Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

I think you should have contributed a bit more than "It should be kicked down the hole of Sparta".

Also I think rap in general is awful music. There is NO musical value to it and is purely lyrical. The lyrics in the songs are almost always stereotypically black. This is the kind of stuff that puts racism in stupid peoples minds. Something else that adds to this is every successful rapper (minus Emenem) is black causing other stupid people to believe only black people do these things.
I am half asleep here...not rechecking my statement...bed time...sorry for poor structure.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Mainstream rap is largely about what you discussed, however there is plenty of rap that discusses personal achievement out of hardship (for instance, from being impoverished to making millions as a rap star); you just don't hear it that often. Not that I like the genre, but it must be defended from stereotypes.

I'll have more on the subject when I can think more clearly.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Shaionei, if you don't have anything to say that contributes to the thread, do not post anything in the thread.

Coolade, whether you think the quality of his post was worthy or not, responding in kind leaves you just as much at fault.

To the actual topic at hand, I find that there are many artists in Hip-hop and Rap that if you don't parse their medium as music, and instead parse it as poetry, are phenomenally impressive. Freestyle rap is one of the most impressive forms of artistic expression I've seen, I know I could never put thoughts to words so quickly, and maintain themes and rhymes that way.

While the "Gangsta" culture exhibited in a lot of rap music is problematic (And I do agree that it is very 'one step forward, two steps back' [In that it is a move forward for black culture that black artists are successful, and making money, and then two steps back that they use this newfound fame to espouse qualities that are reprehensible]) bear in mind that not all rap is Gangsta rap, and not all rap forwards negative stereotypes.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Ok here's a contribution we all know where this thread is going to end up anyways who cares if ignorant music talks down about their own race let them do it if they so choose to. Every wannabe gangster and his brother and sister and mother want to have their own record label selling out cheap gangster beats and flows. It seems that they don't care what they put into the lyrics as long as they get a sellout creating pieces of ****.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

You know, if you phrased it in a less inflammatory tone, that would have been a very useful post. It raises another question: What, if anything, does the -popularity- of the more offensive types of rap music say about the people who listen to it?

Does black culture necessarily "buy into" the gangster lifestyle by supporting this music, or is it more a case of wanting to support black artists, or is it perhaps more a case of just finding the style to be entertaining, regardless of the lyrics? To what extent do the fans of negatively stereotyping music therefore support the stereotypes rather than just supporting the artists?

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

In my opinion I really don't care what rap artists motives/reasons are for creating this music.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Erm..none of what I asked there had anything to do with the motives of the artists. I was asking questions about what the support of those artists says about the listeners.

Comprehension is fun.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Hm well I don't know I never asked them why they support it and probably never will. I really don't understand that last sentence please bring me up to speed about whether why the artists create the music or why the listeners support the artists. Edit: To be exact I don't understand the second to last sentence right before the ironic statement.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Well...the discussion is about

a) The motives of rappers in making music that supports a negatively stereotypical lifestyle
and
b) What supporting such music says, if anything, about the supporters of the music.

If as you say, you neither know about nor care about either of these questions, finding another thread to post in might be a good idea.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

There are certain forms of music performed by whites that don't showcase the best of white culture. Yet I have never read of any critique of the culture as a whole because of a negative artform presented by some of it's members.

When certain members of a culture create that which is negative, that does not mean it is a meaningful part of that culture. NAMBLA exists and yet no one makes an indictment of the culture that the majority of its members belong to.

White culture is associated with country, classical, rock, pop, bluegrass, blues, jazz, and many other types of music. Yet, African American culture is usually only associated with R&B and rap music. The African American culture is as large in its diversity as any other culture. Those that choose to limit their scope of observation to what is marketed by media do themselves great dishonor. Check out The Merchants of Cool on PBS.org, and you will find out why rap music is such a large part of so called popular culture.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

This is such a remarkably interesting statement, that I really think it should be the focus of its own thread and discussion.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

Good idea, no need to post in a pointless thread that will go nowhere. In the back of our minds we mostly all know why people listen to it, it's easily obsessible if you have no other musical tastes. Almost always makes people think they are "Gangster" or "hard" for listening to cheap beats and gang related themes and the most awesome lyrics ever created. Try to find the sarcasm I put in my post. But you can continue debating over the most shallow, vague and unoriginal music ever created though. 8)

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

We shall, please refrain from joining in, from here on out.

Re: Rappers Doing The Job Of Racists?

My, my. I never new that people who go on a website that is interested in mainly games could be so insightful and intelligent.

Anyway, now to the topic at hand. Personally I believe that the people that are supporting this music (the gangster rap.) are generally idiots to begin with. Tell me the last time that you saw someone, or know someone that is intelligent who listens to this. I defend this statement by saying what kind of intelligent person would want to support the stereotyping of a race as well as the subliminal (take this term lightly.) perversion of people.Of course there is also the defense in saying that there has to be at least someone who listens to it. The point is; whenever you try to analyze things like this they just generally get wrapped back around into a defense that is almost completely reasonable.

Take for instance. By stereotyping a race it allows that race or culture to take back what has been taken away from them; (in this case there own individuality.) thus a large portion of that race will want to prove that they are not at all like "some" people of there culture have made them out to be. This in turn will cause an uproar of people proving there worth as individuals. Then the world goes round.