Scarface has had a massive influence on hip-hop, but the way that the movie has wormed its way into the culture is far more complex than a simple, aspirational narrative. Namely, a huge part of the movie’s appeal lies in the final act, wherein Montana, coked-up and paranoid, alienates everyone until he’s ultimately killed. That twisted, deathwish intensity is common in hip-hop, even weirdly desired (or at least and understood as the logical next step when you’re successful). It is as pointed and real as rock’s baffling concept that it’s “better to burn out than to fade away,” authored by Neil Young and quoted by Kurt Cobain in his suicide note.
See, rappers haven’t only kept the movie alive, they’ve vastly improved it and retrofitted various aspects to keep it vital. Nas’ “The World Is Yours” takes its mantra from Tony’s Goodyear blimp epiphany, but the song, which begins with the Queens rapper boasting that he’s “sippin’ Dom P” and watching, not Scarface, but Ghandi(!) is a far more complex vision of ruthless success, tempered by friends’ deaths and a palpable sense of loss…
Are You A Serious Comic Book Reader?
After I start your Feed it seems to be a ton of garbage, is the issue on my side?
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10 Jun 12 at 1:23 pm