"Snitching"

In my essay, I was very interested in how there is a very obvious masculine dominance in hip hop music videos, but after the hip hop lecture, I watched a repeat of a 60 Minutes television programme in which "snitching" was becoming an increasing discourse among black Americans. This new interest in the branch of hip hop initiated a new personal interest of mine to research the ideologies of gangster rap, talked about in the lecture.
The television programme focused on the murder of Busta Rhymz's bodyguard, and how Busta Rhymz did not disclose any information that would have helped to identify the shooter.
This was because the notion of "snitching" in America is taken very seriously, almost like an 'eleventh commandment'.
"Snitching" is the colloquial term used to describe someone who "tells" on someone or discloses information, namely, to the police. It was explicitly expressed on the 60 Minutes episode that helping the police' with regards to such issues, was condemned among black Americans and especially among 'gangsters'.
One man who was interviewed in the show, blamed the publicising of "snitching" on its endorsement in hip hop and gangster rap music videos, causing the refraining of "snitching" on anyone, a commonality among black African American communities such as the Bronx, and more ghetto areas in America.
Busta Rhymz publicly admitted on the show that "snitching" is wrong, and he just wouldn't do it. In his own music videos, Busta raps about "snitching" in a negative way, having potentially fatal consequences for those who do snitch in order to protect themselves.
It seems that "snitching" is fast becoming a pandemic in American culture, causing youth to uphold the ideology in their lives with a solid conviction for it being 'morally wrong'.
The problem seems to be not the "snitching" as an isolated issue, but the fact that it is promoted in hip hop and rapping music videos. Famous artist's do have a responsibility to the public, whether they like it or not, to convey morally right messages. They are, in effect, role models to millions or kids around the world, and the promotion of "snitching" as being wrong, is completely morally wrong.
If there is a murder in a community, and witnesses refuse to comply with the police, then justice cannot be served. In effect the messages conveyed in these types of music videos, are breaking down the law and order systems put in place to protect people in society. The public outcry expressed on the 60 Minutes episode is essential in order for changes to take place. And, as hip hop is fast becoming one of the most popular music genres in contemporary music culture, it is important that the role models that the young adults in society who idolize and respect in hip hop, are aware of the influence they have over the youth.
I think that rap artist know the influence that they hold in society, but use it in a way that is of only beneficial to themselves for the purposes of endorsement opportunities, personal interests and beliefs, and to make a profit.
The 60 Minutes episode clearly expressed how Busta's case was an example of how an artist will express their own ideologies (such as the condemnation of snitching) in their music, without keeping in mind the consequences it may have on the larger, global scale.
What I find the most worrying about the "snitching" ideology, is that its fast rise to popular discourse may extend itself even further than the borders of American hip hop and gangster culture, to places like New Zealand. Already it has been seen that the ideology of "snitching" is beginning to transgress onto our shores, as seen in the news where no one fesses up to witnessing a crime, as seen on Police 10/7.
If the resistance to snitching on someone in order to help the police becomes a 'popular' discourse in New Zealand hip hop music videos, then we too are in danger of loosing our law and order structures.