Commandment I
Thou must dis Black Women. You are allowed to distinguish between bitches, hoes and "real sisters" only during interviews when asked to clarify your statements. You must talk about beating a woman up at least once on your CD or demo. On at least four (4) but no more than five (5) singles/demos you must talk about having rough and unprotected sex with a woman. You must also refer to your girlfriend or wife as a "bitch" in an endearing way. All music videos must reflect the aforementioned notions. You can talk about doing things to other people's mothers as acts of creative statement. You may also refer endearingly to an unplanned child as a "bastard," "shorty," "lil nigga," or "lil G." By honoring this commandment you vow to never rally behind black females or support a strong family bond. You see her only as an object for sex and to reap the repercussions of your rage. You also believe she is only out to get you.


(Supplement for females)
Thou must dis Black Men. Female rappers are allowed to distinguish between niggas, bustas, scrubs and punk. You must lyrically emasculate them in every way possible. On at least one (1) CD or demo you must destroy his character by either calling him a homosexual or talking about his lack of money. You are allowed to refer to your boyfriend or husband as your "nigga" in an endearing way. All music videos must reflect aforementioned notions. By honoring this Commandment you vow to never identify with the black male's struggle against white supremacy. You vow to never support a strong family bond. You also uphold the tenements that all of his problems are of his own doing. You see him as only an object for sex and money. You believe he is only out to get you.










Commandment II
Thou must kill. You must "lyrically" take the life of at least one other black person in order to secure a hit CD. This law does not promote the physical killing of another person. However, it is not against the law to assassinate another person on record. You must only talk about killing your own kind, however, or other cultures may sue you for inciting racial violence. You must express pleasure in the kill. The kill must be graphic and extensive in detail. The consumer must always be left with the feeling that taking a person's life (lyrically) was justified. Most of the lyrical murders must be done by guns; however creativity allows for poisoning, stabbings, beatings, stompings, and suffocating. You do not distinguish between male or female kills. By keeping this Commandment you vow to never claim acts of genocide publicly even when you are a victim of violent repression yourself. You also agree to "lyrical" acts of black-on-black violence, as well as prolific incidents of brutality.








Commandment III
Thou must covet. Thou must talk about lusting after things that do not belong to you. You must have an unusual craving for things that do not belong to you. Your desire must be so strong that you unwittingly uphold the second commandment. This law does not advocate you physically going after the material possessions of someone in your community. By keeping this commandment you vow to never promote a strong work ethic in your music or to speak against greed, lust and impulsive behavior. In fact, you now believe greed is healthy.








Commandment IV
Thou must have a lot of sex. You must have no fewer than three (3) songs on your CD or demo that promote sexual intercourse with one or a group of individuals. You cannot express a deep sense of love or marriage. Thou shalt not talk about commitment, bonding, and intimacy. You can only talk about sex in its purest and rawest terms. Do not use "make love," or "provide pleasure," or "pro-create." You must never mention a sexually transmitted disease in the context of these records. You can however discuss the use of contraceptives, but only if you're referring to sexual intercourse with a hoe. (See first Commandment). If you are under age 16, you may substitute sex with "flirting," and "fantasies about being intimate with your teacher, neighbor's child, or another rapper." You must be creative in your graphic detail of sexual intercourse so to leave nothing to the imagination. The details can be slightly skewered in order to circumvent radio censors. However, this does not excuse radio edits from removing references to sex. Therefore stay ahead of the game by using clever phrases with dual and triple meanings. By keeping this Commandment, you vow to never promote unconditional or agape love in your community; promote the black family in a positive light; or uplift male/female relationships.








Commandment V
Thou must celebrate the drug culture. Thou must condone and identify with the proliferation of drugs in the black community. You should create endearing lyrical expressions to identify various narcotics and mind-altering substances. Though you are not to personally distribute or purchase illegal substances, you may allude to it lyrically. (To protect industry investment, we discourage musical confessions to crimes where the statue of limitations have not run out.) You may allude to a war on drugs, but only as justification to carry out the second commandment. You must continually suggest that selling drugs or "slangin " produces the only legitimate income for impoverished black people. All music videos must either glamorize this lifestyle by showing the "success" of the narcotic trade, or glamorize prison living. You should refer to drug addicted citizens in comical terms that illicit disgust, laughter, fear, pity or retribution. You are never to question U.S. drug policy. You can never promote healthy living and thinking. Nor can you advocate moderation in tobacco and liquor consumption. By keeping this commandment, you vow to never discuss the impact of drug addiction among people of color or the community's overall health; its impact on the prison industrial complex or its impact on the black family.








