Rap Music and the evolution of Post 9/11 lyrics

September 11, 2011 was the day that my favorite rap album, The Blueprint, was released. Clearly, this is the smallest result of the day that affected so many. Thousands of people died, people’s perceptions of national security were changed forever and many troops have been sent overseas in response.  However, in a lot of ways music is the way that people cope after breakups, after loss and after tragedy. After 9/11, there were many rap songs that addressed the event but as the years go on, more lyrics use 9/11 as a punchline. 

The first effect I remember was massive censorship of lyrics with any references to explosions, hijacking and anything that sounded like a reference to the attacks.

"Now I'm in the limelight cause I rhyme tight
Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade" - Notorious B.I.G. (Juicy)

The Notorious B.I.G.’s song Juicy came out 7 years before the attacks, and the artist was shot and killed 4 years before the attacks.  The blow up line is a reference to the first World Trade Center attacks in 1993. The phrase “blow up” as he uses it was slang for “gaining fame/money rapidly”. However, this line was censored following the attacks.

The first references to the attacks I remember were in "Patiently Waiting" by 50 Cent and Eminem

“Shady Records was eighty seconds away from the towers
Some cowards fucked with the wrong building, they meant to hit ours” – Eminem

In the following months and years, many rap videos used American flag motifs with my favorite being Fabolous’s "Can’t Deny It" just because of how comically overdone it is.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Welcome to the Empire State

Home of the World Trade

Birthplace of Michael Jordan" - Jay-Z (Welcome to New York City)

"It's the home of 9-11, the place of the lost towers

We still bangin', we never lost power, tell em

Welcome to New York City, welcome to New York City" - Juelz Santana (Welcome to New York City)

"I put dollars on mine, ask Columbine

When the Twin Towers dropped, I was the first in line

Donating proceeds off every ticket sold

When I was out on the road, that's how you judge Hov, no?

Ain't I supposed to be absorbed in myself?

Every time there's a tragedy, I'm the first one to help

They call me this misogynist, but they don't call me the dude" - Jay-Z (BluePrint 2)

There were lots of lines that blame the government for the attacks or discuss related conspiracy theories

"Why do niggas push pounds and powder?

Why did Bush knock down the towers?" - Jadakiss (Why?)

"Cause nigga, I don't believe that

Like 9/11 came from Iraq" - Lupe Fiasco (SLR Super Lupe Rap)

"Ain’t forgot about the Twin Towers, I blame Bush for them

Obama can’t speak on it ‘cause the government’s shushin’ him" - Game (Heaven's Arms)

However, the further away we get from the attacks the more 9/11 is used just as a punchline.

"This beat is a disaster, 9/11 this" - Childish Gambino (Freaks and Geeks)

"Fireman to her rescue like 9-11" Lil Wayne (On Fire)

"Doing it big, it's going down, 9/11

I'm doing it big, pulling up in a 911" - Rick Ross (Super High)

“Gunfire leave brethren remains like it's 9/11” - Clipse (Chinese New Year)

"See her man face-to-face through the glass

On the phone. 10 years he got, chasin' that cash

Cocaine, he had that game in a smash

Felt like the Towers when the planes went on crash

It wasn't 9-11, but it was 9-1-1

Gave him 9 plus 1, dropped a dime on dun

I told him get his 9 and run

Turned himself in, I had to find that dumb" - Cam'ron (Lord You Know)

Considering my memories from that day, it feels bizarre that 9/11 is being used in a simile to describe how many guys someone has killed or something as frivolous as that. On the other hand part of coping, for better or worse is that the sting of the event goes away. As we go further and further from the event 9/11 becomes like any other national tragedy and will become the target of frivolous punchlines.  Rappers born after the attacks won’t remember or particularly care about the impact of the attacks, and the hijacked planes and buildings falling will just be something they saw on YouTube.