Has Hiphop done more to harm the Black community than good?

[BlackMasterJay]

Although im a young black male living in America, i dont have to be black nor american to see the poison within hip hop

Guys like jellybird will consistently defend the negative aspect of black culture (bad SAT's , low GPA etc), and i respect him for that. But i will not, and cannot tolerate the promotion of failure....i just cant

While I do agree with you on the assertion that hip hop allows blacks to be heard (thats why they is censorship), and that soceity shouldnt use hip hop as a scape goat to the problems in BLACK communities (regardless of nationality), it still does not dissmiss the burden on black children who cant possibly see themselves in a positive light, when all they see especially in the media is negativity. One thing ive nticed is that, dudes like jellybird (and other guys that support the failure within the black community )love to take credit for the global impact and influence of hip hop, while simultaneously being blinded from any negative aspects of the genre..

As for N.W.A i doubt their impact was positive, if anything they did the exact opposite. They were nothing more than a bunch of racist, pro-black, lunatics, trying to blame everything on the white man.....kinda like al sharpton (who i dont like). But i do respect them for opening a can of worms that still poisons blacks to this day.

What a lot of pro-black, hip hop fanatics (supporters) promoters etc, may not have realized in their consistency to dismiss the notion that hip hop is one of the main contributors of the negativity in the black community.. is that hip hip ,especially in the "old school" portrayed BLACKS on mass as a meek/defenseless and helpless bunch unable to implement defense mechanisms (on their pursue for happiness-equality) unless "the white man" aka whitey helped them out....

 

[INJERA70]

You know most of them rap cats got degrees, I am of the mindset that your parents should raise you and not music. I know for myself that you don't act out what you hear in music or see on TV. Hip Hop is no worse than what rock and roll was or is to some people, people started to shit on hip hop once it started making money granted a lot of that shit is garbage but news flash a lot of blacks don't even buy that shit. I say stop listening to the radio and check out some Immortal technique then get back at me, Hip hop is not the cause for low SATS stupid parents are they would rather buy new shoes and expensive material things than a damn book for their kids. Parents should take more time out to go to them PTA meetings instead of the club and wait till they are in their late 20s or mid 30s before they have kids.

 

[BlackMasterJay]

What would happen if we promoted more images of Dentists, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs..etc. Logic tells me, we'd have more young boys striving for those same goals. ...and I KNOW that the mainstream media does not promote positivity w/in our culture, but damnit, we have to start with ourselves.

This is what im trying to say. More education, will build a stronger nation......how hard is that to understand??..

If black children listened to the likes of mozart, beethoven etc before even knowing the existence of hip hop, i doubt the influence would be that bad. I dont know the level of subliminal messaging in hip hop or classical music, or how these messages tends to turn classical music listeners into geniuses while hip hop listeners dumb down by a few %, so i wont really comment on that...

And im not saying hip hop is the main problem in dumbening our youth, but to me its a driving force.Irresponsible parenting is also at blame here, but like i said previously, these kids listen to hip hop because most lack a strong family structure and strong parents. Everyone has the right to express themselves as some of these hip hop emcees do but when you have a poor young black male being told by his role models that selling drugs and shooting people is the only way to make ends meet..... what do you think the consequences will be???.

As a youngster I remember imitating guys like beethoven, by playing the piano till my fingers were numb.......i also emulated the likes of diego maradonna and pele and would practice their moves on the playground, which is exactly what our children are doing these days....The only differece is that hip hop emcees are telling them to HATE, steal and Killl......they flash their success and their expensive cars in the face of young black males but none of that shit is realistic to the average black child.....maybe they should start talking about the significance of education, and how nothing in life comes from stealing, killing or drug dealing

Let the kids know that unlike the "rags to riches" depictions of life that hip hop tends to portray, life is not about rags to riiches, but about investments and working towards a goal with an educated mind set.

later

 

[drow]

What would happen if we promoted more images of Dentists, Lawyers, Entrepreneurs..etc. Logic tells me, we'd have more young boys striving for those same goals. ...and I KNOW that the mainstream media does not promote positivity w/in our culture, but damnit, we have to start with ourselves.

