D.O.A.: Death of the Alpha Male
by DeftMag Staff
October 2, 2009
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Perhaps more than any other form of popular culture, Hip-Hop capitalizes on America’s fascination with the Alpha male. More specifically, Rap music capitalizes on the alpha male’s penchant for braggadocio and posturing. This fascination has so permeated the genre on a mainstream level that there seems to be room for little else in the way of images and messages. One begins to wonder if a rapper who doesn’t adhere to the “super n***a” archetype could ever be a mainstream star.
Contrary to popular belief, rap’s obsession with ego goes beyond the boundaries of gangsta music and cocaine rap. It can be found in every subgenre and is indulged by all rap stars to some degree. Kanye West might not be “gangsta” but he is just as full of himself and materialistic as the artists he is supposedly the antithesis to. The same goes for the seemingly harmless Dance/Club anthems and ringtone raps that have held the genre in vice-grip over the past few years. All are dripping with ego and self glorification on one level or another.
To an extent, that is as it should be. At its core, rapping has always been an ego-driven endeavor. No one can argue that. However, an art form should never be limited to its origins. In order to last throughout the ages, an art form must grow and expand. Not just in a regional sense, but in a substantial and spiritual sense as well.
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