I disagree with your concept of Kanye, pete.
Kanye is doing something that really hasn't been done before in rap. Rap now is dominated by hustlers and thug life, which in it of itself makes the African American community appear to be the dregs of society. Kanye is showing a look at the perspective of "you don't have to be gangster, but you don't have to be a scholar." It's not positioning yourself in the middle, but more of being proud of who you are. Kanye's lyrics don't always sync up, he changes his mind a lot. We all do. He's a very relatable, charismatic guy. He's bringing fans to rap and hip hop, people that never thought they'd even try to like it.
Kanye's beats are original and catchy and his words are words that such a polarized youth could use.
that is a slightly patronizing view of hip hop and the listeners of hip hop. most of the kids who listen to hip hop aren't really "polarized" just as kids who listen to smashin pumpkins don't all kill themselves. kanye west may not be reinforcing the middle class's view of hip hop by playing into the stereotypes, but he's doing just as much (as demonstrated by your post and other posts like it) to reinforce it by telling his listeners: yep, there are thugged out whacked out ni***s out there alright, I've seen them, and BOY AM I GLAD TO BE WITH YOU GUYS. And it's really annoying for the rest of the society to be making condescending comments like oh, look, it's not us discriminating against them, we are just judging a pop culture by taking it out of context.
non-gangsta rap have been around since Rapper's Delight. Gangstar rap is stuff made by kids for the kids (who were mostly in gangs growing up--I mean that's the origin of hip hop from the Bronx), it's kids posturing and kids fantasizing. Kids everywhere do it, but strangely society has made such a big deal out of persecuting these kids in da hood and it's ridiculous. Don't Fred Durst and Linkin Park and Brian Adams and Connor O'Berst posture as well? It's the nature of the youth-oriented pop culture.
You want to know how to make the "African American society" to not appears as the "dregs of the society"? How about middle class white kids don't judge the entire society by the music videos they see on TV? How about visiting that community?
have you heard of talib kweli? mos def? blackalicious? mf doom? aesop rock? even dungeon family? they are all rappers who don't offend your middle class sensibilities, but at the same time still cutting edge, with great lyrics, flow, and tracks.