This is what im trying to say. More education, will build a stronger nation......how hard is that to understand??..

If black children listened to the likes of mozart, beethoven etc before even knowing the existence of hip hop, i doubt the influence would be that bad. I dont know the level of subliminal messaging in hip hop or classical music, or how these messages tends to turn classical music listeners into geniuses while hip hop listeners dumb down by a few %, so i wont really comment on that...

And im not saying hip hop is the main problem in dumbening our youth, but to me its a driving force.Irresponsible parenting is also at blame here, but like i said previously, these kids listen to hip hop because most lack a strong family structure and strong parents. Everyone has the right to express themselves as some of these hip hop emcees do but when you have a poor young black male being told by his role models that selling drugs and shooting people is the only way to make ends meet..... what do you think the consequences will be???.

As a youngster I remember imitating guys like beethoven, by playing the piano till my fingers were numb.......i also emulated the likes of diego maradonna and pele and would practice their moves on the playground, which is exactly what our children are doing these days....The only differece is that hip hop emcees are telling them to HATE, steal and Killl......they flash their success and their expensive cars in the face of young black males but none of that shit is realistic to the average black child.....maybe they should start talking about the significance of education, and how nothing in life comes from stealing, killing or drug dealing

Let the kids know that unlike the "rags to riches" depictions of life that hip hop tends to portray, life is not about rags to riiches, but about investments and working towards a goal with an educated mind set.

later

I have to say that this man speaks the truth! Do you think for a second that most rappers or anyone in the entertainment industry period actually give two s**** about the black community? They are all about "gettin' theirs" at your expense.

It wouldn't BE much of an issue however were it not for proper parenting and education.

 

[Loki]

I have to say that this man speaks the truth! Do you think for a second that most rappers or anyone in the entertainment industry period actually give two s**** about the black community? They are all about "gettin' theirs" at your expense.

It wouldn't BE much of an issue however were it not for proper parenting and education.[/quote]

As an older person (turning 40 this year), I must say it warms my heart to see so many intelligent, articulate, and positive brothers commenting on both sides of this issue. The dialogue has been thought provoking, and for the most part civil and constructive even where there has been disagreement. Here is hoping that all of you are doing what you can to have a positive impact on the youth where you live so that such wisdom and caring can be passed on!

 

[Tony Soprano]

In my opinion, you make some valid points (regardless of citizenship). Music has always been a mirror to society both for the good and the bad. Bottom line, the old rule applies - garbage in.. garbage out. Surrounding yourself with positive, uplifting influences in every aspect of your life is always a good idea. What is cutting edge art and what is detrimental crap is very much a subjective decision, this discussion reminds me of the whole "piss christ" controversy years back.

Its not about citizenship as much as its about culture.

Hip-hop didnt evolve to give a voice to all black people. It developed to give a voice to those who were not listened to. Black or white...if your from a middle-class, nuclear family, then hip-hop doesnt really speak for you. And there are some "struggling folks" who dont get hip-hop, either. But it did for me, and millions of other kids who wanted to learn about the world we live in...the good as well as the bad.

I remember my mother telling me that she hated cops, didnt trust them, and warned me not to trust them either. I didnt understand what she was saying and kinda took it with a grain of salt.

Then in the late 80's, a rap group talked about how america has turned a blind eye to the plight of blacks who are the victims of police brutality and an inequitable social programs. They talked about fighting fire with fire because they couldnt get justice from such a racist judicial system.

(The things they rapped about were the most shocking things I had ever heard and couldnt believe that they were allowed to make records saying the things they said.)

They were branded menaces and part of the problem. Even after all the things they talked about was proven true...with the Rodney King verdict and the Latasha Harlins trial. Every horrible thing that they said took place that people dismissed as exaggeration turned out to be real!

That group was N.W.A...probably the most controversial rap group in history!

