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

kenny_g said:
Loki said:
kenny_g said:
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.
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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.
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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.
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Nobody here is asking for all black people to be exactly the same. Surely we can agree that we as a people face a unique set of challenges accross the board, economic, educational, social, political, ect. Challenges that with the possible exception of Native Americans, no other group of people have had to and continue to strive to overcome. While I would agree that history teaches us that there will always be a certain percentage of people within a group who cling unproductive and self destructive behaviours, we are simply discussing the best ways to try to minimize that number for the greater good of all. Leaving the country is not an option, as I and others here would rather light a candle than curse the night.
 
kenny_g said:
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,

I am glad to hear you have not been influenced by it, I would argue that you are in the minority. Entertainment is much like the food we take into our bodies, if you take in food that is bad for you, it effects your health in a negative way, I would say that for most folks, if you take in entertainment that perpetuates negative stereotypes it rots your brain, this is what Bill Cosby has been talking about for years now.


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.

color=blue]
I have been to the hood (exteded family members there) and there have been plenty of people within and without of the hood that are decrying the negative aspects of hip-hop and have been for years.[/color]

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.

Not true, once again, nobody is trying to make all black people into Bryant Gumbel clones, and I for one do not blame ghetto black people for not getting out, there are multiple reasons as stated above that make getting out very difficult. Which further bolsters my opinion, ghetto black people, and the poor everywhere for that matter, have a lesser margin for error if they are ever to improve their postition in life, and supporting and listening to any art form that perpetuates negative stereotypes, high risk (illegal) behaviors, misogyny, gagnsta, pimp, thug, ect. mentalities is just one more step down a path that takes them farther from their goal.

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

I googled the lyrics to this song, and I can't tell if this song is a satire of an unconstructive mentality or if he is advocating such a mindset. One of my favorite quotes came to mind reading these lyrics "any damn fool can learn from his own mistakes, a wise man learns from the mistakes of others" Benjamin Franklin.

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.
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Yes there are many art forms that use violence and sex, and surely you have heard protests from all corners (politicians, social activists, religious figures ect.) on those issues as well. This thread was devoted to hip-hop only.
 
All in all it is a sad day when we look past our teachers and parents to entertainers to take responibility. This aint nothing but an distraction towards the real problem in the black community which is the parents and education. Since when did 50 cent adopt his fans as his children and became their legal guardian. I thought T.I. wanted to cross over in movies not teaching at a high school.
 
kenny_g said:
All in all it is a sad day when we look past our teachers and parents to entertainers to take responibility. This aint nothing but an distraction towards the real problem in the black community which is the parents and education. Since when did 50 cent adopt his fans as his children and became their legal guardian. I thought T.I. wanted to cross over in movies not teaching at a high school.
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50 cent isnt adopting his fans, since many fans I bet is coming up the same way 50 has come up... I dont blame rap for the cause but I do blame rap for promoting it, etc.. like for an example in rap videos you see people sagging wear white t-shirts most people not all but most people I know that listens to rap does the same excat thing in school every where. Not the cause but promoting that kind of stuff is just un professional.. In the early 90's people like that had atleast an excuse or good reasons but now in today's current time there is no excuse. :x but in the end thats a choice and some people just choose to do it like some people choose to do crime thats my outlook on this. :roll:
 
One time, Hip Hop was a NATION and on a MISSON TO IMPROVE and give voices like Jelly said -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxyYP_bS_6s - Self Destruction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXGgWf2lacM&feature=related - Were All In The Same Gang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDd7UbJmdmw - You Must Learn!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfrNF9GOMUs&feature=related - BDP!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A9u9rG3Q7g I used to love H.E.R

We can bring it back, we need to take back control of it, that's all.
 
kenny_g said:
All in all it is a sad day when we look past our teachers and parents to entertainers to take responibility. This aint nothing but an distraction towards the real problem in the black community which is the parents and education. Since when did 50 cent adopt his fans as his children and became their legal guardian. I thought T.I. wanted to cross over in movies not teaching at a high school.
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We should pay teachers as much as some CEO's get paid, nothing is more important than TEACHING OUR YOUNG. More important than that is TEACHING THE FUCKING TRUTH and not with 30 year old text books...
 
This is getting ridculous....The thread is about the +/-'s of HIP HOP....we're not debating the progressive influences of a Sidney Poitier.

STAY ON TOPIC

Not one individual on this thread has blamed hip-hop for all of the woes of the black community.

The debate is if it's been more of a blessing or a burden to our culture.

Those who have been raised in the culture are already aware of the constructive influences of Public Enemy, Talib Kweli, etc.

Those with LOGIC & SENSE already know it starts in the home with parents and their involvement in their childrens lives. That's not the issue/question here.

Are the positive influences of Hip-Hop overshadowed by the negative??

That's the debate.

This aint about "blaming Fiddy"....stop being simple.

Does mainstream rap music add anything constructive to the progression of the Urban Community (other than simple entertainment)?

Does rap influence the youth....of course it does.

Is it the parents responsibility to direct/guide their children to counteract negative influences? NO-BRAINER.

With so many fractured homes in the urban community (myself included), enviromental/media influences are magnified and gain even greater influence.

Has it harmed us? That's the question.

-on topic family...



