Gang Culture Has Always Been Glorified

Ever noticed how American media always seems to blame violence and crime on stuff like rock n roll, heavy metal, video games, and rap music? Like saying rap is ruining black and brown communities? I hate these types of tired arguments, and in this video I break down how the glorification of violence is a widespread issue that affects everyone, not just specific racial or ethnic groups. Sensationalist media and dramatic portrayals shape our views on crime, and often lead to biases in media and revisonism of history, ignoring how actual communities handle these issues and how they're caused and perpetuated.
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#rap #breakingbad #thewire #snowfall #rapper #movies #cinema #movies #movie #film #tv #tvshow #ozymandiasv2 #breadtube #left #masculinity #redpill #political #politics #woke #leftist #liberal #libertarian #political #politics #woke #music #rapmusic #videoessay #essay #entertainment

[@thedamnedatheist]

It has always amused me, as a non American, the way US entertainment handles nudity as opposed to graphic violence.

[@OzymandiasV2]

no boobs but we can show warfare and brutal ancient battles

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

@thedammedatheist Its the same everywhere else.

[@Juniversal]

Great video. If Americans were truly concerned about addressing crime they'd launch a crusade against poverty, wage stagnation, income inequality, the insane cost of living vs. low wages, homelessness ect. But no, lets pretend it's hip-hop at the core of the crisis.

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you! very hypocritical to glorify and sympathize with fictional media characters or concepts but then turn your nose up and not dig deeper for actual cases/cycles of violence

[@Diamandz-or910o]

14 yo when a black person stole a bread : 😔😤😤😤😠😠😠😠 14 yo kids when weather white and the good fellas do organized crime : He's literally me 😮🗿🗿

[@OzymandiasV2]

“the good old days! they had manners!”

[@saber1885]

​​@@OzymandiasV2 they really did have manners in public at least. But that was just a cover for the crimes they do.

[@redline841]

I agree

[@NterpriseCEO]

@@OzymandiasV2 In the good old days, they were sent to Australia. If the right wants to talk about ciminal immigrants, Australias the place

[@Nirm814]

Did you just make a scenario to get mad at?

[@SlippyE]

Gangster rap made me do it 🗣🗣‼️

[@IbnRushd-mv3fp]

Pysop ass phrase

[@monstergelo1072]

do what? homework?

[@otneyat]

snitching myself all the way 🔥🔥

[@MrRobot-jb5tl]

It's very telling that a show like Breaking Bad, which while does "critique" gangs/dealers somewhat gets a lot of attention, but The Wire, a show that heavily critiques the institutions set in place in America which perpetuate the cycle of crime barely is talked about today. It's also probably why it never won many awards because it was showing the true reflection of the country many don't want to talk about and instead blame it on some rudimentary "issue" (blaming hip-hop for worsening racism is wild) Great video

[@spearmintbask]

I love the way u communicate ur ideas at a very conversational, human level, rather than just telling ppl what to think. Americans so desperately need a better understanding of the actual material forces and conditions that shape our lives. Even though the research has been virtually settled for decades, that general trends of crime are caused by unmet needs within an (impoverished) population, so many people remain ignorant to this reality and instead view crime as the simple moral failure of individuals at a mass scale. And our media institutions, intentionally or not, will typically only reinforce this way of thinking. No real, lasting solutions towards the SOCIETAL problem of crime can flourish when the problem is initially approached from an INDIVIDUALIST perspective. At best, this can lead to an unhelpful scapegoating of what are ultimately mere reflections of reality (violent media), and at worst, it can lead to nasty, racist assumptions about the "inherent moral character" of certain populations. Much respect for the efforts u put in to elevate ppl's consciousness✌ (p.s. been watching since the big boss video. to second someone else's comment-i would not at all mind another metal gear video haha)

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you! even with my scripts sometimes i word them how i would say it i think its gotten me far. only downside with metal gear is that its so great and complex so many people have beat me to the punch. Thank you for the comment for support!

