This topic has been on my mind for quite some time. As an aspiring actress at one time in my life and an avid movie-goer, I find myself engulfed in the movie experience. Sad movies make me cry, horror flicks make me scream, comedies make me hold my stomach laughing, and sci-fi movies make me wonder about life outside of this realm. Actors and actress have the privilege of being able to play any type of character they choose. Good guys like Denzel Washington, Heath Ledger, and John Travolta can portray conniving, malicious, purely evil villains. Veteran actors such as Will Smith and Meryl Streep have run the gamut when it comes to the myriad of roles at their disposal. The separation of thespian and self is quite natural in the acting world, almost seamless. But for some reason, the same doesn’t translate in the music industry, particularly hip hop. When it comes to the music and content, the lyrics must match the artist’s life. Why is this? It’s something that perplexes me to my core and I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand it. But I decided to write this article to challenge the perception we have in the hip hop community about how an artists work must coincide with their lives. This isn’t meant to persuade you one way or another or to alter your outlook on the topic, I’m simply presenting a bone of contention for your humble consideration.

What’s the difference between Vivian Ward and Julia Roberts? Between Jack and Rose and Leonardo and Kate? Is that not the same difference between Drake and Aubrey Graham? Rick Ross and William Leonard Roberts II? 50 Cent and Curtis Jackson? If actors and actresses can play characters who are wholly contrastive to their true identity in every way, why can’t rappers portray a life as an artist that they don’t necessarily live in real life? Tom Cruise has played everything from a suave Navy lieutenant to a blood sucking vampire to a foul-mouthed, hot-headed studio executive. Why can’t 50 Cent talk about the trials and tribulations of selling drugs, the overwhelming joy of the birth of his son, or cheating on his girlfriend whether or not it happened in real life; 50 is just a “persona” right? Ohhhhh, so 50 Cent can only talk about the things that Curtis Jackson has gone through? So Tom Cruise can only portray roles that reflect occurrences in his own life? What’s the differences between the artistries in entertainment?

I’ve tried to grapple with this conflict but I’ve found too many inconsistencies for me to be content with this dichotomy. Drake is the first person that comes to mind when I think of this topic. He’s widely known as one of the most sensitive, “soft” rappers in the game. He speaks unapologetically about failed relationships, heartache, and the one(s) that got away. But if Drake were to inject in his songs lyrics depicting a “gangsta” type lifestyle, he would be all but crucified and his career would transform into a Ja Rule-like state. The same would probably be true of the likes of Flo-rida, Kid Cudi, Common, and B.O.B. But the simple, three-letter question I keep coming back to is WHY? Why can’t Drake, or any of those rappers for that matter, rap about whatever they choose regardless of how they grew up? Should an uncontrollable, more privileged upbringing prevent an artist from exploring infinite themes in their rhymes? Are we limiting them as artist by compartmentalizing them according to their very specific genre? I think so. And what perplexes me about this is the double standard with which we do this. When Usher came out with Confessions back in 2004, the title track created an instant buzz based on what was going on in his real life. He had just ended one of our premier black relationships by breaking up with Chili from TLC and everyone was speculating as to why. So when he eluded to cheating on his girlfriend and impregnating another woman, we naturally assumed he was referring to his own relationship ups and downs with Chili. He then came out stating that that wasn’t the cause of their break-up, he was simply characterizing the real life events of other men in his life. And guess what? WE BOUGHT IT! It didn’t seem to matter that he was singing about a life that he didn’t really live, the songs were hot and most of all, relatable. Burn, for example, epitomized the high school relationship I was just getting out of at the time. It was one of those songs that immediately made you think of that special person it was pertaining to as soon as it came on (which was followed by uncontrollable tears, excessive journal writing, feelings of my world crumbling down around me, etc, etc).  It was completely irrelevant whether or not Usher was singing about what Usher Raymond experienced in his real life or not, the song was hot and germane to just about every man and woman over 15. So why is it ok for Usher’s lyrics to not coincide with his real life? Is it because it’s R&B? Because it was a classic (arguable to some) album?

Another prime example: Rick Ross. He first appeared on the scene in 2006 as a dope dealing don and we ate it up. Looking like Miami’s smoothest criminal straight out of Bad Boys II, we were captivated by his gritty beats and seemingly authentic lyrics. So when in July of 2008 The Smoking Gun produced details linking Ross’ social security number to an eighteen month stint as a correctional officer at the South Florida Reception Center, along with a photograph purporting to be Ross in his uniform, most of his audience and fans questioned his career as a “gangsta rapper.” Ross initially denied that the photograph was of him but after overwhelming evidence of his past came in to the public’s eye, Ross later admitted that he did work as a correctional officer in Florida during the early 1990s. However, not only did we have undeniable evidence of the outrageous contradiction between his lyrics and his lifestyle and let it slide, he became even more of a megastar afterwards! It’s anomalies like this that seriously make me question the validity of the “keeping it real” argument.

Based on conversations with friends, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s all about perception. Musicians are typecast into certain types of music the same way actors and actresses are typecast into certain types of roles. Meek Mill and Pusha T continue to rap about a hardcore lifestyle because that’s what we want to hear from them, the same way that sad love songs is what we want to hear from Adele and Melanie Fiona. We relish the dark roles that Johnny Depp masters and the comedic roles that Jim Carrey dominates time and time again. But for musicians, especially hip hop musicians, it’s all about being “real.” Movies are understood to be an act but music delves into credibility. But is music not an act/art as well? Why is it so important for musicians in the hip hop community to “keep it real?” It doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. There are some artists who have mastered both the masculine, hard-core side and the let-me-tell-you-how-I-feel-about-you-girlllll side of rap. LL Cool J, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne are a few artists that come to mind; they do both and they do them both well. When Usher admitted that he didn’t really go through all of the things he sang so eloquently and heartfelt about in Confessions, it was ok. Why? Because people could relate to it. The same goes for 808s and Heartbreaks, most of us have dealt with the rises and heart wrenching falls of relationships and the devastating despondency of loss and/or death. So whether or not those albums were literal or not, they resonated with us. Customarily, artists find their niche and are faithful to it. As abhorrent as he is to most hip hop fans, Flo-rida knows his lane and stays in it and I, for one, respect him for it. The images that artists’ portray are perceptions of their innermost thoughts, feelings, and emotions. They convey the possibility of literal transcendence into a spiritual world. It’s not just about their childhood, their upbringing, their current relationship status, or how they spend their money. It’s about what those things mean to them and how they affect and connect us as a society. And in order for that to resonate with us, it needs to be authentic (for the most part). But as we all know, there are exceptions to every rule.