Commandment VI
Thou must rarely talk about God and spirituality. You must lyrically condone atheism and a false belief system that negates the existences of a higher being. You must routinely question the existence of a god by lyrically challenging him/her/it to take your life or to grant you three wishes. You are to refer to yourself as a god who gives and takes life. You may lyrically create your own religion (see tenth commandment) based on a ghetto belief system. Thou shalt not talk about life and death as it relates to spirituality or a sense of purpose. You should never speak of scripture or religious texts. You are prohibited from acknowledging any spiritual beliefs that may have been instilled you by family. However, you may identify with a Jesus by wearing a large, diamond encrusted piece whereby you may brag about its costs. Under no circumstance are you to promote prayer, reflection, meditation, atonement, redemption, sacrifice, mercy or grace. The consumer fan base must identify with your lack of spiritual grounding by believing that the only gods are sex and money. By keeping this commandment you vow to limit your personal spiritual growth and development. You also vow to never been seen publicly in a church, synagogue, mosque, temple or other house of worship and reflection.








Commandment VII
Thou must promote capitalism. On no fewer than four (4) singles or demo records you must talk about money as if it were a living, breathing thing. You must talk about making it, taking it and the love of it. Your lyrics must always place money over love, over women, over religion (see sixth commandment). You must never talking about savings and investing. Thou can, however, say the words "currency exchange", "welfare check", "first of the month", and "food stamps". You must never talk about pooling of resources. Thou can never equate capitalism with poverty. You must never mention the IMF, WTO or Federal Reserve. In fact never mention banking or the stock market at all. Do not mention technology. Do not discuss taxing. Do not discuss the federal budget. (See Commandment V). You must promote individual wealth over community wealth. You should talk about all of your purchases, specifically naming makers/distributors of expensive jewelry, cars, clothing and liquor. Once you become a successful entertainer you should purchase a very big house and no fewer than three (3) expensive cars. Publicly, you should live within a lavish lifestyle in order to please your consumer fan base that now lives vicariously through your music. Your lifestyle should include, but not be limited to: living in exclusive communities, catering to huge entourages, routinely eating at expensive restaurants, flying to Europe for fashion shows, purchasing designer clothing only, ordering platinum and diamond encrusted jewelry for your body and teeth, purchasing expensive weapons and devices, frequent partying and purchasing big quantities of expensive liquor and tobacco/cigars. Thou should consistently ridicule those who cannot afford the aforementioned items. By keeping this commandment you vow to always promote a consumer culture vs. a producer culture.








Commandment VIII
Thou cannot have a sense of history. Never ever refer to any historical event that may cause the consumer to think about his/her relation to history. Your role is to entertain, not educate. Thou art prohibited from speaking of the following: Trans-Atlantic slave trade; African holocaust; Reconstruction; the civil rights movement; the Black Power Movement; the "real" Harlem Renaissance, and so forth. You can never mention the following people: Martin Luther King Jr, Hannibal, Mansa Musa, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, David Walker, Nat Turner, George Jackson, El-hajj Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X), Jesse Jackson, Patrice Lumumba, Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, Steve Biko, Louis Farrakhan, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Huey Newton, Fred Hampton, Bobby Seale, Kwame Ture, Ida B. Wells, Assata Shakur....unless you are making fun of their names, causes or crusaders. (i.e., Rah Digga's Harriet Thugman). Do not mention Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean or Asia, unless to disparage. By keeping this commandment you vow to never promote a sense of awareness, a knowledge of self or the consumer's global relationship to kindred spirits.








