Is Hip Hop culture responsible(at least partially) for the state of Black America? 13
Jun15
mont260 asked:
When I say Hip Hop I mean the culture that came to forefront in the early 90’s with the emergence of groups like N.W.A. and gangsta rap. Because before this movement gained prominence, hip hop was a positive force that gave its fans a politcal voice, a dope beat to bounce to, and a sanctuary from the oppressive conditions and environment that surrounded them….all WITHOUT demeaning and degrading themselves, glorifying ingorance and gang life + mentality, and putting a cheap price on selling out. What do you think?
Nay Nay, I agree that most of the M.C.s out there arent producing this garbage. And yes there is a difference betwenn an M.C. and a rapper. But you gotta take into account….that the M.C.s arent the ones getting the national and internatinal exposure. The sellout bubbergum rappers are the ambassadors parading the veiled form self-hate for hip hoppers to peoples around the globe. Mos Def isnt on Bet 24/7….50 cent is tho. Common cant get no air time in ATL, but you can catch Lil Wayne on the radio at any given time talkin bout make it rain.
When I say Hip Hop I mean the culture that came to forefront in the early 90’s with the emergence of groups like N.W.A. and gangsta rap. Because before this movement gained prominence, hip hop was a positive force that gave its fans a politcal voice, a dope beat to bounce to, and a sanctuary from the oppressive conditions and environment that surrounded them….all WITHOUT demeaning and degrading themselves, glorifying ingorance and gang life + mentality, and putting a cheap price on selling out. What do you think?
Nay Nay, I agree that most of the M.C.s out there arent producing this garbage. And yes there is a difference betwenn an M.C. and a rapper. But you gotta take into account….that the M.C.s arent the ones getting the national and internatinal exposure. The sellout bubbergum rappers are the ambassadors parading the veiled form self-hate for hip hoppers to peoples around the globe. Mos Def isnt on Bet 24/7….50 cent is tho. Common cant get no air time in ATL, but you can catch Lil Wayne on the radio at any given time talkin bout make it rain.
Yes. because the music videos changed my view of other African American women and myself.
everybody and his dog is a rapper these days, gone are the days of grandmaster flash and run DMC. You dont need musical talent to rap these days you just need to be a gangster. Rappers used to talk about politics and how to improve society, now they only talk about their cars and all the “hoes” they have. At least LL cool J does not brag about his possesions.
i agree. i feel like it definitely lacks the substance it once had and is now about rap artists talking about disrespecting women and all the nice things they have…puhlease
I believe that there are a number of things that are to blame for the state of Black America. First off I believe that hip hop has changed and it has gotten this way because sex and violence is what sells, and what bothers me the most is that the individuals funding and advertising this sh** on T.V are white. They are using our young black folks like tools, and we fall for it. However, there is no way in hell they would allow their own kids to even look at that crap. Getting back to the state of Black America it has alot to do with what we are taught to think about ourselves. We are tought by society that we have little chance of growing up to be anything other than criminals and lazy a**es, and some of us fulfill that self-fulfilling prophecy. I also think we as black people do not push enough for our kids to get the education they deserve. Most of all we do not teach our kids how to respect themselves (especially our young black men). I think Hip Hop just reflects how a lot of people view Black Americans and is therefore more of a result of the state of Black America, and not what is causing the poor state we are in.
lmao um lets see…im black…and i believe “hip hop culture” began as something pure and a reflection of life in the “ghettos” and run dow minority areas in America. im not a big fan of rap/hip hop/ a and b in general….i think that this new product of gangster rap (however the hell you say it) is a reflection of the lives of many minorities in bad areas ad their weaknesses and faults : i totally think the white oppression and racism of the past plays into society today. obviously, it doesnt just go away…anyway blk ppl living in bad areas like these have a tendency to be weak and give in to destructive behavior making themselves look dumb as hell. in return – a lot of people my age (im 17) are stupid and impressionable. so they imitate what they see on television. so its kind of like oppression in america puts down blk people and creates this dumbass label that “most” of us live in the “ghetto” and instead of trying to better themselves, the minorities in these areas are constantly told they they cant amount to shit unless they have a gun and drugs in their hand, rap, or shoot a basketball (you guess which is the easiest) and they give in and dont try to better themselves.
