Living in central London,
you start to get used to the lifestyle it offers. Whether it’s the cockney
rhyming slang always at the end of your tongue, the hoody you wear on your
back, or the rainy weather we, as Londoners, love to hate!
London has a lot to offer.
However, have you stopped to think about the negative connotations that
come with it? Well, allow me the opportunity to suggest otherwise. As opinionated
as I am about the world, and the society that tags along, I strongly believe
with all my heart and soul, that it’s purely the media’s responsibility for
society’s done-sided perception of the world. Three words for you; “Ignorance
is bliss!” Someone sees a 15 year-old in a hoodie with jeans sagging,
holding on for dear life; held together tightly with a belt. Most people would
assume that child is dangerous. How accurate is that statement? Society, let
alone the media, who has forced us to associate these stereotypes for your eyes
to materialize. It’s almost as if a gun’s forced to the head, insisting that
audiences should think a certain way! Why is it this way? I think, in some
ways, music has a lot to do with it. (This is something I’m going to express in
a future article!)
As painful as it might
sound to some people, an individual’s characteristics can be easily mapped out
with the clothes on their back. Is it right to suggest that every individual
who dresses in a hoodie is lethal? The society seems to have such a strong
perception of stereotypes, it’s like they’re satisfied with what the media
tells them. As if they’re happy being injected with a hypodermic needle, and
controlled by the media. Is it fair to suggest and encourage these stereotypes?
I guess, the clothes really do make the man. It’s funny how people believe they
can easily expose one’s personality and characteristics just by the clothes
they wear, then, all the ‘chavs’, hoodies, and working to middle class people
living in council estates should be labeled. Sooner or later, someone’s going
to feel like the odd one out, isolated, and left outside alone in the cold just
because they don’t feel accepted within society.
Automatically, you can tell
which genre of music they listen to. Sometimes, though, this thought process
can be passed off as ignorance, but it’s as true as blue skies. Another set of
words for you; “American influence!” OK, I brag about ignorance being
bliss, but who’s going to listen to me? Saggy pants aren’t the only stereotype
that’s screaming out like yesterday’s news! How do we know that these
stereotypes are in existence and consistent? Well, it’s everywhere you turn,
almost as if you’re in a maze with no exit.
If you think about it,
music has a lot to do with it! Particularly the ‘rap game,’ an epic example of
this has stepped into the spotlight by Ben Drew, better known as Plan B – a
strong candidate to represent the UK hip-hop / rap scene. I have to admit, this
track was screaming out at me to completely demolish its metaphors. ‘Ill
Manors’ conveys a true representation of how we, as a society, see London
today. Plan B’s interoperation of London’s dirty streets is typically accurate
as he cleverly describes the characteristics and individual profiles of
Londoners, who are prioritized and also catagorised in order to further
understand how society’s system of stereotypes work. The more I listen to this
song, the more ‘Ill Manored’ I become, or shall I say, disgusted at the
possible accuracy that this track resembles. It’s over-flowing with
controversial statements that would any simple-minded person cringe at the
portrayals being painted, even if it is bombarded with facts, instead of
fiction.
“Let’s all go on an
urban safari / We might see some illegal migrants / Oi, look there’s
a chav, that means council housed and violent. / He’s got a hoodie on give
him a hug, on second thoughts don’t you don’t wanna get mugged. / Oh shit too
late that was kinda dumb. / Whose idea was that…stupid… /He’s got some
front, ain’t we all be the joker, play the fool. What’s politics, ain’t it all
smoke and mirrors? April fools!”
When you read this chunk of
lyricism, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Besides the witty
metaphors, it is decorated with cleverly put together words, as if it were
chocolate sprinkles sitting in a cup of cappuccino. I’ll tell you what appears
on the surface: the hateful truth. I guess this is where the phrase ‘the
truth hurts’ comes into play.
It’s interesting how the
chorus, or the hook as some might like to call it; validates a diversion with
social class. It further suggests a significant level of differences.
“What you looking at you
little rich boy! / We’re poor round here, run home and lock your door, / don’t
come round here no more, you could get robbed for real (yeah) because my manors
ill.”
…And it goes on…
“Lets go looting, no not
Luton. / The high street’s closer cover your face, / and if we see any rich kids
on the way we’ll make ‘em / wish they stayed inside, here’s a charge for
congestion, / everybody’s gotta pay do what Boris does… rob them blind.”
This track has a lot to say for
itself. It stresses on media’s portrayal of people. How we, as an audience are
used to seeing London. Local shootings, drug rampage, and looting, let alone
other crimes. Maybe it’s easier to remember that London isn’t the only one with
‘Ill Manors.’ Now do you see how ‘Ill Manored’ we have become…? Looks can be
deceiving, not everything is as it seems!
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