Rap, particularly "gangsta rap," is perhaps the most controversial music there has ever been. Stanley Crouch concludes that rap "encourage young people toward illiteracy, brutishness, hatred of women, whorishness and mindless materialism," while Authur Lawrence Cribbs, Jr. claims that gangster rap is a "violation of the dignity of African-American culture and as exploitation by large record companies making a profit from racial stereotyping." David Samuels believes that rap is a "representation of a 'foreign, sexually charged, and criminal underworld.' Rap music offers middle-class white listeners their exotic 'other' in a prepackage, easily consumable form, providing the vicarious thrills of transgression (drugs, guns, and sex) without the risk" (270). Based on my observation, I disagree with David Samuels because I think the middle-class white consumers listen to rap music because they can relate to the message of the rap music.
             Many rappers do rap about drugs, guns, and sex. For example, at the beginning of Tupac Shakur song entitles "Changes" states that "Cop give a damn about a Negro, pull the trigger kill a nigga, he's a hero. Give the crack to the kids who the hell care one less ugly mouth on the welfare. First ship'em dope and let 'em deal the brothers, give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other" (http://lyricspost.com). The song do talk about selling drug to the kids and killing each other, however Tupac Shakur is not encouraging his listener to sell drug or kill anyone. Tupac Shakur is stating the problem what he see is going on in today society. As Tupac go on further in the song, Tupac said that "I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere, unless we share with each other. We gotta start makin' changes, learn to see me as a brother, instead of two distant strangers" ...