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The crack flick evolution · by Sach O
Not so fun fact: Director Martin Scorcese had a fairly serious cocaine problem in his early days.
In addition to proving that KRS-ONE was mad creative with the low budget flicks, Rafi’s dope cocaine video post is a good way to gauge how emcees treated yayo throughout the years. White Lines for example strongly criticizes coke on paper, but for anyone listening to in a club, it might as well have been celebrating the substance (reportedly Melle Mel’s original intent before being forced to switch the lyrics up). The early 80’s fascination with cocaine was in full effect and criticizing it was rather unusual. By the time Public Enemy’s Night of the Living Bassheads hit though, the crack epidemic was in full swing and Chuck’s anthems for self-respect and black empowerment demonized cooked cocaine as a tool of the oppressor. The attack on Wall Street types who frequently indulged in drugs and got off scott free was particularly poignant. When BDP dropped Love’s Gonna Get Cha in 1990, the focus had already begun to turn towards the lives and experiences of drug dealers. KRS didn’t sugarcoat the truth: a dope man could feed his mom, keep his sister fly and employ his brother. How the hell was any Reagan administration propaganda going to dissuade him? On the other hand, when the cops came around…
Whereas their forbearers were learning about cocaine at the same time as everyone else, emcees in the 90’s were well versed in crack culture whether they had actual drug dealing experience or were simply aware of what had gone down in their hood. Perspectives were varied. De La Soul’s Say No Go video harshly condemns the drug, a stance De La would maintain throughout the years, with a dope black and white piece that’s unafraid to kick reality. Dr Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg on the other hand used Hollywood’s crime drama Deep Cover as the basis for a drug dealer revenge saga that’s too outlandish to be true. Finally, as Wu-Tang began to dominate the mid 90’s, Raekwon and Ghostface’s ghetto documentary Heaven or Hell showed life on the block in a harsh, realistic light. Rae and Ghost’s pusher characters were neither scum nor heroes: rather two street youth who were never given opportunity and tried to strike it rich the only way they knew how.
With the drug-dealer as an emcee requirement a few years off, one could turn on the Video Music Box or BET and get a variety of opinions and facts from vastly different groups. It’s this multi faceted view of the hood that’s sorely missed today as clone after clone reitterates the merits of drug distribution. Peep game:
De La Soul – Say No Go
Dr Dre ft Snoop Doggy Dogg – Deep Cover
Raekwon ft Ghostface Killah – Heaven or Hell
Comments for "The crack flick evolution"
if no one else will say it, i will.
great selections and write-up.
— Rafi Aug 2, 12:10 AM
Crack week is dope! Everybody’s bringing heat.
— eauhellzgnaw Aug 2, 01:37 AM
i ain’t saying i got it…
lol i’m loving crack week.
— khal Aug 2, 08:10 AM
Crack week is the new crack.
— Epitome Aug 2, 09:25 AM