Commandment IX
Thou must not advocate. Thou art prohibited from advocacy of anything of social redeeming value. Your lyrics must reflect a detachment from the social, political and economic reality of your community. Your lyrics can occasionally ridicule people who march, protest and advocate social causes. The consumer should never assume that thou reads newspapers, magazines or books. In other words it must appear that nothing that happens in the "real" non-entertainment world, has any personal affect on your thinking. Nor should the consumer of your CD or demo walk away with the belief that you care about anything other than the Commandments IV and VII. Never talk about the "industry." By keeping this commandment understand you must never appear at a non-entertainment-related event, unless of course you are entertaining. You must never donate money, resources or materials to needy organizations, families or causes. When questioned about this you must defend your position by claiming you are an entertainer and that's all. You can never participate in interviews discussing relevant social issues. Thou art not responsible for the behavior encouraged by your music because thou art not responsible for marketing and sales to minor, unstable individuals, or mentally ill citizens. You understand that you cannot attend rallies, sermons, marches, and picnics, festivals or workshops that have nothing to do with entertainment or the recording industry.








Commandment X
Thou must promote all things ghetto. You may never define the word ghetto or discuss its creation. You must uphold its principals and create new creeds. You must lyrically create a fictional account of ghetto living that inspires comradeship and a sense of pride among its residents. Your lyrics must create a ghetto dweller that is proud to live in the ghetto and takes offense at others moving into it. You must celebrate ghetto life by reminiscing about days in poverty and your mothers on welfare and about your fathers who were not there. Additionally, your lyrics must offer the mainstream a rare glimpse inside a "socio-economic matrix" while allowing them psychologically off the hook for the ghetto's creation. You must celebrate ghetto language, ghetto living, ghetto housing, ghetto clothing, ghetto hairstyles, ghetto sexual habits, ghetto education, and ghetto economics and ghetto self-hatred. You must romanticize poverty with tales of sex, drugs, money, greed and fear. The ghetto must become a magical place. By keeping this commandment you vow to create and then instill pride in a false culture of poverty, crime, drugs, illegitimacy, ignorance and apathy. You also vow to attribute the ghetto only to Black people. You also vow to never leave the ghetto matrix psychologically, even when your economic status changes (see seventh commandment) In other words you will remember to "keep it real.."








By keeping the aforementioned commandments we, "the industry," guarantee the following:
1. Unlimited marketing success and cross-over appeal.
2. A guaranteed income
3. Fame beyond your wildest dreams
4. Unlimited (but recoupable) industry resources
5. Several music awards, citations and honors
6. Protection from community repercussions
This sacred scroll must be handed to every potential and current Black hip hop artist in the nation. While some sign, many others I am sure others have refused, as there is circumstantial evidence that supports that. Occasionally a break through performer will offer lyrics that make us think, act and believe as if we have purpose and are loved in this life. Yet the majority of our youth must be forced to sign, recite and then internalize these commandments in order to guarantee their market success. I imagine if they do not sign the doctrine, they are relegated to doing poetry readings at open mics, working menial jobs, fading into relative obscurity and living in the "ghetto matrix." This must be the answer, because the truth is surely a lot more painful.

Damn....all these opinionated people on this board & NO comments???

PAPAROBBIE said:

Probably because it's too close to the truth.

As I was reading it I was thinking - Eminem.

There are some rappers who don't follow all those commandments, although the only one I can think of is M.I.A.

AsylumUtopia said:[quote]

PAPAROBBIE said:

MOS DEF!

Ellie said:

I don't really know Mos Def, but having just checked out some of his lyrics - I agree!

Very interesting and sorta scary. I'm curious where this came from. Thank goodness there are rappers who break these commandments.

If you want to promote a Will Smith CD, than why dont you just say so.

I havent got the chance to read but i will later.

I think your list is offensive and bullshit

I'll grant you that a lot of that appears true in today's rap world, but i think your essay is a product of cliche. If you don't like rap you could have just said so instead of writing a book about it here. There's plenty of rap today that doesn't follow those "rules".

CinisterCee said:

I feel its the truth. I whom listen to new hip hop albums can say that most of it is true...and yes it dies garuntee fame..look at Lil John.. Pop dat shit, drinkin and gettin drunk of course, killin tricks and niggas etc. etc.

I like Industrial.

