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So many rappers who have dealt drugs and who don't exactly keep it secret. Far fewer have said they regret it. Some of them probably think it gets them more credibility and fans. I think it, combined with the materialism in many hip-hops songs, sends a dangerous message to some youths. That drug-dealing pays in the long run. For most people, it does not and instead often results in periods of imprisonment and an inability to get school loans or good legitimate jobs. As an added insult, some rap songs glorify not just marijuana, which isn't so bad, but "cough syrup," which listeners might not otherwise learn about and has actually killed people, including at least one rapper.
The late 80's fun Rap music you guys/girls speak of is still around.
It's still there,You just got to look for it!
Young white kids don't like positive rap anymore,so the record company's are going to cater to what they want.
Was listening to these guys in the office today when one my Coworkers ask me who they were.He started to explain that he use listen to rap in the early 90's,but quit listening when the lyrics turned hard!
Good tune. Much more reminiscent of the REAL hip hop that was prevalent before the entertainment industry got ahold of it and started pushing artists who glorified misogyny, criminality, materialism, and all the other negative things people now associate with the genre.
Most of the people in this thread posting that hip hop is a scourge on the youth probably know nothing about the music and couldn't name a single tune by Nas, or Erik B and Rakim, or Special Ed, or A Tribe Called Quest, or any of the pioneering artists that helped create a brilliant genre of music and art that helped youth transcend the barriers of their difficult lives. They hear the garbage on the radio and MTV nowadays and think that's what hip hop is. They don't want to know the whole story. They prefer to believe that hip hop is a true representation of the black community. But they surely wouldn't think that The Sopranos or Goodfellas is an accurate depiction of the Italian community or that it is leading to the destruction of Italian youth; or that countless movies depicting white people engaged in violence and casual sex is a valuable insight into white values and culture. It's only with the black community that people are happy to pick a negative example and apply it to the entire community. They don't want to believe that what we call hip hop nowadays is a type of music created by mostly white record executives to make money. The entertainment industry knows that the combination of sex+violence+materialism sells, so they find any fool off the street who can rhyme and turn him into a star. As long as he sticks to the formula, they'll make him rich. And it's not the black community choosing to put this garbage on the radio and TV. for the most part, it's white suits hungry for money.
Hip hop could still be the fun, intelligent, insightful genre of music it once was, but it probably wouldn't sell records like it does in its current incarnation. As a result, artists who make real hip hop are relegated to the underground, and only those who love the music and seek out the good stuff will find them after pushing aside all the garbage from the big studios.
So, to answer the question of this thread - NO, NO, NO, NO. The only thing commercial hip hop is contributing to anyone is bad music.
Furthermore, if you don't really know anything about hip hop, about its history and the great artists of its golden age, you shouldn't be posting in this thread. An opinion is only worth something if it's informed, and I have a feeling that a lot of people who think hip hop is contributing to the destruction of youth in America simply don't understand the issue because they know nothing about hip hop, and even less about black culture and history.
I think the real problem is unrealistic expectations. Some of these kids think that they will somehow become famous rappers or play in the NBA and ignore or disdain getting even an education as basic as high school. When they are finally cut loose from the education system they are functionally illiterate and barely employable at even the lowest end of the spectrum.
After reading the various posts from those obviously on the plus side of forty I realized the one aspect of hip-hop music that serves as an enticement to youth IS the fact that most older folks don't care for it, this is reason enough for a kid to LOVE it..
Aside from that I'd have to say that I personally find this music as offensive as any music could possibly be. The thing that bothers me however isn't the choice of music in the youth culture, it's the infatuation with the entire prison experience, it's as though todays youth are confused over the REAL prison reality and instead see it as something to worship, this IS the foundation for all the gangsta mentality and the music, Tats, clothing, etc. that is included in the "I'm bad", "package".