[@smallxplosion9546]

2:33 that’s not a gangster, that’s just a businessman. It’s like that one book with Jake and the Neverland Pirates saying ‘a good pirate never takes someone’s property’.

[@seandarbe2521]

Glorifying outlaws goes back to at least the middle ages with bandits and Guerillas in European folklore.😅

[@OzymandiasV2]

i also forgot pirates for this one but i think there wouldve been a bit of contention between historically (North) American and media portrayal. i didnt want to veer too much or have a bunch of summaries of diff groups but ur spot on

[@CatNerfer3000]

@@OzymandiasV2 Those merciless pirates. I wonder what the governmental fleets were up to? Ehh probably nothing substantial.

[@londonmilanlove]

I wrote a book that is called “Blood In The Streets:Thug Cries In Sin” And it is about the systematic conditioning that was pushed onto the black community, especially young black boys.I talk about how it effected us and how we can try to stop the destructive cycle of gang culture.While also holding the community accountable for the part we play in accepting it My book is available on Amazon if anyone is ever interested in reading it❤️

[@konnorhalsey6947]

You had me at “nuke New Jersey”

[@Somethingaweful]

Everyone had a problem with ganster rap and violent video games. However, Scorecesse is a master artist.

[@OzymandiasV2]

still irrational arguments same with satanic panic. same people talking about “gangsta rap” are the same ones who had to hide their Black Sabbath albums

[@jonkbonk7107]

If im to put my two cents in, id say that its evolved into a hustle or get outhustled mentality that got put on the big screens and music. Gangs had somewhat good intentions in that they were formed to combat oppression and give protection to certain sects of the city that saw racist and power hungry cops abusing black communities, and as time progressed, gangs fighting each other and people in the communities conforming to violence cultivated more of the ganster rap scene that evolved into the trap/drill scene. After NWA and other acts popularizing the gangster mentality, it became the new norm, and the violence just escalated as tensions rose and so many splinter sections of gangs rose due to inner conflicts, it spawned new music that glamorized all the bad of the hood into trap and drill. Looking at guys like lil mabu, the dudes a rich suburban kid who raps about the same topics like chief keef who had experinced it first hand did, and artists who cant go one second without talking about the 14th side chick and their "opps" which is most likely taking a shower and not wearing jeans that arent 28x29 are trying to cash into the scene that was spawned out of hardship of abuse. I wouldnt say America always glorified it, but much like rock came into a era where people found the want to rebel against parents and traditional values, its now the same where its a hustle to the top, no matter who needs to go or bridges need to be burned to live that lifestyle

[@LeoMes01]

America got a thing for this gangsta shit they love me

[@OzymandiasV2]

you are NOT in the mob 😭🙏

[@LeoMes01]

@OzymandiasV2 its a 50 cent lyric. Hustlers ambition the original soundtrack to the get rich or die trying movie

[@spearmintbask]

2:49 best line from faneto mentioned

[@OzymandiasV2]

CHIEF KEEF PLEASE SPARE NEW JERSEY 🙏🙏🙏

[@Godloveszaza]

America and generally the world has always glorified or justified violence in general. Is what it is.

[@geovanl]

American men have a deep admiration for ppl who live like worriers

[@OzymandiasV2]

yup! i talk about this in my Masculine Class Consciousness vid too but a secret fantasy of a lot of men is breaking out of monotony by any means necessary esp if its dangerous

[@Nirm814]

Jesus you are insufferable

[@chuchip9633]

5:15 everyone hates Walter White, maybe more recently since Breaking Bad got more popular with memes, but basically most people realize how manipulative and egotistical Walter is

[@OzymandiasV2]

i see more anti Walt posts on social media now but for the past few years there were still a good amount of people shitting on Skylar, saying the ends justified the means for walts family, etc

[@RonWeassly]

@@OzymandiasV2 If people go back and watches season 1 of Breaking Bad again, they’ll realize that Walt never did it for his family. He got into drugs for himself. He refused to get help by his rich friends. Also, Breaking Bad didn’t become popular until Season 5. Netflix was responsible in growing the audience. Third, The Wire is definitely one of the best crime dramas. But its only weakness is that it doesn’t have the cliffhanger appeal that Breaking Bad had. Breaking Bad was a straight up thriller. And those final 4 episodes were crazy. Just wanted to post that. I love The Wire more though.

