Music is more creative now, then it has ever been.

Reverend X

workingupahiyellasweat said:

Of course rap and hip hop has damaged Black America. It has glorified and put being a thug up on a pedastol. When I was growing up, thugs were considered gutter trash that you stepped on with your shoe.

Yeah, there were negative role models when I was growing up such as pimps but they didn't dominate the entire media like the thug look does today. Also, pimps dressed so flashy, the average person couldn't afford to dress like one. The singers of the day also dressed in custom made clothes that the average person couldn't buy even if they could afford it. You can buy that thug looking shit at a garage sale. Hell, the look started from hand-me-down shit anyway.

Today's music has also stopped this generation's creativity in music, clothes, and being an individual all together. Everyone does the same thing and looks alike. No individuality whatsoever.

It hasn't only damaged Black America though, it's damaged youth of all colors. They are more obese than ever. The reason is because the music is too damn slow to shake the fat off their asses. :lol:

Neversin said:

Well, if you don't think music artists don't influence society then you obviously don't look at the trends they set and some that YOU yourself probably follow without even knwoing it.

Universaluv said:

This much is true. But go to the link for Talib's interview. As you know, artists in that vein get deals, but invariably they are likely asked to change or discard their sound for what sells. And Thug Life sells. Tupac knew that. He was aspiring to be the West Coast's answer to KRS-ONE. But he latched on to Thug Life and the rest is history.

Getting a deal is less of a problem than the label honoring the deal in good faith and doing everything they can to make these artists successful.

Love him or hate him, Kanye is the exact opposite of thug life, is at the top of the game, and his label loves him.

You know what, if every thugged out rapper decided tomorrow to either hang it up or only rap about "positive" messages, it would take about 24 hours before they were replaced in popularity by something twice as offensive as anything out there now.

There always has been, and there always will be shit you don't want your kids listening to (when I was a kid they called it "Prince music"). At the end of the day it's up to parents to raise their kids. Cause if your son or your daughter is so malleable that they are getting their life lessons from the Billboard Top 40, well they have bigger issues than the music they're listening to.


imho

StoneCrib said:

thats not the point. its very obvious that these artists are influential, but its up to u not to take it all serious, its up to u not to go out and do it

Well, if you don't think music artists don't influence society then you obviously don't look at the trends they set and some that YOU yourself probably follow without even knwoing it.

OMG a record company would pressure an artist to sell out! shocking!

It happens, that's a fact of the business they get into. If they have that have what it takes to stay true to themselves and still create music that people want to hear then they don't have to change into something they aren't. If they do choose to deal with the devil, fuck em look how it worked for Tupac.

Love him or hate him, Kanye is the exact opposite of thug life, is at the top of the game, and his label loves him.

workingupahiyellasweat said:

Im just tired of all these punk ass uppity blacks blaming hip hop for something.

If it were whites complaining, then they would be accused of being racist. It makes a lot of young people mad to see blacks blaming hip hop because it makes a strong and valid arguement against it and racism can't be blamed.

Actually, it's the white racists that are enjoying these thug images because they see black people "staying in their place" in the ghetto, robbing, stealing, hustling, and killing each other. They also love to hear these thugs brag about "keeping it real" and accusing other blacks of "selling out" if they don't "keep it real". Racists love this kind of talk because they love to see blacks actually fighting to remain second class citizens and never reaching an equal status to white people. If a black man can't catch a cab in a business suit, do you think a cab is going to stop for a thug? These ignorant thugs are giving racists exactly what they want and the damn fools are too stupid to even know it.

As for blaming other genres of music and people being "uppity", I grew up on funk and funk was the last thing from uppity. One of my favorites, Rick James, was very much a loud, foul mouth, drug using person who also got in trouble with the law. He was far from the stereotypical "uppity" person. However, Rick was an entertainer and he looked and dressed the part....wild and outrageous. Rick wasn't the only one, everyone looked the part of an entertainer in those days. However rebellious and a hell raiser an entertainer is, the average person cannot afford or have the guts to look like these entertainers did. We might have been influenced a little by some of the lyrics and actions of the entertainers but we still knew the difference between fantasy and reality. We knew that we, as the average person, would probably never be able to look and act like these entertainers. Those entertainers on that TV screen were fantasy and we knew it.

Rappers look just like the average person. It doesn't take much money or creativity to look like a thug. This fantasy is very easily achieveable for a young person. Also, the word "thug" has always been around and it means just what it is, a lowlife. When you turn on the news and see someone robbing a store, they are usually look just as thuggish as they want to be. You don't see anyone robbing stores in leather pants, thigh high boots, and glittery braids.
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[Edited 4/28/06 8:36am]

JackieBlue said:

I think you made a good point but the visual on this part in particular is just too much.

vainandy said:

I think you made a good point but the visual on this part in particular is just too much.

CinisterCee said:

If it were whites complaining, then they would be accused of being racist. It makes a lot of young people mad to see blacks blaming hip hop because it makes a strong and valid arguement against it and racism can't be blamed.

