bobzilla77 said:

But for the good stuff not to get played simply because it's not shit hop and not as cheap to make as shit hop and could threaten shit hop's existence if it ever got popular and caught on, now THAT's censorship.

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That's not why gangsta rap gets played so much though. It gets played so much because it's popular. Major labels will champion anything that makes money whether it's considered good, bad or neutral on a moral level. Remember when all those "positive" hip hop groups went Top 40? Mr. Wendal making me feel guilty for eating lunch every day? It's not like labels tried to suppress that.

The thread title assumes there is one oppressor manipulating radio playlists or label signings for a sinister agenda and I don't think that's the case.

I just read an article in Salon by some lady about how "FOX News brainwashed my dad". I get really impatient with these kinds of arguments because her dad has every right as an American to tune himself into a feedback loop where every piece of news he gets is tailored to fit his view of the world. That guy's not being brainwashed - he's placed himself into a feedback loop of his own free will. It's unfortunate, sure, but it's not like any evil person did this to him.

People with no intellectual curiosity are going to find feedback loops out there that make them very comfortable.

You might not have mass culture that respects musical value anymore, which is sad - but it's not like we white folks do either. Have you listened to white pop radio lately?

Hi Bob, yes you make some good points here that have given me something to think about. Yes, I remember when "positive" rap was huge for a short time. I guess it was because at the time, people were wearing Malcolm X t-shirts, watching Spike Lee movies and listening to KRS-One. On TV there were shows like A Different World that showed a positive side of black youth culture. It was cool to be pro-black or at least to look like you were....ironically, prison clothing and military garb was also popular around the same time the pro-black clothing was. Go figure.

But now, I don't know if there are things like "A Different World" on TV these days.

So, I think you're right, I think if something sells it will be popular but my problem is that the past several years are showing the strong likelihood of the gangster nonsense being the predominant genre of black music being played on the airwaves for years to come. This is dangerous for a number of reasons.

I think reality TV, social media and traditional media (i.e. cable TV) perhaps have made it easy for a person to create their own sense of "celebrity" and they don't really have to put in much effort to reach a certain level of "fame" (even if it's just in their neighborhood). When you pair that mentality with rap lyrics about being a gangster/hood/player/dirtbag etc it's a recipe for disaster because some people (i.e. children) will think that they don't need to achieve to get rewarded in life, it's just a sick focus on street creed and false popularity.

What about the people who go to jail just for street cred? Where are they getting this notion from that to be a tough guy they have to go to a place where not-so-nice things can/will happen to them?

phunkdaddy said:

Well look at BET when it comes to hip hop they phased the backpack rappers out about five years ago. Common, The Roots, MF Doom, Phonte,Talib Kweli,etc wouldnt even get played on BET now. You would have to look to VH1 Soul to see videos by them. Viacom has dumbed BET the fuck down. I know someone just mentioned no one wants to hear socially conscious rap. Bullshit. There's always a market for it but the suits aren't pushing it. You can go to Okayplayer or YouTube and view the comments from people who love it.

All good points you make here. BET used to be a decent channel but now it's just reality show junk. I like TV One though.