While we all laud Common, Mos Def and the like for being positive rap artists, the fact of the matter is that the rapper who commit these rap "commandments" are the ones who are pushed into the limelight. Look at how Common's most recent cd has plummeted off the the charts so quickly. The industry knows that rap has the ear of the world now and the industry also knows the power of that. Thats why you will NEVER heard a KRS-1 being pushed on radio. The industry only picks the ones that are willing to make a fool of themselves and give us negative images of ourself...i.e.Lil Jeezy, Mike Jones, etc
its NO COINCIDENCE that only the bufoonish hip hop is pushed to the masses....its indirect slavery IMO

And Commons's BE is hot too. If u Orgers dont have it yet, cop it!

I must say I can applaud you for your effort. I agree w/what you say..this seems to fit your top ten/twenty on BET and hot 96.

And cats like Nas(somewhat in this catagory) Mos Def, Common, Rakim or KRS-One don't fit. But look at the commercial success between the aformentioned rappers.

Alot of it has to do w/promotional spins bought by labels, lack of air play on radio stations and video shows.
It's really rather sad that cats who actually speak truth get no play and the same my rims, my hoes, my dollars and I kill other black people rappers get all of the press.

But you forgot a very important aspect:
They must promote the wonderful and glamouous life of incarciration. Graduating from HS or college is for punks but being locked up w/bunch of hot sweaty muscular men having sex w/each other losing their right to vote and all-but ruining there chance to earn an honest living is a niggas true right to passage.
Isn't funny how it's alright to ignore societies laws but against every part "manhood" to ignore jailhouse laws. Talk about an "oxymoron"

Does anyone else think that killing a man living in the same impoverished hood as stupid as slaves killing other slaves for picking 2 pounds more of cotton.
Everyone wants to Nino or Scarface but none want to be Dubois, Turner or Seale.

Your Rap Commandments describe most of the propaganda rappers of there who are promoted heavily on the major outlets of media.

Hotlegs said:

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And those rappers are going to continue to get promoted even by black owned media outlets like Radio One. Common's CD is great but, black radio would not play it. It just did not follow the 10 Commandments for success in the rap world.

CinisterCee said:

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You find the list offensive but you don't find the rappers who doing and saying these things offensive. Classic (LOL)>

I am going to copy this and send it out to all my hip-hop hating friends so we can have a laugh.

laurarichardson said:

You're right Laura unfortunately!

laurarichardson said:

I'm sorry, but to make a list of commandments for a genre suggests that every artist out there is one thing, and that's just incorrect.

Figures that someone who hates hip-hop would love to justify their narrow view with a list like this.

preach!!!!!


church!!!!


let the whole house scream "amen"!!!!!

CinisterCee said:

Obviously if anyone is offended by it, then they are a part of it and condone it.

I love Hip Hop...I grew up on Hip Hop. But rap music has taken a dramatic turn for the worse and those commandments are the result of that. If you listen to the Top Ten Rap songs now, at least 9 out of 10 songs fulfill those commandments. And its not being narrow minded, its being realistic because what you put out there is what people feed off of. And the majority of rap album consumers are white. So if white are hearing 50 Cent "Candy Shop", Ludacris "Pimpin All Over the World" and Lil'Kim "Shut Up Bitch"...what do you expect them to believe? They don't hear Mos Def, Common, De La Soul, and these artists on the radio because these radio stations are being bribed to play crap like this(ie. Sony).

I wouldn't be offended...I would be ashamed that it has gone this far.

CinisterCee said:

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The stuff that is out now is not Hip-Hop. Everyone who is allowed to sell records follows those Commandments and that is offensive to me.

You can't keep holding up the one or two rappers that fall outside of these Commandments and say the Commandments don't apply.

laurarichardson said:

Actually... I see what you're saying now. Evidence: "Pimpin All Over The World" video is on TV right now.

The key I guess is the end of the 10 Commandments that says


We're really talking about the rules of the industry, not rap's rules.

CinisterCee said:

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Exactly, How many times have you heard "Pimping All Over The World on the radio or saw the video. It is not a bad song but they had to wreak it by calling woman whores.

The artist could break the rules that the industry has given them. Instead of using the "N" word try brother or sister. Stop promoting illegal acts, stop degreading woman. Rappers did it before and it can be done again.

Public Enemy sold a shit load of records and they did not follow any of the commandments.

I hear ya! It doesn't HAVE TO be that way, but often is, unfortunately.