Actually, it's the white racists that are enjoying these thug images because they see black people "staying in their place" in the ghetto, robbing, stealing, hustling, and killing each other. They also love to hear these thugs brag about "keeping it real" and accusing other blacks of "selling out" if they don't "keep it real". Racists love this kind of talk because they love to see blacks actually fighting to remain second class citizens and never reaching an equal status to white people. If a black man can't catch a cab in a business suit, do you think a cab is going to stop for a thug? These ignorant thugs are giving racists exactly what they want and the damn fools are too stupid to even know it.

As for blaming other genres of music and people being "uppity", I grew up on funk and funk was the last thing from uppity. One of my favorites, Rick James, was very much a loud, foul mouth, drug using person who also got in trouble with the law. He was far from the stereotypical "uppity" person. However, Rick was an entertainer and he looked and dressed the part....wild and outrageous. Rick wasn't the only one, everyone looked the part of an entertainer in those days. However rebellious and a hell raiser an entertainer was, the average person could not afford or have the guts to look like these entertainers did. We might have been influenced a little by some of the lyrics and actions of the entertainers but we still knew the difference between fantasy and reality. We knew that we, as the average person, would probably never be able to look and act like these entertainers. Those entertainers on that TV screen were fantasy and we knew it.

Rappers look just like the average person. It doesn't take much money or creativity to look like a thug. This fantasy is very easily achieveable for a young person. Also, the word "thug" has always been around and it means just what it is, a lowlife. When you turn on the news and see someone robbing a store, they are usually looking just as thuggish as they want to be. You don't see anyone robbing stores in leather pants, thigh high boots, and glittery braids.
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[Edited 4/28/06 8:39am]

VoicesCarry said:

I totally agree, andy!

White males are the majority of people purchasing the dribble...
why isn't it destroying white culture?

If it were whites complaining, then they would be accused of being racist. It makes a lot of young people mad to see blacks blaming hip hop because it makes a strong and valid arguement against it and racism can't be blamed.

Actually, it's the white racists that are enjoying these thug images because they see black people "staying in their place" in the ghetto, robbing, stealing, hustling, and killing each other. They also love to hear these thugs brag about "keeping it real" and accusing other blacks of "selling out" if they don't "keep it real". Racists love this kind of talk because they love to see blacks actually fighting to remain second class citizens and never reaching an equal status to white people. If a black man can't catch a cab in a business suit, do you think a cab is going to stop for a thug? These ignorant thugs are giving racists exactly what they want and the damn fools are too stupid to even know it.

As for blaming other genres of music and people being "uppity", I grew up on funk and funk was the last thing from uppity. One of my favorites, Rick James, was very much a loud, foul mouth, drug using person who also got in trouble with the law. He was far from the stereotypical "uppity" person. However, Rick was an entertainer and he looked and dressed the part....wild and outrageous. Rick wasn't the only one, everyone looked the part of an entertainer in those days. However rebellious and a hell raiser an entertainer was, the average person could not afford or have the guts to look like these entertainers did. We might have been influenced a little by some of the lyrics and actions of the entertainers but we still knew the difference between fantasy and reality. We knew that we, as the average person, would probably never be able to look and act like these entertainers. Those entertainers on that TV screen were fantasy and we knew it.

Rappers look just like the average person. It doesn't take much money or creativity to look like a thug. This fantasy is very easily achieveable for a young person. Also, the word "thug" has always been around and it means just what it is, a lowlife. When you turn on the news and see someone robbing a store, they are usually looking just as thuggish as they want to be. You don't see anyone robbing stores in leather pants, thigh high boots, and glittery braids.
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[Edited 4/28/06 8:39am]

If it were whites complaining, then they would be accused of being racist. It makes a lot of young people mad to see blacks blaming hip hop because it makes a strong and valid arguement against it and racism can't be blamed.

Actually, it's the white racists that are enjoying these thug images because they see black people "staying in their place" in the ghetto, robbing, stealing, hustling, and killing each other. They also love to hear these thugs brag about "keeping it real" and accusing other blacks of "selling out" if they don't "keep it real". Racists love this kind of talk because they love to see blacks actually fighting to remain second class citizens and never reaching an equal status to white people. If a black man can't catch a cab in a business suit, do you think a cab is going to stop for a thug? These ignorant thugs are giving racists exactly what they want and the damn fools are too stupid to even know it.

As for blaming other genres of music and people being "uppity", I grew up on funk and funk was the last thing from uppity. One of my favorites, Rick James, was very much a loud, foul mouth, drug using person who also got in trouble with the law. He was far from the stereotypical "uppity" person. However, Rick was an entertainer and he looked and dressed the part....wild and outrageous. Rick wasn't the only one, everyone looked the part of an entertainer in those days. However rebellious and a hell raiser an entertainer was, the average person could not afford or have the guts to look like these entertainers did. We might have been influenced a little by some of the lyrics and actions of the entertainers but we still knew the difference between fantasy and reality. We knew that we, as the average person, would probably never be able to look and act like these entertainers. Those entertainers on that TV screen were fantasy and we knew it.

Rappers look just like the average person. It doesn't take much money or creativity to look like a thug. This fantasy is very easily achieveable for a young person. Also, the word "thug" has always been around and it means just what it is, a lowlife. When you turn on the news and see someone robbing a store, they are usually looking just as thuggish as they want to be. You don't see anyone robbing stores in leather pants, thigh high boots, and glittery braids.
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[Edited 4/28/06 8:39am]

EmbattledWarrior said:

Good question, but maybe it is!