So if hip-hop doesnt represent you or you dont understand it, fine. But dont dismiss it as "garbage in-garbage out" because it doesnt speak for you.

I agree with what you said. However you would be remiss if you failed to mention Public Enemy also being the subversive, rebelious and controversial hip-hop act of that era.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Hip hop hasn't done much good or harm.

The problems in the black community that exist today, existed long before hip-hop was even an idea. Some issues are improving (fewer teenage mothers though that number is starting to increase) while other problems are becoming worse (the disparity between black men and black women in college....pick of the litter at an HBCU)...of course that's a problem with men in all ethnic groups.

The only change has been in the overall message of hip-hop. Artists used to actually rap about the problems and how they could be solved. Now rappers are too afraid to speak the truth....they'll gladly take their millions in exchange for silence and decay in the black community.

The Uncle Tom that exists in slave lore has been replaced by a muscled up, candy-paint on the car driving rapper. Certainly he appears more menacing than Uncle Tom but Massa isn't worried because all the rapping Tom wants to do is sing about money and the size of his endowment.

 

[TheChosenOne]

We'll call them....RAPPING TOM'S

 

[jellybird]

Although im a young black male living in America, i dont have to be black nor american to see the poison within hip hop

Guys like jellybird will consistently defend the negative aspect of black culture (bad SAT's , low GPA etc), and i respect him for that. But i will not, and cannot tolerate the promotion of failure....i just cant

While I do agree with you on the assertion that hip hop allows blacks to be heard (thats why they is censorship), and that soceity shouldnt use hip hop as a scape goat to the problems in BLACK communities (regardless of nationality), it still does not dissmiss the burden on black children who cant possibly see themselves in a positive light, when all they see especially in the media is negativity. One thing ive nticed is that, dudes like jellybird (and other guys that support the failure within the black community )love to take credit for the global impact and influence of hip hop, while simultaneously being blinded from any negative aspects of the genre..

As for N.W.A i doubt their impact was positive, if anything they did the exact opposite. They were nothing more than a bunch of racist, pro-black, lunatics, trying to blame everything on the white man.....kinda like al sharpton (who i dont like). But i do respect them for opening a can of worms that still poisons blacks to this day.

What a lot of pro-black, hip hop fanatics (supporters) promoters etc, may not have realized in their consistency to dismiss the notion that hip hop is one of the main contributors of the negativity in the black community.. is that hip hip ,especially in the "old school" portrayed BLACKS on mass as a meek/defenseless and helpless bunch unable to implement defense mechanisms (on their pursue for happiness-equality) unless "the white man" aka whitey helped them out....

You have no idea what your talking about, so Im not even gonna counter your post.

It amazes me how people are always looking for ONE particular thing to pin a problem on. At one time it was the music, then it was tv, then it was the internet, and now its back to music.

Whites people actually buy more rap music than blacks, so why isnt it "destroying the white community" like its doing to the blacks?

Because the problem isnt the music. Its an ass-backward social system the helps the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the smart get smarter and the uneducated stay uneducated.

Lets face facts...people are greedy, selfish, and like to point fingers. I will give you an example. We all know that the u.s. educational system sucks because its mismanaged, racially biased, and grossly underfunded. But if you look at some of the old post and threads on this board, no one is talking about becoming a teacher and supporting a candidate or party because of their educational platform. (And we all agree that improving education would have the greatest positive impact on black people.) No, people are b*tching about maybe having to pay higher taxes (your dog "W" is the one who ran up the f*cking $9 trillion bill!), Obama's middle name, and how well a mofo can read a teleprompter.

People support candidates and parties that might insittute educational vouchers - never mind that vouchers would be available to less than one third of the kids, promote discrimination, and havent been proven to work - because they hope that maybe they can get one for their child and possibly send their kid to a private school and have the government pick up part of the tab...and dont give a f*ck about anyone else or their kids because "hey, my kid is my main concern."

