Episode 08: Raps & Hustles (Ft. @Dell25OnSMASH & @KingCashes)

Intelligent Rebel Squadcast

After being a fan of rap music for most of my life, especially during the age of the reign of MCs like D-Block, G-Unit, Dipset, State Property and the like I've noticed how my life in certain cases actually mirrored the music they made. Whether it be selling drugs, taking drugs, my behavior towards women and society I had a song to justify it in the most acceptable way possible. Now, is rap to BLAME for my actions? Partly, but before I can point the fingers at the artists I have to understand that the lot of them come from environments where these things are heavily practiced and it was my CHOICE to do these things. There isn't a song made that can physically FORCE you to do bad shit, BUT I won't ignore the fact that the incentive do it, coming from men and women we idolize makes it easier for someone to do it. When I spoke to the men that are in the streets selling drugs, a word that kept reoccurring was "Motivation". Even though real life situations pushed someone into a life of crime, these people use this music as fuel to keep their hustle going. It's a marriage in a sense. I don't hate the music I came up listening to, I still play them to this day and I'm not totally against making that type of content. I just believe we need a balance in our music. A balance that allows trap music and "conscious" rap to equally share the airspace that plays them while tending to the community problems that are responsible for the negative behavior in the first place. This episode sheds light from the perspective from a person behind the scenes in the rap industry (Dell), a group of young men who are actively trapping in Philly and an artist who is working to expand his music career while still having one foot in the streets (Cashes). The IRS proudly presents Episode 8... Raps & Hustles.