The thread was not started to discuss racism. I am black man and a member of black music organization. And yes I have listened to those supposedly "positive" rap artist and for every 1 so-called "positive" rap artist that you name, I can name 15-20 negitive rappers.


Once there was a dj at a concert who became jealous of the admiration the band was receiving from it's audiance, so the next time he would be spining records he decided to talk over the records that he was playing, drawing attention to himself. "Party over here, party over there. Let me hear you say Whoa!" And the crowd said "Wow!, he is so cool!" Now the thugs at the nightclub became jealous of the dj reasoning that they could do that and thus draw attention to themselves,"Dat ain't nothin', dat sum bullsh*t",they said. So the thugs bum rushed the dj booth and grabbed the mic bumping the table causing the record to scratch, and began to shout to the crowd saying "F*ck his sh*t, check out my sh*t, yadda-yadda-yadda". Now the crowd out of shear terror followed along trying to maintain a measure coolness to their dates. Thus was the start of RAP MUSIC!

you know, all of the critisisms you leveled at rap music in your original thread has been prevalent at different times throughout Prince's career.
[This message was edited Wed Nov 26 7:23:28 PST 2003 by AaronUniversal]

jw1914 said:

so why focus on the negative? start a revolution! just pay attention to the positive artists and include them in your black music organization's discussion forum. cbuy their records and support them so they can continue to make positive rap cds and be a positive influence rap culture. this is all much more productive than supporting the ignorant claims that rap music is awful.

break a stereotype rather than perpetuate one.

Sometimes a fraud must be exposed to the public for what they truly are.

jw1914 said:

explain?

I recognize that you aren't a fan of rap music. I, however, appreciate the music I listened to as a teenager in the early 80s - which included many rap songs.

jw1914 said:

Okay...and for every brilliant artist of any genre or media, I can name 15-20 complete hacks. Does that mean I should hate all art?

For every brilliant and wonderful person I've ever encountered, I can name 15-20 complete jerks. Does that mean I should hate all humanity?

I'm wondering if that perhaps instead I should focus on the positive instead of letting the negative define my experiences...?

NAAAH...!!!

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I hate rapping in itself, I too once wrote and performed live some songs that included "rapping" lyrics. Who didn't like "These are the breaks" by Kurtis Blow? But the lyric weren't egotistical and degrading, the music wasn't bland and boring. Most rappers are trying to fool the public into protraying themselves as an artistic music artist. The musical talent is lost in most rap songs. It's not so much as the profanity in the song(which Prince himself once did along with a number of artist I respect ex;Funkadelic,24-7Spyz) it is the lack of musical creativity and lack of respect for others that bothers me. It is that which is so common in rap songs.

There's a lot of rap I don't like, but I place the reason less on the genre than I do on the pressure on today's artists to crank out a certain kind of music that the music industry considers a standard for mainstream listeners.

jw1914 said:

I am also a black guy who HATES mainstream rap now. I despise every Nelly, Cash Money, 50 Cent, Lil' Jon the list can go on and on.

Even older people like that shit. Then they dont understand y dont like it because im young. Just remember u cant do anything about it. All u can du is sit back and hope it will change. At least Oukast will set an example. And everyone i played that album 2 lovediddid it.

jw1914 said:

Christian pop awaits!

:p

jw1914 said:

Listed to the 2Pac track "Wonder Why They Call U Bitch" & come back to us with your thoughts!

Once again, DON'T LISTEN.
My musical taste varies a great degree on a day to day basis. Some days I don't want to hear anything resembling rap, some days that's ALL I want to hear. The one thing that I have learned is that its ALL ENTERTAINMENT. Yes, I respect musicians ten times more than I do rappers, but at the same time, I know that every rap artist on the charts has spent hours and hours in the studio doing what they do, and even if I don't like it, I respect it. Also, this genre is a form of expression our people have chosen to embrace. I ain't with all thr braggin' about this and that, but I know that BLACK PEOPLE CHOSE TO EMBRACE RAP, THEREFORE I MUST DO SO ALSO TO A DEGREE TO REMAIN IN TOUCH WITH MY PEOPLE'S MINDSET. Some foot-shuffling uncle tomz would prefer the company of anything BUT us, and to them I say, step off and be the token that you aspire to. To others, I say what you listen to is your own choice. Why make a stink about what others listen to? Right now, rap rules. The funkiest tracks coming out are on rap records. This saddens me, but its a reality. I just hope I live long enough to see "neo funk" rise up and rule, but until then I refuse to dismiss a WHOLE GENRE.

[This message was edited Sat Nov 29 16:20:29 PST 2003 by BlaqueKnight]

jw1914 said:

Well, rap loves you anyway.

I actually really like rap music. I espically like the usage of old soul samples that Jay-Z used on 'The Blueprint' such as on the song 'Song Cry'.

There is alot of negativity in rap music, but there is in mostly all types of music espically Heavy Metal music. The mainstream media usually targets rap music most because of the age demographic it is marketed towards. In the 50's it was Rock N Roll now its rap music.

Rap music has gone through alot of changes sinces its beginnings of a DJ playing a break and a MC rappin' over it but in essence its still the same. Its some1 tellin' a story over a beat, thats how I view rap music. The best rappers Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, Ice Cube r storytellers 1st & foremost in my opinion.

BlaqueKnight said:

I don't think the funkiest tracks that are coming out are from rap. Most of those tracks are sampled, reinterpreted, or twisted around. If I wanna hear that shit I just put on the original record. I mean really, when we hear these songs that is most likely what we are connecting to even if we do not remember who the original artist was. Now don't get me wrong I do respect any music lover ( whatever kind they choos) who is willing to spend the time and the money pursuing his/her dream whatever that is. And lets face is there is a certain "art" to finding tracks that the masses can't pick out straight away LOL. But that is as far as I can go with the compliments. Now having said that there are some rap acts that I enjoy and they give me a smile when I hear them and that's about it.

As for the "foot-shuffling Uncle Tomz" out there, as I see it the industry needs to be real real careful. The other "powers that be" seem to have a real nice foot-hold on hip-hop and rap in general. They seem to be turning the whole culture into what "they" want it to be and that includes hip-pop abd R&B! Have you checked out the movies that have come out lately, or the charts and seen who's on it. Hip-hop and R&B seem real confident and all but they need to watch their backs or they will soon find they have been handed their hats before they realized they were outta the game. The day when I heard Eminem, 50cent, Nelly, Jay-Z all fucking day long and not KRS1 once was the day I checked outta the whole fake ass Hip-POP I mean hop game

Imnotsaynthisjust2bnasty said:

Cuz this is the org. Place full of haterz.

recorddealer said:

Oh please,haterz my ass.
Everybody doesn't have to like rap,we are not all the same.How many times do I have to say it?

JW yr post to start this thread reminded me of those "Great Moments in Black History" segments on In Living Color.

In the new issue of Vibe (with Jay-Z on the cover),in the "Twenty Questions" section,they ask...


*With all that's going on in the world today,why are rappers still talking about the same stuff that they were five years ago?


And this was asked in a hip-hop magazine!

Like they say about my folks - "if you don't like rap, then it's working."

just like rock and roll of the 50s, when all the older folks were going "why can't you listen to some good clean music like Pat Boone or Frank Sinatra?"

I hate the shit, but it rallies folks. So, good. Mix in the bootyshaking shit with the "get up off your ass and make a difference".

otan said:

Otan I can understand your lack of concern, it's not personal for you. And I know that you know what I mean.