So before you look down your nose and blame rap music, blame some of the big sh*t thats wrong and lets fix that first and then see what type of impact the music has.

 

[Loki]

Although im a young black male living in America, i dont have to be black nor american to see the poison within hip hop


quote]


Because the problem isnt the music. Its an ass-backward social system the helps the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the smart get smarter and the uneducated stay uneducated.

I believe what you take into your brain can have a strong affect both positive and negative, however overall you are 100% right about the social constructs in this country.

Lets face facts...people are greedy, selfish, and like to point fingers.

Again, 100% correct on average.

I will give you an example. We all know that the u.s. educational system sucks because its mismanaged, racially biased, and grossly underfunded. But if you look at some of the old post and threads on this board, no one is talking about becoming a teacher and supporting a candidate or party because of their educational platform.

For the most part you are right here, however you and I have had in depth discussions about education and how to best make a change for the better.

(And we all agree that improving education would have the greatest positive impact on black people.) No, people are b*tching about maybe having to pay higher taxes (your dog "W" is the one who ran up the f*cking $9 trillion bill!), Obama's middle name, and how well a mofo can read a teleprompter.

Now Jelly, "W" certainly did not run up all of that debt during his two administrations, and he certainly did not do it by himself, it was bi-partisan mismangement and incompetence.

People support candidates and parties that might insittute educational vouchers - never mind that vouchers would be available to less than one third of the kids, promote discrimination, and havent been proven to work - because they hope that maybe they can get one for their child and possibly send their kid to a private school and have the government pick up part of the tab...and dont give a f*ck about anyone else or their kids because "hey, my kid is my main concern."

Asking the government to fix the educational system when they are the ones who screwed it up in the first place is counter-productive. Governments try in vain to be "fair" to all and it leads to the poor and middle class getting screwed while the rich take it into their own hands to provide for their kids education, i.e. private schools. In my opinion if you are relying on the government or an employer to improve your life in any capacity, you are kidding yourself and are just flat out not a student of history, past or present. What we need is for more responsible, educated, successful, wealthy, individuals to give back and create better opportunities for others. Case in point, David Robinson created a charter school when he retired from the NBA, that school has taken at risk kids and has done wonders in turning around that community. Yes I know not everyone has his resources, but as flawed as this country is, there are still abundant opportunities to create wealth and use it for the greater good, I know I am doing the same where I live through creating educational programs and scholarships for at risk kids.


So before you look down your nose and blame rap music, blame some of the big sh*t thats wrong and lets fix that first and then see what type of impact the music has.

That is just it Jelly, WE have to fix it, not the government, the future is in our hands.

 

[jellybird]

Loki, despite our obvious differences in political ideas, you and I tend to agree. However, you cant gloss over the fact that "W" and his boys are the ones who ran up the deficit. (He's gotta take the bad with the good. Wait, there was no "good" during his time.)

Of his 8 years, republicans controlled congress 6 of those years and "W" was the one who bulldogged this country into going to war. Granted the democrats should have stood and and voted no, but its pretty hard when "W" has everyone from powell to rice lying to the country about wmd's. Perhaps if he had presented to facts truthfully, we wouldnt be in the mess we're in now.

And I applaud d. robinson for his efforts and those who make positive contributions to this country, but there are over 76 million kids in grades k-12. Like it or not, to properly educate the masses its gonna take a total overhaul of the educational systyem by our government, not just citizens at the grass roots level.

 

[Intriguedone]

As an older person (turning 40 this year), I must say it warms my heart to see so many intelligent, articulate, and positive brothers commenting on both sides of this issue. The dialogue has been thought provoking, and for the most part civil and constructive even where there has been disagreement. Here is hoping that all of you are doing what you can to have a positive impact on the youth where you live so that such wisdom and caring can be passed on!

8) That's much appreciated older-bro...and I agree with you. I hope this remains constructive despite opposing philosophies. There's too much intelligence on here for this dialogue to go to waste.

