I believe that both music and film inspired by "urban atrocities" can be an authentic reflection of tragic events and hardship faced in poverty stricken situations. It is hard for me to believe anyone truly understanding could hear these songs or watch these films and want to take part in these situations.

I work at a pizza place. After a recent Wiz Khalifa concert, I had to serve countless young white males stoned out of their mind wearing flat brim hats and the same Wiz Khalifa t-shirt. It occurred to me this was the manifestation of them finding their identity in a hip-hop culture. Most likely, bored youth from the 'burbs (and many other places) don't do much but smoke weed. Wiz Khalifa doesn't rap about much but smoking weed. It is a comfortable outlet for them to identify with. On the other hand, a much more aggressive, authentic rapper of the moment, Waka Flocka Flame, recently put out an album that may be harder for them to identify with. Flocka has lines like "Shout out to the fuck nigga that tried to rob me at Wal-Mart" or "I fucked my money up, now I can't re-up", rapping about a side of the culture that doesn't always get illuminated in the facade of mainstream rap but is something that may be more authentic to those in "urban" communities actually experiencing the "atrocities".

Life inspires art and art can inspire imitation.