society in general finds it easier to accept that the “blk man” isnt doing well and struggles – so they welcome this bullshit with open arms. funny thing is that the white youth in america contribute the most to these rap artists in terms of record sales. then they watch that BET station and claim to understnd “black culture” ha! black culture my a.ss bitches. f.uck off with that s.hit…lol sorry….
so yeah i guess i kind of agree with you. i dont live in the “ghetto” so i wouldnt actually know..this is my pperception from people ive spoken to that live there. what do you think? am i crazy?
No, not responsible for the state (of the states),lol, Just for puttin out sh it samey boring video’s and giving Hip-Hop a bad name and diluting it and degrading us as a people.
Don’t blame hip-hop, forget the mainsteam crap on tv. Most underground artists don’t make these wack videos.
No.
Music and art are made out of experiences. Most people think that hip hop artists are not very bright, well if they aren’t very bright then how can hip hop artists have the power to change a whole group of people? If they have that kind of power possibly the US should hire hip hop artist to fight the war on “terra” (isn’t that what Bush calls it?).
Anyways that’s just ridiculous.
It’s like people’s complaints of punk and heavy metal and how it makes people kill themselves…it’s all very silly.
Art imitates life not vice versa.
I think lack of jobs, lack of access to education and lots of other things that the United States likes to pretend does not exist are the reasons that SOME of black America is in not a great state.
I think of punk in the 1970s and 1980s in Great Britain there was high unemployment and people were angry and kicking bootie…well angry unemployed people tend to make music that is slightly different than what your average over produced boy band sings about.
In regards to people who are poor being weak, try being poor for a month and see how you pleasant you are.
Sean
no, hip hop is not any more responsible for the state of Black america than rock is for the state of white america. moreover, the majority of the consumers of hip-hop are white kids, anyway.
I don’t think that to paint the rappers of the late 80’s and early 90’s with the same brush as the rappers of today is exactly fair. The rappers of those days spoke intelligently; of politics, world peace and affairs, love, life, religion, etc. The rappers of today swear every other word, misspell all the others, talk about gangsta life; all their Bs, Hs, drugs, drinking, stealing and other crimes.
I think that the rappers of today may contribute to the degredation of Black America, but I also think that to blame it on them entirely is a cop-out. People need to realize that they don’t need to copy everything they see and hear. People need to realize you can separate your life and the choices you make each day from what famous gangsta-rappers tell you to do. I mean, if I enjoyed Britney Spears’ music (which I definitely don’t) it doesn’t mean I should marry someone for a weekend, then get divorced, kiss women on stage, dress like a whore, immitate sex on stage, marry a loser, have his kids, start a divorce from said loser and shave my head!
I think that some sections of Black America are in a horrible state; but not because it deserves to be. Lack of good education, lack of good steady work, lack of opportunity in general, and racist white b*stards making black people feel like they are nothing and never will be. It is a crying shame that after everything that has happened in the name of freedom and EQUALITY in this country that we still have not gotten the point. White people see things like Hip-Hop and Gangsta Rap and they assume stupid things like “every black person must be that way”. Or that they understand Black culture. I know I don’t know much about black culture, but I treat everybody the same way no matter what color they are, what religion they are, where they live, where they came from, how much money they do or don’t have, etc. I wish everybody could do that…maybe we could all be equal. I grew up in a poorer neighborhood which was about 50% black, 45%mexican, and 5% white. I (unfortunately) saw a lot of racism and oppression towards Black people by cops, people from “better” neighborhoods. These people were smart, funny, and some of the nicest people I’ve ever known. Everywhere they went, though, they were treated like the scum of the earth. It’s just a crying shame. Those (white) people that call themselves Christians should be truly ashamed of themselves.
