I wish I could just watch that and laugh... because it is hysterical and well done. However with my hypersensitivity I can't help but notice the smarmy (yet clever) narrator appears to an educated suburbanite and, alas, the unwitting participants are not. Neo-nazis love this stuff. I welcome any group of people making fun of any other group of people but realize it often comes off looking kind of shitty to some folks. And umm... what's with the graphic to the left?

I just showed this video to my thug life homeboy and he lol'd.

Then we watched the original video on Youtube. Then we watched the video where the second rapper (the aggressor) explains why he physically attacked the opponent.

In spite of negative perceptions, these guys have a command on improvisational vocabulary that most people can't fathom. While anyone who truly knows freestyle will tell you that not EVERY word is off-the-cuff, you cannot succeed with premade quips and you'll be easily exposed.

These guys research their opponents; for material and to make sure that their opponent isn't rehashing old lines. I've seen several examples of a rapper being called out on recycling rhymes - so far as to even cite the date and location. The best battle rappers are students of the art.

/soapbox

If im not wrong, that monkey is from a satire program in the 90's (hence why the monkey is used as a satire pic) from the Pulp Fiction parody. That being the case I also believe that is the monkey representing Jules (Jonh Travolta's part).

As a side note, it is just as racist to assume a picture is racist. Why is it every picture of a black man eating watermelon is consitered racist, did you ever think that he might just like watermelon. Is every monkey dressed in a three piece suit (mind you not gangsta') and holding a gun a parody of Black gangstas'

"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."

-Audre Lorde

I selected this image mostly out of my inability to find something better. I searched for terms like Thug and Gangster using Google Image Search and didn't find any suitable images.

I thought the chimp was kind of cute in a way that beguiled the expression on his face. And anthropomorphizing animals is usually adorable. I thought the suit was like a Mafia suit and the gun just seemed to go with the who gangster theme.

But I see how this could all be taken in a different way that I intended. I don't associate primates with any race, they are genetically similar to all humans. But there is definitely a cultural connection that I was insensitive to and for that I whole heatedly apologize.

Truth is, I don't even like the term Gangsta Life, I just don't know how else to tag the phenomenon. I was going for the whole Gangster Rap, Thug Life idea as a pop culture phenomenon in the vein of musicians from NWA and Vanilla Ice to Ol' Dirty Bastard and Eminem; from movies like New Jack City and Colors; tv shows like The Wire; video games like GTA; and especially the way that the media tries to monopolize on subcultures and, in pathetic and hilarious ways, tries to make them palatable to Suburbia.

I changed the image -- which was connected to the tag "Gangsta Life" and not specifically this link -- but I welcome all to submit an image to the web and link it here for the tag. I will run the images by the Moderators to make the best selection.

I need to fit it into 5 height x 3 width portrait ratio, so just make sure it could be resized and/or cropped in away that it works for this format. No need to do any photo manipulation, I will take care of that.

Same with the name, Gangsta Life. If you have a better tag, please suggest one.

As for the video itself, it's certainly nothing new. Steve Allen did a regular bit reading rock lyrics as poetry. James Lipton did it on the the Conan O'Brian show recently. And there are a ton of bands who sing Rap, even "Hard Core" rap, in a way it was never intended, all in the name of fun. I think the humor comes from the dichotomy exposed when one style is applied to another style of art. At least, that's what's funny to me. I was walking with my wife the other day beatboxing (terribly) while singing Bella Lugosi's Dead by the Godfater's of Goth, Bauhaus. It was hilarious because it made no sense, but somehow seemed to work anyway. ;)

I want to thank everyone here and on the site, who took the time to share their options. Feedback is always welcome.

Note: The image in question is, I believe, a Chimpanzee, which are known to be violent. Apes, which are gentle, would never brandish a weapon.

I have to say you're all a bunch of oversensitive pansies. Its funny, deal with it. Don't get in to this stupid guilt thing. People are funny. White people are funny, Black people are funny, Asians are funny. We're all funny. Until we can laugh at ourselves in good natured humor, without seeing ghostly kkk puppeteers behind every joke, we'll never get rid of racism.