>"I'm not sure what you mean by making this work for you."
>
>I am an individual. And I take responsibility for myself.
>There are people who just accept whatever their situation is
>and go from there. e.g. 'If I'm born into a drug infested
>area, then that must be all there is to life for me.' There
>needs to be more education and direction for the youth to let
>them know they can do whatever they want with their life if
>they work for it.

Yeah, I understand your takin the Bill Cosby argument, which is full of merit. I just don't understand "Do blacks get the
>short end of the stick? Of course we do. But can I make that
>stick work for me? Absolutely." How do you make blacks getting the short end of the stick work for you, is all I meant by not understanding.

>
>"I highly disagree with this statement. Music was the
>language
>and the pulse of the people. Now it is not. Certian music may
>speak to some people in important ways, but by and large,
>music is nothing more than a commodity. Would Mos droppin the
>Rapeover joint be distributed by labels if they're weren't a
>market for it? Hell no. I heard Saul Williams talkin about
>all
>the negativity thats on the airwaves and he stated that hip
>hop has become Republican. Its not about caring, or community
>or anything else it should be about. It is about making
>money."
>
>The radio only plays what the people want to hear. Get on an
>MTA bus or a Metro subway and listen to the headphones of
>people. G-Unit, Game, Fat Joe, or whatever is hot at the
>moment is blastin into their ear. That's what they want to
>hear or they wouldn't have spent $18.99 on a CD. So that's
>what the radio plays. Now that's not to say these same people
>wouldn't listen to an OKP artist either. Most of them just
>haven't been exposed to it. Because the big seller is sex,
>drugs, and violence.

Enter 'The Rapeover'. Mos proved his
>point most effectively when the track was taken off 'The New
>Danger' by the powers that be.
>
Good point.
>
>"Why do they choose to play that instead of the roots or
>blackstar? Thats a tough one. No respect for the culture or
>the black community and youth in general is one reason. If
>they did care, they would act differently. But more
>importantly, they are giving people what they want."
>
>My point here is that people don't want okp music. they want Jay-z's 'dumbed down lyrics.' I think you give the masses more credit than I do.

You further prove my point.
>
>
>"I couldn't disagree more. Some people are, but most don't
>get
>down "real" music. If they did, it would be on the radio.
>It's
>capitalism at work. And it is pure, free-market capitalism
>drivin by nothing more than money. There is a big difference
>between this and responsible capitalism which will take cuts
>in profits if it's for the greater good."
>
>They don't get down to real music because THEY DON'T HEAR IT.
>For most people they're only means of music is the radio. They
>don't have VH1 Soul or for that matter cable. Or the money to
>experiment with buying 'Like Water For Chocolate' just to see
>if they like it. They'll listen to what they know they like.
>Hard beats and so-so lyrics.
>
>But these people obviously dont have a problem with what they are listenin to. If they did, they would look somewhere else.

>"We cant control what our kids see and hear unless we lock
>them
>in a box. Whether radio, tv, magazines, the internet,
>billboards when are we not being bombasted by the media.
>Pretty much only when we sleep. Its no different for kids.
>You
>can't hide it from them or them it. The best you can do is
>teach them to know right from wrong and hope they are smart/
>lucky enough to not get caught up in anything too grimy."
>
I don't think its apathetic; its real. And often real is not what we want.

>That is an apathetic attitude. Of course I can't watch my
>children 24 hours a day, but the time I do have with them will
>be positive reinforcement for not just music, but life itself.
>When I was coming up I was exposed to all the ills that a
>typical young black man goes through. But the training I
>recieved from my mother saved my life. And I'm not
>embellishing. Baltimore City is a beast. So I have to do the
>same with my kids. Give them all the tools they will need to
>make the right decision in situations they may find themselves
>in. Nobody's perfect, so they'll make mistakes, but the
>mistakes they make won't be fatal ones.

Thats basically the same thing I said above. "The best you can do is
>teach them to know right from wrong and hope they are smart/
>lucky enough to not get caught up in anything too grimy." Your sayin you need to take a proactive attitude which i agree with. But you can only do so much. I've know folks from shitty places in bmore and dc and the suburbs, many who've turned out better than their original conditions would lead you to expect. But plenty dont turn out good. Just like not all the people i've known from good family's, neighborhoods turn out right. There is only so much a parent can do.