Representing, Politics, and the Politics of Representation in Gang Studies

Abstract

In Isaac Julien's 1994 documentary film The Darker Side of Black, rapper cum actor and director Ice Cube justifies preponderance of images of guns in gangsta rap. He reminds viewers that African Americans are made in U.S.A.; that is, they are products of a violent nation that commits atrocities on a global scale. Comparing U.S. bombings of Iraq to a drive-by shooting and United States' 1989 invasion of Panama to a carjacking, pioneering gangsta rapper remarks, We do carjackings, but that's very small when compared to country-jackings, when America goes into Panama and takes out its leader and puts in its own leader.1 Just as United States is now described as a global gangster, male gangster remains an American icon. In American popular culture, male gangsters whether they come from Hell's Kitchen or Compton frequently represent pluck, honor, and selfreinvention. They often symbolize laissez-faire capitalism, vigilante justice, and masculine bravado. At times, they are also looked to as embodiment of American dream and Americanness in and of For example, The Godfather, one of most popular and critically acclaimed gangster narratives of all time, has been described as the classic epic of an American crime family that is really story of America itself. In tradition of Horatio Alger, The Godfathers Vito Corleone overcomes adversity and is rewarded with wealth and power. Because Corleone family adheres to its own code of ethics, rather than to society's laws, Corleones