There needs to be more responsibility for self within the community, and not all of this apathy crap. Do blacks get the short end of the stick? Of course we do. But can I make that stick work for me? Absolutely.

Music is the language and the pulse of the people. Whatever is going on within hip-hop is what's going on in society. I don't listen to our "urban" radio station here in Baltimore because they're strictly commerical and all they play is garbage. They're in a position to influnce a large body of people with their music selection and constantly choose to flood the airwaves with G-Unit and Lil' John. If they played The Roots or Black Star a few times a week, I guarantee they'll be requests for it. People are hungry for that. The real.

But even with "conscious" rap, you have to be careful. Some artists try to walk the line between making "gangsta" and responsible music. In any event we take responsibility for what our kids listen too. And if it's something I'm trying to shield from them so much, why am I listening to it?