 

[kenny_g]

I guess some people never heard of Sidney Poitier, Luther Vandross, Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, Black Enterprises, James Brown, Kanye West, Common, Talib Kweli, TVONE, BET, BARAC OBAMA, Chris Gardner, ect.

 

[BlackMasterJay]

It amazes me how people are always looking for ONE particular thing to pin a problem on. At one time it was the music, then it was tv, then it was the internet, and now its back to music.

Youre right jellybrain….I am just looking at one particular thing to pin the problem on. The notion that hip hop is stupefying the black community (and society as a whole) is in fact a mere particular thing. Of course the black HS drop out rate is not high ,and the fact that hip hop rappers brag about being high school drop outs is a mere fantasy. The fact that black males make up a larger percentage in prisons than they do in college is a mere fantasy. And ofcourse, rappers hardly ever talk about being thugs, drug dealers, or "busting a cap" up someones you know what…….haha…. Youre right my friend……we are looking for ONE particular thing

Whites people actually buy more rap music than blacks, so why isnt it "destroying the white community" like its doing to the blacks?

Youre right there as well….Hip hop has no impact on white communities what so ever…... Obviously white kids hardly ever act "stupid" by imitating their rap stars, by destroying the English language, by calling their women "btches"and so forth. Luckily for them though, they don’t have access to guns and drugs as much as black kids do. Nor does the white community foster the “hip hop” culture (as the black community does)

Because the problem isnt the music..

Of course its not, my young friend…..but let me school you a "little bit" on music and its influence on young virgin minds. Musicians(emcees/rappers) are the ambassadors of this influence. If you asked 2000 kids right now to name their favourite heroes, im certain that musicians would make the top of the list..and although many adults such as me and you (I hope)don’t consider the front man of a hip hop group as being a hero ,,, to so many kids ,particularly black kids out there, 50 cent aka Curtis Jackson is exactly that…. Being the main-man of the group "G-Unit" (Gangsta Unit), 50 cent has had an impact on illions of children, selling over 10 million records nationally, and over 2 million in nearly every country around the globe. With such talent and success comes great pride but also responsibility. Mr Jackson should understand this and should, for the sake of the black community, promote colleget ediucation and set an example for many black teens going through academic difficulty...

Basically what im trying to say is that we cant entirely blame hip hop for our woes. However, being an activist of early child hood education, I think hip hop is doing more harm than good to our children. Aside from the alarming rate of 52% (40% in Canada) high-school drop-out in the black community and the obvious absence of young Black males from colleges (about 85% female enrollment on average at Historically black colleges and universities)national statistics specify that approximately 79% of Black children are born out of wedlock, thereby being the product and evidence of the beloved "hip hop" community.

So while i may not know what im talking about, and Im not African American, and there for should not remark on the assertion that rappers are the main contributors of the cancer that is spreading through the black community at an alarming rate. However, I can affirm as a fellow Black individual, living in America and having observed similar events in almost every single black community around the globe, that hip hop is guilty with no chance of parole for being a major participant in the rapid breakdown and corruption of the moral order among our youths and therefore,,,among our BLACK communities…

later

 

[BlackMasterJay]

Some of you defenders of hip hop fail to acknowledge the similarities it has with "black face", an old racist show that portrayed blacks as being stupid, uneducated ,over sexed and dismantling the English language.,,,,rings a bell??..hahaha…

Hip Hop is the blackface in todays society,

We don’t want history to repeat itself. But trust me, it is repeating itself as we speak. Back in 1986 when black face and the jim crow was a TOP SELLER in Great Briton , whites didn’t want to see blacks being their equal, they didn’t want to see blacks being productive members of society capable of acting civilized. That’s not what white people wanted, they wanted to see us play the banjo,, and act like clowns for their entertainment. And that’s exactly what black face delivered,,,,and that’s exactly what hip hop does

Videos of most hip hop artist have one thing in common: The disrespecting and dehumanization of black women, the ignorance of black men with metal plated teeth talking about "everyday im hustling". Black face had a big white mouth and you know what else??.. white people (and people in general)had as much respect for that character as they do to the silver teeth having idiots