[@godshnic4278]

what’s the name of the instrumental playing in the background?…

[@PinkTorpedo909]

Also. In my city, back in the 90s, you put your life at risk walking down the street wearing a certain color blue shirt, as I was surrounded in Bloods. I was clearly unaffiliated with any gang as I was into punk and metal and hated the entire gangster rap BS. But, punk and metal didn’t make the streets unsafe to walk the streets. Gangster rap did that!

[@no0412]

'Gangster rap did that!' i respect your experiences, and don't attempt to undermine them in any way. however, solely blaming gangster rap for a complex issue is kinda reductive. what do you think breeds gangster rap? hint: it isn't the natural 'inferiority' of black and brown folks as your typical closet eugenicist would suggest. my point is, you're focusing far too much on ideas rather than material conditions that breed ideas.

[@PinkTorpedo909]

@@no0412 100% agree. Identity politics is poison. Unfortunately it is extremely influential and is used by very manipulative people to usher in their desired reality. And the dialectic progresses…

[@IbnRushd-mv3fp]

@no0412 you're yapping, gangster rap was an intentional mechanism to funnel blks into the prison industrial complex, eventually it became just a general manipulative device through the sonic instrumentation in patters and tones.

[@PinkTorpedo909]

@@IbnRushd-mv3fp while I do agree with you, it was undeniable. You obviously didn’t grow up in Tennessee or Arkansas.

[@no0412]

@@IbnRushd-mv3fp no sane academic/criminologist/sociologist would suggest that gangsta rap is the SOLE/a major cause of poverty and social ills in the black community. there are material conditions that breed a certain type of culture. you're oversimplifying a complex issue to push a flawed viewpoint. there are many factors at play. blaming culture inevitably leads you down the geneticist/eugenicist rabbit hole.

[@no0412]

(iirc) the fact that the 'hip hop has done more damage' comment came as a direct reaction to kendrick lamar's alright (and performance of tracks from TPAB) kinda tells you what you need to know about the biases against rap/hip-hop. it's as if they never bothered understanding the very real grievances aired by kendrick and other hip-hop artists. they're just stereotyped as 'violent thugs' by right-wing liberals. yes, mysoginy/racism/anti-LGBTQ attitudes are somewhat prevalent in rap/hip-hop. however, you never see these same people complain about k-dramas (which many americans consume) promoting toxic masculinity and glorifying abusive relationships. ppl never seem to complain about the ideas propagated more directly by the post-2016, right-wing media climate. it's always 'ideas' that lead to downfall rather than the fact that said ideas are the progeny of real-world conditions.

[@OzymandiasV2]

exactly! focusing on the anti police lyrics of Alright does the song (and TPAB) a massive disservice. I would pay money to watch Ben “rap isnt actual music” Shapiro listen to a kendrick project front to back. Theres issues in that genre and it plays a part in the cycle of violence/self esteem but to say its done the most damage is ridiculous. Notice how he had to add “in the past 10 years”?

[@rodgerthat6287]

First time I’ve seen once upon a time in America mentioned in a video essay, slept on movie

[@OzymandiasV2]

i can imagine why unfortunately

[@JohnnySharkey-ei2zh]

Great video, although I would like to note that groups such as the Irish, Appalachians, Poles, and Italians are still not fully integrated into the American Middle Class. Multiple studies have shown that these groups systemically barred from white collar professions and relegated to blue collar work and generally impoverished communities.

[@aaronaaron2405]

Early at an Ozy vid? Must be my day🎉.

