those reports of a guy with an oversized clock around his neck standing on the Grassy Knoll...

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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getafade says Most people who are overly creative are a little insane...

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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Scribes4life says First, I don't know how much trust printed interviews; people are taking what you say and putting them on a page without the nuances of facial expressions, gestures or general mood. Second, she might be crazy, but if she's not she might be making a reference to Gangsta Rap as it currently exists. Think about it... N.W.A. were makin Fuck the Po songs more as a protest to what they saw goin down in Compton. This music wasn't that far off (now I sound crazy) from Public Enemy's shit. This is completely different than every other Rapper, his cousin, and sister's nephew talkin' about how many guns they got, and how they will slaughter your whole family. To say that our favorite gangsta rappers didn't run with that idea would be stupid, but I sincerely believe there's a difference between its inception and where that "genre" of rap stands today. Or maybe I'm just as crazy as Miss Keys.

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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Cody B says "Keys, 27, said she's read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead," Maybe she's about to drop a political opus on par with Sly,Cube,or PE? I really wish I had her cover of Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos to post here for Sunday covers, but alas, we'll have to wait for her Carnegie Hall Show where she redoes There's A Riot Going On is album order, with F...tha Police as the show closing encore, showing the true thematic link betwen Sly and Cube. Can't Wait.

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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indiepixie says While I am with Scribes4life for always taking written interviews with a grain of salt- it could have been editing out of context- she does sound like an extremist... I can see her distain for Gansta Rap's unabashed concentration on shooting and drugs and female degradation. But definitely don't think it was a ploy to get black ppl to kill black ppl. Give humans a bit more respect than that. And about the media.....phew....well I am starting to wonder about the engines behind all of it, esp. in the music industry, and the shady borders..... but STILL she sounds .....quite..... misadvised....and erratic....and um....just largely ignorant

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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Charley Rogulewski says i'm guessing Keys album "As I Am" has sold way less than her previous efforts and this was a little unabashed spice to put her in the media spotlight and get those sales up!

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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Charley Rogulewski says it was just pointed out to me that Keys is Mulato...which makes you think she'd have a more open and sane mind on these types of subjects.

Permalink posted 04/13/2008
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changling says Wow...I'm shocked ! irrespective of my opinion, as I know I am a sceptic, a so called "conspiracy theorist" and all round seeker of the truth, I can't believe that Rogulewski's comment that "Alicia Keys is a Mulatto!!!" As a person of mixed parentage myself, In UK we say mixed raced which isn't grammatically correct either but does not have the connotations of the word used previously. Can someone please tell me if in the US this word is REALLY acceptable to black people in 2008??? Also not wanting to labour the point but what does that statement have to do with the post??? P.S Good post Frost!

Permalink posted 04/14/2008
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MrFrost says I don't hear the word mulatto very often, but I doubt Charley meant anything hurtful when she said it. Some people just don't know what terms to use these days that doesnt offend everyone. I had a good friend who hated the term "mixed race", and preferred that people said "biracial"... (she also hated mulatto).... just trying to make the point that different people react differently to the words.

Permalink posted 04/14/2008
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ebuzzmiller says If she made the comment about the relation between funding the Contras and crack decimating the inner cities in the late 80's, I'd have to agree with her. But this is machine mouth crazy talk. And frankly, I think her comments are a calculated way to make herself appear more credible, at a time when her public appearance (see Grammys etc) is increasingly middle of the road and lame.

Permalink posted 04/15/2008
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drewfonts says Alicia's statement that the bicoastal rap wars were fueled by the media (including producing articles that contained out and out lies in order to play up the Biggie-Pac rivalry) isn't a crazy one at all. Witness the LA Times example here. But saying the government fueled the rap wars to stifle black leadership? It's obvious that Notorious and 2Pac had great influence on the black community, but considerably more suspect to claim that the big bad white US government made any deliberate effort to eliminate them. Quite an "us vs. them" racial statement made by Alicia. I'd like to hear more on her reasoning there before I freak out at one sentence. Guess I'll have to read the article. Aside from Tipper Gore's whole "Parental Advisory" sticker war on explicit content in albums, I can't think of any overt action by the Feds regarding rap music. Am I missing something?

Permalink posted 04/15/2008
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agntdoctorAndrew says WOAH ALICIA. Maybe she needed a little something to spice up her career flow.

Permalink posted 04/15/2008
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NWADOC says ...... I'm actually insulted Alicia Keys is doing this. Pop Market or Neo-Soul Respect honey, you can't have it both. Lauryn Hill would still be around if that was possible.

Permalink posted 04/15/2008