The notion that killing and drug dealing is the only way to make it up the social ladder if youre black,is another principal advocated by hip hop culture. This principle explains why there is a permanent admiration for thugs and "the thug life" within hip hop;;;; it is why there is a murderers grit and jailhouse tattoos gazing back at you from almost any hip hop CD cover you picked up in the last few years. But what hip hop will never tell uss,,,a secret that it will probably take to its grave is that this urban life style is a costume,,,,a blackfaced mask to shake the reality that its killing us from within……..2 rappers are getting richer at the vast expense of countless black children dying everyday in the streets,,,,thats the story of hip hop

later

 

[jellybird]

Youre right there as well….Hip hop has no impact on white communities what so ever…... Obviously white kids hardly ever act "stupid" by imitating their rap stars, by destroying the English language, by calling their women "btches"and so forth. Luckily for them though, they don’t have access to guns and drugs as much as black kids do

BMJ, as much as I try not to dismiss what you say as just ramblings, it doesnt take long for you to say something completely inaccurate, destroying the validity and intellectual value of your entire post.

In the u.s., white people actually commit more drug crimes than blacks and gun ownership is higher among white households than among black ones.

Which is why I have said before about your posts...you have no idea what the hell you are talking about.

 

[Loki]

I guess some people never heard of Sidney Poitier, Luther Vandross, Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, Black Enterprises, James Brown, Kanye West, Common, Talib Kweli, TVONE, BET, BARAC OBAMA, Chris Gardner, ect.

Not sure what your point here is Kenny, of course we have heard of those you listed, and hopefully many are aware of their positive contributions to help those that are less fortunate. The point being made above is that much much more can be done and to inspire others to be the ones to do it.

 

[Loki]

It amazes me how people are always looking for ONE particular thing to pin a problem on. At one time it was the music, then it was tv, then it was the internet, and now its back to music.

Youre right jellybrain….I am just looking at one particular thing to pin the problem on. The notion that hip hop is stupefying the black community (and society as a whole) is in fact a mere particular thing. Of course the black HS drop out rate is not high ,and the fact that hip hop rappers brag about being high school drop outs is a mere fantasy. The fact that black males make up a larger percentage in prisons than they do in college is a mere fantasy. And ofcourse, rappers hardly ever talk about being thugs, drug dealers, or "busting a cap" up someones you know what…….haha…. Youre right my friend……we are looking for ONE particular thing

Whites people actually buy more rap music than blacks, so why isnt it "destroying the white community" like its doing to the blacks?

Youre right there as well….Hip hop has no impact on white communities what so ever…... Obviously white kids hardly ever act "stupid" by imitating their rap stars, by destroying the English language, by calling their women "btches"and so forth. Luckily for them though, they don’t have access to guns and drugs as much as black kids do. Nor does the white community foster the “hip hop” culture (as the black community does)

Because the problem isnt the music..

Of course its not, my young friend…..but let me school you a "little bit" on music and its influence on young virgin minds. Musicians(emcees/rappers) are the ambassadors of this influence. If you asked 2000 kids right now to name their favourite heroes, im certain that musicians would make the top of the list..and although many adults such as me and you (I hope)don’t consider the front man of a hip hop group as being a hero ,,, to so many kids ,particularly black kids out there, 50 cent aka Curtis Jackson is exactly that…. Being the main-man of the group "G-Unit" (Gangsta Unit), 50 cent has had an impact on illions of children, selling over 10 million records nationally, and over 2 million in nearly every country around the globe. With such talent and success comes great pride but also responsibility. Mr Jackson should understand this and should, for the sake of the black community, promote colleget ediucation and set an example for many black teens going through academic difficulty...

