Comments on: It’s Bigger than Hip-Hop, but Let’s Blame the Music Anyway.

By: Pat

Pat — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 02:51:02 +0000

Ramses,

You should offer your services to a website like this one for instance:

http://www.blackexperts.com

By: Jay Gatling

Jay Gatling — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 01:12:15 +0000

I’m a firm believer that music, just like all the other arts (Movies and television) reflects what going on in society. In the 60’s it was all about that fun and dancing. The 70’s was all about love, anti-war, and disco. During the 70’s crime and poverty were at a all time high and artists and executives made a conscience effort to instill pride in their respected communities. (That so not the case now)
The 80’s a new genre of music has emerged on the scene with a mixture of party, criminology, and social consciousness. We know identify that genre as Hip Hop.
Hip Hop in today’s form has varied since it’s conception back in the late 70’s and 80’s. It’s now one of the biggest corporate marketing tools used in today’s society. Instead of informing the people about social ills, it now used to promote ratchedness and foolery. Even with all that said, the music is just a mere reflection of what going on in today’s society. Music isn’t uppercutting broads on public transportation, we are. Music isn’t the one leaving our women alone to raise our bastard ass kids, we are. We been doing that since slavery, so we can’t blame that on African drums. SO!! Will Smith was right, “Parent Just Don’t Understand”. Shit I don’t understand it either but what I do understand is that (I) am control of my actions, not music, society or whatever else that supposed to influence one actions. I know right from wrong and this new wave of music is just too wrong for me, but I understand my place in this equation. I’m a non factor. Today’s music targets 18-30 year old that than rather bust it (pussy) wild open and pop molly (ecstacy) than talk about the economy, healthcare or anything else that responsible adult are into.
Once again Dr. Johnson, good job. I understand where you are coming from with this one my brother.

By: Ramses

Ramses — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 06:13:49 +0000

As long as they’re paying….I don’t do nada for free

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 04:34:08 +0000

Ramses,

I hope that you give seminars to inform our community how we can thrive financially.

By: Ramses

Ramses — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:03:47 +0000

Just because you’re older. doesn’t make you an elder. These young Gods making moves without the aid of these dinosaur ass, broke ass elders. They’re creating businesses while these clowns cashing checks from whitey in their black studies programs and complaining why they didn’t get tickets to barack’s inauguration (Cornel West). I love Juicy J, Project Pat, Just like I like Common and Tupac. They all capture the reality of the times through their storytelling. Tupac in his message to the grassroots echoed this sentiment. The only thing so-called elders showed us how to be is broke. When I start talking about trusts and shit like that, these negroes don’t know what the hell i’m talking about. They are just as dependent on the “system” as welfare queens. This brother, who I met on the phone bout a year and a half ago (we’ve never met personally) was the first Man who showed me how to get money, on my own, without doing illegal things to get it. It took for me to be 32 years of age for someone to show me how to get money legally. And I don’t mean in the climb the corporate ladder way either. i am not compromising my manhood for crumbs. I mean owning companies type shit. Business credit shit. Dun and bradstreet shit. Until then, all i heard in college was broke ass niggas and bitches complain about the white man and how he makes it hard on us. I see 50 cent, who started from crack selling, to getting his boxinh license so he can become a boxing promoter. Looks like he’s doing what his ancestors did during the times with Black Wallstreet (turning nothing into something). he working with whites, jews, and all types of groups. I’m not saying he’s without his faults. But who isn’t. Educated negroes always think they’re more positive than those like 50. I know both sides. I’ve been in projects and I’ve been in higher education settings. The ones I see getting money (illegal or legal) are dudes like 50. Most educated people make 30,000 a year and get basic benefits. But can you create wealth? Can you create jobs? Harvard just honored Reginald Lewis, the first person in Harvard’s history who was accepted into it’s law school before he formally applied. Even though he died suddenly at age 50, he died a billionaire. Wrote the book “Why Do WHite Guys Get To Have All The Fun.” This was brother. You’ll out here hating white folks, which alienates them from you. Then you hate those who come from you and find success because they don’t come and give you some. Why should they? When they were going through shit you’ll didn’t support them. Now you want them to give back to the community. What community? Sorry black people need to stick with their kind and the good ones need to stick with the good ones or branch out. Being loyal to black people just because has played out for many of our leaders and it does not work because we assume that all black people deep down are positive. That’s the biggest lie ever promulgated. Love the article brother. These old dinosaurs end is coming and I’m glad because onces they die off (physically or career wise) then maybe we can actually get some real work done. All they are doing is taking up space and bloviating all over the place. Sick and tired of that shit. Get Rich Or Die Trying best thing ever said. Being poor is a curse. No matter what your ethnicity is.

By: Christopher Keith Johnson

Christopher Keith Johnson — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:50:48 +0000

Typo on previous comment. Correction–“ghetto, trash, vulgar, sexualized.” Fit that within my previous comment

By: Christopher Keith Johnson

Christopher Keith Johnson — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:46:34 +0000

The article clearly addresses (1) the prison industrial complex (2) personal responsibility (3) deindustrialization and its impact . Calling old heads “haters” is “provocative, it gets the people going!” Of course FBM, EWF, and Teddy P are essential and have been sampled enough in the hip-hop to be a part of its DNA.

We should not say that we are “all good.” Or fall into the lie that America is post racial. We should acknowledge that we are not completely doomed! Young black people are doing incredible things and involving thmselves in activities that are beneficial to the community and fully respectful of their elders. Even when they are listening to “ghetto, trach, vulgar, sexulaized” music that the over 40s, 50s, and 60s aren’t digging.

I love that the comments are ranging from folks possibly in their 20s to those pushing 60. That’s why I love this website.

By: Boyce

Boyce — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 06:17:52 +0000

Also crime rates have declined because you don’t have more crime when you simply lock up all the black men you can find.

By: Boyce

Boyce — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 06:12:55 +0000

“So why do the old heads insist that the soothing sounds of Frankie Beverly and Maze or Earth, Wind & Fire were somehow less harmful to our community than Chief Keef and Trinidad James are right now?” – Come on brother, really?

By: Reginald Williams

Reginald Williams — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 04:09:46 +0000

Good article Mr. Johnson with a good percentage of truth. However with that said, I am 53 years young. If you do the math you should arrive at the conclusion that this old head is hip hop; watched my older brother plug his turn tables into a lamp post to play his music on the block or in the park, helped him load his truck with crates of records on his way to a party. While some old heads may be hating, there are a lot of old heads disappointed in how such a beautiful artform used in the 70s to silence violence, now promotes it (that ain’t media). Rap music and the hip hop culture gave voiceless black kids a voice and now the voice of their ancestors his primarily used to spew garbage.

Today, I love my Motown, continue to listen to my hip hop; got some yougen on the ipad playlist and some unknowns. I’ll give you that hip hop can’t and should not be blamed for the world’s problem, you give me that these yougens are just as irresponsible as the old heads that you speak of.