Rap music is often associated with violence, chauvinism, hate speech, debauchery and many other vices. But having a single view on such a diverse genre is an injustice. Rap has as many positives as negatives. Despite the over-exaggerated machismo that’s often displayed by rappers, they are just as human as the rest of us. Once in a while they express heartbreak in their music, some more than others, and in the results can be extremely beautiful and sad at the same time. Here are five distressing raps songs that you ought to listen to.
‘You Never Know’ – Immortal Technique ft. Jean Grae
Immortal Technique is well-known for his political views which he has expressed in songs time and time again. So when he came out with You Never Know, a song which features Jean Grae, it was a bit of a surprise that he had a softer side to him. The song is a beautiful illustration of a pure love (or at least as pure as it can get in this life) which brews between Immortal Technique and a female love interest. The girl proves to be hard-to-get, not because she’s a stuck-up witch but because she has a deeper story to tell. The story ultimately ends with the demise of the girl under sad circumstances leading to Technique becoming very bitter towards love. I won’t reveal the whole narrative, take a listen for yourself.
‘Lost Boyz’ – Renee
I first heard this song when I was in elementary school and had no real grasp on love and adult relationships. I was captivated by the simple, laid back beat, the immediate connection the two characters in the story make and the progression of their story all the way up to Renee’s sad, gun-related demise. It serves as a reminder that life is precious and anyone can go at anytime. It’s another sad song of a love relationship which is never fully-realized due to external factors which are out of the hands of the characters in the narrative.
‘Kim’ – Eminem
Eminem has a long list of songs which can fall under the distressing category for many reasons, but it’s difficult to argue that he has never released a sadder song than Kim. The song plays off of the past relationship woes that Eminem and his ex-wife Kim had. In this particular song he takes us on a journey as he takes his wife on a car trip to kill her and dispose of her body while their infant daughter is watching the events unwittingly. As the song progresses we find out that the events were sparked by infidelity. While the general narrative is fictional the emotions and graphics portrayed in it seem to stem from a deep emotional paid that is rooted in some real life events. It’s an extremely angry record that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster as you see the violent jealousy oozing out of Em and in a split second his nurturing and loving side towards his daughter.
‘One Life’ – The Last Emperor
The Last Emperor has an amazing discography. He’s a very creative rapper who has not gotten as much exposure as his talent demands. His song One Life which was featured on his 2003 album Palace of the Pretender is a sad tale of a man who loses a loved one and that results in his philosophizing about the meaning of life and what happens after death. The second verse tells the story of a man who’s struggling with severe illness and is on the brink of death. He later finds out that he’s got cancer and has three months to live. From the moment you hear the guitar at the beginning of the song you can feel the sadness oozing from the track.
‘Deeper Than Blood’ – Phora
Much of Phora’s discography is filled with sad, emotional songs. Deeper than Blood is by far one of the saddest especially when you watch the video. The song tells the story of a woman who’s a single mother due to her son’s father being incarcerated. She finds another man “not because she’s in love, but coz [she] needed some help.” She communicates to her baby’s father that she no longer wants him in her or her son’s life. Unfortunately the new man is physically and emotionally abusive to her and her son, and it results in the son slitting his wrists. It is a truly distressing tale that is also an indirect commentary on how crime, the prison system, absentee fathers and poverty affected families and the youth.