Basically what im trying to say is that we cant entirely blame hip hop for our woes. However, being an activist of early child hood education, I think hip hop is doing more harm than good to our children. Aside from the alarming rate of 52% (40% in Canada) high-school drop-out in the black community and the obvious absence of young Black males from colleges (about 85% female enrollment on average at Historically black colleges and universities)national statistics specify that approximately 79% of Black children are born out of wedlock, thereby being the product and evidence of the beloved "hip hop" community.

So while i may not know what im talking about, and Im not African American, and there for should not remark on the assertion that rappers are the main contributors of the cancer that is spreading through the black community at an alarming rate. However, I can affirm as a fellow Black individual, living in America and having observed similar events in almost every single black community around the globe, that hip hop is guilty with no chance of parole for being a major participant in the rapid breakdown and corruption of the moral order among our youths and therefore,,,among our BLACK communities…

later

BMJ, clearly you are an intelligent and concerned individual, I believe your heart is in the right place. I would encourage you not to stoop to name calling despite disagreement and frustration, such actions are not conducive to constructive dialogue, and even though you disagree with Jelly, he too is intelligent, and has his heart in the right place, you two can learn from each other. While I don't know you personally, from the intelligence (especially your knowledge of history) displayed in your posts, I would say you can do better than resorting to name-calling.

In my opinion, there is a lot of truth to what you say about hip-hop, I would agree that certain elements of hip-hop are flat out destructive and part of the problem on multiple levels. But there are some artists who do not fit the gangster, thug, pimp, ect. hyper-negative stereotypes and are actually making music that is conscious, and has an uplifting, even educational value.

I remember watching a discussion panel on BET a while back on this very subject, and they had a rapper named TI (forgive me for not knowing his music) and they asked him about his lyrics that the moderator classified as, demeaning to women, laced with curse words, glamorizing conspicuous consumption, crime, drugs, gangs, ect. His response was in my opinion infuriating. He said that he simply made songs that the public wanted and that they have come to expect such topics in rap, he went on to say that if he tried to make a positive song, the record company would not market it and then he would be replaced by someone else. I did not discern a high level of intelligence based on his manner of speaking (yes, I know that can be misleading) at the time, and I was not surprised to see a while after that show that he ran into some legal trouble with firearms that netted him jail time.

Life imitating art.

 

[kenny_g]

I guess some people never heard of Sidney Poitier, Luther Vandross, Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, Black Enterprises, James Brown, Kanye West, Common, Talib Kweli, TVONE, BET, BARAC OBAMA, Chris Gardner, ect.

Not sure what your point here is Kenny, of course we have heard of those you listed, and hopefully many are aware of their positive contributions to help those that are less fortunate. The point being made above is that much much more can be done and to inspire others to be the ones to do it.

My point with that is they are lookign for them kinds of blacks when they are right in front of your face. People got to understand all black people are not going to be alike. Face it you have ghetto black people you don't like it leave the country.

 

[kenny_g]

It is all hood entertainment. You go to most hoods in this country you will see rap music galore in their house, katt williams DVDs, it aint nothing but entertainment. I listen to it, and have all my life and I have never been influenced by it, along with hundreds of others I have known through my years. My graduating class (I went to an inner city mostly black high school.) I could tell you right now most had the 50 cent get rich or die tryin album and half of them wanted to go to college and be something else in life. AND I KNOW IT IS THE SAME IN A LOT OF PLACES.
Unless you been to the hood, you can't say whats up and how it is, and who is damaging it.

All hip hop sells, especially conscious rap with kanye and lupe leading the way. So like i said this arguement has no basis of common theory.
All I hear is venting anger towards ghetto black folks getting out the ghetto and not changing who they are. I think people are mad that 50 Cent made it and didn't turn into bryant gumbel.

Need to really check out that kanye west song "CAN'T TELL ME NOTHING"
out fo' real.


You need to be inspired by music, but you also need to be entertained by music.

I don't hear nobody saying anything about movies and their violence and sex, etc.
Why? Because like I said venting anger to not realize that the only difference between music and movies is audio & video. Movies tell a true story just like music. Movies entertain with violence and sex just like music.