The 1st episode about hip-hop:
There is a difference between hip-hop and rap and this is rap.
Hip-Hop - Fugees, Das EFX, Naughty By Nature, Wu-Tang, Brand Nubian, Aceyalone, Black Eyed Peas, Talib Kweli and Mos Def, Ugly Duckling, Pharcyde, Outkast, Jurassic 5, Sugarhill Gang, Tribe Called Quest
Rap - Eminem, Tupac, E40, Public Enemy, N.W.A.
Of the Hip-hop side, the most extreme might be the Wu-Tang but the overarching feel is a lyrical competition. Many of the others have messages about freedom, equality, enjoying life, or simply rapping about rapping.
And there is much to be said about protecting children. Parents should be offered of lyric content so they can make informed decisions about what their children are exposed to. And exposure is the problem. If you put the idea of suicide or drugs in someone's head, their range of choices in lifestyle increases. The Amazonian Pirahã tribe doesn't even have a concept of suicide. It's just not something they are exposed to. The number of suicides increases when a famous person commits suicide. The most notable account that differed was with Kurt Cobain and economists attribute it to Courtney Love as she spoke out in condemnation of the choice her husband made.
The examples they gave were more like the Eminem or Insane Clown Posse variety. There is no culture. In the show, kids rapping about the intracacies of suicide or running around with assault rifles is reckless.