I believe Eddie Van Halen's dad was a professional musician. Also, it wouldn't surprise me if the Van Halen family was financially secure and could afford to let it sons gamble on musical careers for a while. That would not be likely in the typical African-American family - for example, probably couldn't go back to college at age 25 if rapping went nowhere.
Kids dream whether their family is dirt poor or well off. If a black kid in the ghetto has only his voice to use, that's what he will use.
For most of the dreamers, music leads nowhere except some self accomplishment. For others, a career is tried and soon given up. Rock, rap, whatever- those who become famous and rich are just as rare as pro basketball players. And that's another common dream.
the rap/hip hop consumer base is white teenagers, so it should be expanded to whites as well
It already is in a way. You also must understand that rap/hip hop is listened to by a much higher percentage of the black community than the white. People are usually surprised when a young black person says "I don't listen to rap music." In American society it's almost expected that all of the black youth listens to hip hop. Blacks can be sometimes looked down upon or even called an "Uncle Tom" for listening to different music genres that's not Hip Hop/R&B.
Aside from that I'd have to say that I personally find this music as offensive as any music could possibly be. The thing that bothers me however isn't the choice of music in the youth culture, it's the infatuation with the entire prison experience, it's as though todays youth are confused over the REAL prison reality and instead see it as something to worship, this IS the foundation for all the gangsta mentality and the music, Tats, clothing, etc. that is included in the "I'm bad", "package".
What music do you find offensive? Don't assume all rap is the same.
None of these kids want to go to jail or get convicted. That's not the plan. The plan is to make money, illegally, which leads to jail time. Some of that mentality is the "I'm hungry and we have no running water", package.
Location: where people are either too stupid to leave or too stuck to move
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its part of the problem but not the source..it also known that whites buy hiphop at a higher rate than blacks but doesn't effect them... its that mixed with poverty, lack of opportunity, discrimination/racism, family life and etc.. which is why a middle class black kid can enjoy hiphop but never commit any crime in their life, if hiphop died tomorrow the destruction wouldn't blink an eye
What music do you find offensive? Don't assume all rap is the same.
None of these kids want to go to jail or get convicted. That's not the plan. The plan is to make money, illegally, which leads to jail time. Some of that mentality is the "I'm hungry and we have no running water", package.
I love most kinds of music, what do I find offensive in music? The absence of any coherent score would be a good place to begin, the absence of chords for another and more than any thing else the absence of sense. Poetry is another subject all together and most rap certainly falls into that category. Going to jail IS a big deal for those in the gangs, it has become their rite of passage, of course once inside they quickly adapt to the regimen of prison life. Unfortunately, a life very much like the one they left on the outs. If it's a discussion on the modern social paradigm in America that's warranted CD has no shortage of forums for that.
Hip Hop is a wide genre of sound, but it's also about the people who make it. It's no secret that the American ghetto scene is now synonymous with gang lifestyles, Mexican, white, black, Asian, they all "represent" for their local turf, drugs, violence, poverty, homelessness, all contribute to the misery found in the American slums. Making money by engaging in crime is certainly not frowned upon in these areas, and going to prison is just another experience to have under your belt. One thing remains true about this music, it IS the most popular prison music ever.
If you're offended by my dislike for rap-hip hop or any other kind of music rest assured that many in this country are feeling that same dislike, but then again Elvis wasn't readily accepted in his time either......
I think if you're weak-minded, lost, and looking for acceptance and something to follow and believe in, yes, it's destructive. Our youth need protecting and what we see on television USUALLY is blacks acting destructively and if those who look like you aren't moving progressively, and you're weak-minded, then yes. You're susceptible to the hip-hop culture. Why? Because it's the path laid before you so it's easier to walk down, IF you're not mindful of other available options. And many times those options aren't presented and those who choose to walk down them can be ostracized with unnecessary labels.
It feels like an uphill battle when you're younger and if you're not strong enough to withstand it, then yes, you'll go with the status quo.
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