I used to like rap and hip-hop, but the way it sounds today? Nuh-Uh!
There is something implied in your question that I think is very telling. People, both black and white, connect all things that black people do with “black culture”.
This may not be the best way to look at it but it seems to me that the black “culture” just has to own rap, hip hop, poverty, whatever is connected to being black.
I don’t see this in other ethnic groups.
White culture doesn’t own the Klan, wealth, golf, etc.
As long as black “artists” continue to degrade themselves with songs? of violence, sodomy, opulence, disrespect for our American intuitions AND black culture continues to own rap, then black culture will pay the price.
Associate yourself with the noble things of life and reject selling out and help lift all culture to a higher plane.
Yes. We live in a time when there are more single black females raising black boys, without “a” black role model. The black models that we do have available are either married to “other” races of women, in prison on a “technicality”, dating black women with children without any interest in mentoring her kids, the fathers are upset with the mother and in order to “show her” he neglects his son, etc. Black women have a tendency to be loyal to the black man no matter what. Black women rarely date outside their race and they have no desire to because they want to make the black man feel special because we know their place in society. So black women “alone” try to raise their black son’s the best they can. The problem with this, because the father is absent, the black woman is now responsible for providing for her son + others. Because of the neglect black women receive, they are constantly looking to be loved. Because we look for love, often times we end up with more than one child out of wedlock praying that someone will marry us and make us feel like we are special. Because of our sins and our commitment to care for our kids, we have contributed to the downfall of Black America. And our only downfall as a black mother, we want the best for our kids too which enables us to “be there”. And because we(moms) are not there, the hip hop is. The advertisements show our kids that black women are ugly, and the other races are beautiful just look at how they choose black women who don’t represent “true” black women. We don’t look like that. If they were to show “us” other races of men would want us just like black men want the “beautiful other”. The videos glorify the rappers, they are our childrens role models, not us the working mother who wants the best for her child and who is praying that her son does not do the same thing his father has to another woman. I did get off the subject some, but yes “Hip Hop” has hurt.
Hip hip is a strong influence, not only just in black culture, but American culture as well. Beginning in the mid-1990s, hip-hop became a part of mainstream American culture. However, it still remains a stereotype of what Black America represents, and a depressing reminder of where modern Black America began, as a result of segregation, Southern migration and poverty in urban America. Unfortunately, blacks cheer the stereotype a relief to themselves that it is supposedly ‘normal’ to have one woman raise children in a fatherless household in the streets of Harlem, Detroit or Oakland.
It affects people that are impressionable, and sadly that is a high percentage of people (in any race). The audience for hip hop has also changed from mostly Black to mostly White. The record labels and the Artist know that.
I post this all of the time. It sums up my view.
To find true MCs, you can’t rely on the media (BET, MTV and radio stations that play the same songs over and over again). You have newer rap artist like Papoose and Saigon as well as the oldies like Talib and Mos Def, but you have dozens of Rap artists that stick to one subject and push other Rap artist out. I’m 18 so I know the “newer” hip hop as well as some of the “older” hip hop. I see most of the Hip Hop now as entertainment only. People can make a few hundred thousand dollars by singing “Laffy Taffy” (I’m not getting on Southern Rap). While other artist have to struggle with their record companies for promotion.
Now it’s all about short term success and a lot of people rapping for the money not the art. Come out with a few hot songs (catchy beats and lyrics), you’re CD sells and then put it on iTunes. I still listen to Rap and enjoy it, but sometimes I wonder if there will ever be another Tribe Called Quest or The Pharcyde to make it big and gain heavy rotation. That would be nice.
Now u have females that want to be/look like video vixens and males that want the women, money and respect. It can make people become very materialistic.
If people have strong values and morals it won’t affect them. My favorite female Rappers back then were Lil Kim and Foxy (they were some hardcore chicks). They never influenced me to do anything bad. I also have fiends that were influenced by them.