Pop Culture Analysis

As a substantial influence on today’s modern culture, crime is depicted in many forms of media. I chose to discuss a perhaps less widely discussed form of media: music. There are two genres of music that tend to discuss crime specifically, rap and hip hop. Writers and performers of these types of songs typically come from disadvantaged neighborhoods, and grew up with limited resources to develop successful careers and lifestyles. When one thinks of crime in entertainment, the first thoughts that comes to mind are most likely scripted television shows like CSI or Law and Order. The song I chose is called “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The reason I chose this song is because it reflects Coolio’s life growing up in “the hood,” and his struggle with escaping …show more content…
Today’s society is filled with inequality, and the root problem is that disadvantaged kids are unable to get out of their disadvantaged neighborhoods. This is due to a culture of poverty and welfare within the neighborhood, leading to children not being raised with the right values, not respecting authority, and acting in inappropriate ways due to lack of ability to “code switch”. These kids are also taught alienation from conventional culture, and develop their own culture rooted in lack of faith in conventional institutions to provide safety. This leads to rebellion and unsafe neighborhoods. “The heavy concentration of delinquency in certain areas means, therefore, that boys living in these areas are in contact not only with individuals who engage in proscribed activity but also with groups which sanction such behavior and exert pressure upon their members conform to group standards” (Shaw and McKay 1969:174).This culture only reinforces the lack of economic opportunities, and thus starts a positive feedback loop. As a result, young people in these neighborhoods turn to drug trade as it is perceived as easy money. The social disorganization theory and social capital theory complement each other. They are both social theories that focus on the relationship between people in neighborhoods, and both emphasize that those relationships are an important factor of whether …show more content…
It was released in 1994, amidst the peak of street crime and gang violence. Throughout the song, Coolio refers to his regret in choosing the “gangsta life”, because he is unable to get out of this lifestyle to make a better life for himself. Some of the lyrics that represent these feelings include “But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it/ Me be treated like a punk you know that's unheard of/ You better watch how you're talking and where you're walking/ Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk” (Coolio 1995). These lyrics relate directly to the social disorganization theory. Coolio feels as if he is stuck in this negative environment, and seems to be surrounded by men who “didn’t deserve it” (to live), possibly due to the amount of crime they have committed. He obviously refers to living in this dangerous neighborhood where everybody thinks that violence and crime is the answer. Another section of the lyrics includes “Look at the situation they got me facin’/ I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the streets/ So I gotta be down with the hood team” (Coolio 1995). These lyrics provide perhaps an even a better example of the social disorganization theory. Coolio raps about how he cannot live a normal life due to the fact that he was brought up in this negative environment with a criminal culture. He feels that he need to be part of the “hood team” and that he does not have a choice. This is