[@OzymandiasV2]

🙏🙏

[@aaronaaron2405]

​@@OzymandiasV2 You didn't mention that over 70% of all rap and hip hop fans are white americans and it doesn't affect their neighborhoods.

[@brandonmuse5532]

Excellent Video!!!!! Thanks so much for this. You gained a subscriber

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you!!! i talk about a variety of subjects and histories so something will strike your fancy!

[@user-iz7kc4ql7g]

"Oxymoron in stores,knock knock kids lock the door"

[@Randomideasofficial]

Great video as always but I am curios on where you get your sources.

[@OzymandiasV2]

which ones specifically for this topic? i try to use visual ones with sources within them for my vids

[@Randomideasofficial]

@@OzymandiasV2 I just rewatched it and to be honest I'm not sure which specific sources I was curious about, I think mostly I'm just curious about the stuff that broadly covers demographics (like saying crime is higher in black and Hispanic areas). If you could just link references page with further links to where you got your info (you don't have to do anything super polished like MLA, just a list of links and what info from the video they link to or something), I think that would be cool. You seem trustworthy, but this is the internet, and with the rise of AI and deepfakes, I am skeptical of images and screenshots. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't read every source you list, but having a doc that lets people see what your sources are/where you got them would be cool in case someone find some statistic outlandish, they could check it.

[@zainmudassir2964]

I think there is a cycle of violence. Life begets art and vice versa

[@OzymandiasV2]

agreed! these pieces of media are based on real conditions that exist independently but they do have the potential to lead people astray/give people the wrong idea

[@quo9138]

6 minutes ago im a true ozymandier

[@OzymandiasV2]

real regimer!

[@4USD]

Another banger Ozy

[@OzymandiasV2]

anotha gangsta rap made em do it classic

[@ShadowTheHedgehog_05]

symptom

[@OzymandiasV2]

🎯

[@Rigky55234]

Im late BUT PEAK SHIT OZY🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@bobofrmbroward5377]

maybe make a video on the rise of internet fraud

[@OzymandiasV2]

only internet fraud i know is Keemstar amirite fellas?

[@bobofrmbroward5377]

@@OzymandiasV2 im talking scammers that do stuff like credit card skimmers things like that

[@Square1nes]

Ngl there isn’t much to talk about cuz scammers have been a thing forever, snake oil salesmen, telemarketers, and fishing emails and spam, etc.

[@bobofrmbroward5377]

@@Square1nes im thinking recent and current scams like ppp scams, credit card skimmers, the consequences, tiktoks the glorify it things like that.

[@ShadowTheHedgehog_05]

​@@bobofrmbroward5377 crypto scammerssss

[@donkeykong1501]

rap made me do bad bad things 😈😈😈😈

[@cadence764]

Crooks like micheal franzese and andrew tate are inspiration to kids now

[@Nirm814]

Bro behind the computer 👴🏻

[@OzymandiasV2]

im hip to the ways of “the trap”

[@Nirm814]

@@OzymandiasV2 I meant 👦🏼

[@1ty04S]

😂​@@Nirm814

[@PinkTorpedo909]

It’s any clan, cult or tribalist ideology. AKA Gangs… Our entire history makes a little more since when you look at it from a gang war perspective. It’s not at all hard to understand why gangs thrive in Socialist countries where competing for resources is reduced to identity politics

[@griff2009]

Algorithm

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you!

[@jayyy1677]

Schoolboy q

[@LWoodGaming]

Eh video.

[@OzymandiasV2]

damn what would you improve or say i could add?

[@EnclaveHater07]

@@OzymandiasV2 Add subway surfers gameplay so I can actually pay attention next time. 0/10 video

[@TroyTheCatFish]

Would love to see you do another video on Metal Gear Solid Edit: it would also be great if you made a video on the Persona games

[@OzymandiasV2]

i was thinking about it but theres already so many vids out there that i agree with/think the same things about esp for MGS2. Persona i could find some way to work it in