We used to be puzzled about why some of the most-talented wordsmiths in rap made a habit of sprinkling their songs with obscenities and the “n word” in instances where doing so did little to enhance their quality and served as a distraction. A few years ago, while driving with a family member who was a key part of the target audience, with J. Cole on the car CD we asked him why Mr. Cole and Eminem and Kanye West persisted in doing so.
“That’s what people expect,” our then-teenager replied.
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