>>While many of 92's conscious acts >just talked about doing & dressed the part.
>
>Well, they didn't have millions to
>give...

Many didn't have millions to give in part because they didn't handle their business or take any control over their product much less their destinys. You don't think millions were made off of PE? If PE didn't have millions to give, it is partly their fault. The spirit of entrepreneurship thats underneath the success of Master P or a 2Short is/was not evident in many "concious" acts.

>Maybe they have no problem with white-on-white >violence.

well they should because clearly there is a heavy influence on our community. Who are these rappers imitating when they are constantly referencing the Godfather, Scarface, etc? It doesn't take a genius to see that a lot of white popular culture has had a negative impact on black people. Concentrating on "negative" black acts while allowing ourselves to be inundated with negative material from whites will not solve our problems, particularly when much of the negative behavior by the black male rappers is clearly imitation of the worst of white male patriarchial culture.

>the Hot Boys play up stereotypes that all young >black men are drug dealers, while there are no >concurrent stereotypes that all white men are
>hit men (John Travolta's role).

As a black person, I'm very aware of the totality of who the Hot Boys are. I refuse to view them thru the eyes of racists whites - do you? Since I know that most young black men are not drug dealers (as any black person who actually lives around black people would know), they can't play into what I know is not true. Who's opinion are you worried about, black people's or those of whites?

>the difference is, the artist creates the >content, which they can control (by making or >not making it), while artists do not control >their labels' business practices (unless you >mean artists should do some investigation before
>signing).

please, we are all responsible for all our actions ...period. That includes knowing who we work for/with as much as being accountable for what we say. if an artist has a responsibility to monitor their content then why can't that responsibility include being held accountable for who they associate with & what their business partners are up to? back in the 90s some black quit their jobs at corps that wouldn't divest from S. Africa. If they can do it, so can the artists who claim to be "conscious". if they choose not too, imo, that decision is just as negative as singing about selling crack, imo.

>
>Eh? How are we "all" responsible for music a >select minority of people make?

We are all responsible of our choices. If you make a commercial for Sprite knowing full well (or not even bothering to do simple research that would reveal) that the parent company is poisoning the environment in poorer (most POC) nations (for example) or paying slave wages then you are no better than that brother selling crack on the corner. In fact, you may be worse because atleast that brother is less able to lie to himself or anybody else about his participation in ugliness.