Christian Hip Hop In The Gangster's Paradise
There are many articles and reviews already published on Coolio's famous track, Gangster's Paradise.
The point here is to frame a comparison of the 1995 anthem, Gangster's Paradise with Bizzle's Poppin'.
General Points
Both tracks engage the luxury of the voice. Bizzle and Coolio have a similar tenor of voice that brings to life their lyrics. The colorful wordplay and intricate rhyming schemes magnify their booming baritone vocal range.
The music in each selection has a pulsating drive that is present yet not overbearing. Where Coolio elects to use a snappy snare drum to accent his words, Bizzle involves a similar snare with a jabbing organ chord to fill in otherwise vacant rhythmic spaces.
Both tracks use a quasi-gospel chorus. Places traditionally between the verses, and the semi-choir portions give a sense of levity to the overall track. Further, these chorus points underscore the verses and the lyrics. A difference between the two tracks in this choral portion is Bizzle continues to throughout this section whereas Coolio brings in a different voice altogether. Both strategies complete the same objective, to draw sonic attention to the lyrics.
Cultural Differences With A Tinge Of Similarity
A counterpoint to these tracks may be overlooked at the first listening. Bizzle, a solid Christian rapper, starts his work with profanity. In contrast, Coolio uses no obscene language in his track. At the high point of the 1990s Hip Hop canon, the use of profanity in Coolio's track would not be a surprise. However, the logical and pointed decision to not include profanity positions Gangster's Paradise outside of a socio-economic Hip Hop industrial complex stereotype.
Bizzle starts with profanity in his track Poppin' to frame his disgust with the human condition. Placing the profanity, no matter how minor, as an emblem of socio-linguistic reality places Poppin' in a rare category of Christian Hip Hop artists who use such pointed and purposeful language. Hog Mob artists are known for their use of socio-linguistic hood slang. Such phrases articulate the culture, testimony, and importance of a disciple and biblically sound doctrine expressed through Hip Hop.
A Track 4 D Day
These tracks deserve further attention in social circles. The near commonality of Gangster's Paradise leaves the ear devoid of the elegance and depth of the work. Bizzle is yet to be a household name in Hip Hop circles. Those involved with Christian Hip Hop may be more aware of his work. Yet, the conversation is necessary for these two canons to discuss the similar discourse and trajectory of their work. The similarities are no coincidence and should not be brushed aside as minor points in the larger cosmopolitan, lyrically devoid, and commercially saturated plastic reality of contemporary hip hop.*
*The use of the lowercase is specific, drawing attention to the minimal and subdominant status of modern hip hop.
Alan Lechusza