 
Hip Hop used to be good and creative. When I was a kid I remember a television show back in the 1990’s called “In Living Color”. With “In Living Color”, besides the would be popular actors (Keenen Wayans, Damon Wayans, Jim Carey, etc.), there were the Fly Girls; Jennifer Lopez was one of Fly Girls. Back in the day for a woman to be in a Hip Hop video, she had to know how to dance; however, today it is all about sex appeal.

A friend of mine showed me a link to a video about a rapper named Plies who is doing a reality show called “Bust-It-Baby”. The women at the audition… you have to watch it to believe it… it’s just disgusting and awful. :shock:
 
Let's not blame hip hop the black community has been failing since after civil rights, We need to stand up and stop blaming everybody and anything for the short comings in the Black community.
 
I think it's F'd up our image as a whole. Granted if the social conditions in which many rappers speak about did not exist, many of them would not have any material at all to work with...there's enough blame in that right to go all around society at large.

Rap used to be about change, revolution, social/civil unrest...

Now mainly what's popular it's sold out to mafioso rap, gangster rap, or far too much what I call "groupie rap". The amazing thing is with all the crap that is said about women, many of them don't read the lyrics. But man do they love dancing to that beat at the club. Which I can't figure for the life of me...
 
dj4monie said:
kenny_g said:
All in all it is a sad day when we look past our teachers and parents to entertainers to take responibility. This aint nothing but an distraction towards the real problem in the black community which is the parents and education. Since when did 50 cent adopt his fans as his children and became their legal guardian. I thought T.I. wanted to cross over in movies not teaching at a high school.
Click to expand...

We should pay teachers as much as some CEO's get paid, nothing is more important than TEACHING OUR YOUNG. More important than that is TEACHING THE FUCKING TRUTH and not with 30 year old text books...
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If teachers were that smart why didn't they become CEO's themselves? It's no secret that the profession in the urban areas that largely need the help...you are probably going to have to shell out for your own classes school supplies out of your paycheck.

The simple fact of the matter is this..the education in America at the HS level and lower is simply not worth a damned.

We could make it better if we actually dealt with them as individuals. Let the smarter one's advance quickly, stop tying dollars to school performance, have merit pay, dismantle the teacher's union's, make parent/legal guardian involvement until the age of 16 for the minor child a requirement, separated those who disrupt from those who actually want to learn.

I grew up in the Bronx, I went to public school my entire life. In 2001 graduated HS. In 2004 graduated from Virginia Tech with my B.S in Psychology. Last year I graduated from Johns Hopkins with my M.D. in Medical Psychology. Did I mention I grew up right there in the projects?

Why so successful? My father gave a damned about my education. Sure he worked 16 hr day's, so I wouldn't have to. He worked a job that has seriously deteriorated his health physically. He helped me take out loans and apply for every grant/scholarship known to man. And now that same man couldn't pop open a soda can if you asked him to do so.

S A C R I F I C E .

As a group why the hell do we know the PICK 3 PICK 4 numbers but have no clue as to a 401k, Roth IRA, and stock options? Why do we constantly sink money into name brand clothing...yet wonder why we can't get a townhouse? Why do we sink money into $5 coffee's yet worry about gas for the car? Why do we know children who've got cars and apartments in their names? Why do we not cut out alot of the soul foods...that are killing us? Can't preserve a culture if no one is around to showcase it.
 
It really comes down to this, the issues of the black community existed long before hip hop or gangsta rap came along, so therefore, they cannot be the root.

As far as it having a negative impact, yes it does because in the absence of an MLK, Malcolm X or any true black leader with some sense, as a whole, we are looking for leaders and voices in the entertainment world. It's like we've been conditioned to hunt for a leader all the time and now it's having some less than desirable effects. Sista Soulja is viewed as an applicable leader while we make barber shop jokes about the true 'blackness' of Condeleeza Rice and Colin Powell.

However, this negative impact isn't hitting everyone and in all honesty, Black Americans(god, i sound like I'm scared of the PC police).....*clears throat* Black people are doing pretty good in the business and entrepreneur fields and this includes certain individuals in the rap world.

I'll take a quote from the Boondocks episode 'The Hunger Strike' : Niggas are gon' be niggas. So you might as well get that paper.

If these kats go out and make a record about doing this and that, then whether they actually did it or not I'm not mad at them. They are just making records the same way actors make movies. Robin Williams isn't a schizophrenic photo shop guy any more than denzel washington really fought in the civil war(or whenever glory was based; i forget right now). It's entertainment. If you take that stuff to the extreme then you deserve what's coming to you. And of course, this goes back to what I said in the beginning. The problems existed before gangsta rap came along. It contributes in it's own way(albeit an indirect one, since any so called influence can only be due to the ignorance and/or bad luck of the individual in question).

In short, any solution to any problems will not come from bashing rappers. If I get a brain tumor that I've had for five years, I don't want my doctor to come in and tell me it had something to do with the flu I caught last week.
 
Here is another way to look at it? Has violent American Hollywood films done more harm to America's image abroad?

It some ways it has, it some ways it shows that Americans are tough and just regular bad-a**ses.

I think the same can be said for hip-hop. On the positive, if you want to deliver your message, you don't want to hold back, a lot of people appreciate that.
 
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