I'm Thug, Are You??

Lil’ Wayne

When I see a celebrity go to prison or get arrested it’s normally a shock or at least somewhat of a surprise, but when it comes to rappers I feel like that’s what they are going for. I hear in tons of rap songs about how they are smoking that greenery, and riding around always being strapped.



It’s almost like that if you haven’t been in prison or in someway a criminal you’re not a real rapper and you “ain’t thug”. Now I see Lil’ Wayne going to prison and think is this just a publicity stunt? I foresee Lil’ Wayne coming out after his “prison” sentence, coming out with a brand new album as soon as he is released that will make this huge deal about how he is so thug and how prison couldn’t handle the Wayne!

Now I do have to admit that if Lil’ Wayne had came from a rich white neighborhood and was raised in a private school that I would probably not think that he was very “hood”. I think that there is a sense that if you don’t commit a crime before you become a rapper or if you weren’t a gangsta and rose in a bad part if town that you can’t be a rapper. I know this doesn’t seem like a huge deal that it’s just part of show biz and all part of the show, but what kind of message does it send it young teens that look up to rappers suck as Lil’ Wayne of Birdman. I still have the view that each and every person makes their own decisions no matter what influences they have, but I do think that it would make the decision a lot easier to make without all the negative influence from the media.

If you have heard any of the new songs off of his new album or kind of new album “No Ceilings” at the beginning or each song you can clearly hear him light up a blunt of that ganja and take a hit while he starts rapping or talking. Now I have nothing against people that smoke marijuana, but it just goes along with the whole image of being gansta and telling the law you don’t have power over me. I don’t follow every law, I know I see the speed limit as more of a guideline than a law, and really just use it as a crutch so I know how fast I need to go to past the slow grandma in front of me, but I don’t do it because I think its cool, I do it because I am always in a hurry and don’t have the patience of a 82 year old woman and you don’t see me saying how thug am I for it. (Listen for him lighting the blunt and then taking a hit at the 10 second mark on the video)


I know that being thug is part of black culture or at least part of hip hop and rap culture, but it still doesn’t send the right message to young teens, but to be honest what in the show biz or the record industry, other than Christian music, does send a good message? I just hope that teens can understand the difference between what is cool for rappers and creating the image they want and what is really cool. As I said before, it is for each and every individual to decide for themselves and if they are anything like me, they will make their own damn mind up whether other people like it or not.