I really don't post that much, I am sure you can tell, but I had to for this topic. I agree with much of what was said, and every day I, too see my students fail miserably in English and Math, don't remember that they need a pen and pencil,and think its so, so cool to be disrespectful, but can repeat every rhyme our wack-ass radio stations play (and here it's all the same shite).I don't know how many times a day I remind these junior 50cents that life is not a video, and this hallway is not 106&Park! A few weeks ago the newspaper in my town conducted a Hip-Hop forum on how it is affecting our culture, which I was invited to attend. This was a group of folks from my town (Rochester, NY) teens, and adults from every age group, black, white, whatever, and some local artists, and independent DJ's. The 3 major radio stations that play Hip-Hop (or what they perceive it to be) were invited, including our one and only independently BLACK owned radio station, 104WDKX, (where the call letters stand for Douglass, King, and Malcolm X, mind you)(this station proclaims to be all about our youth), and needless to say they all refused to come.Yeah, Yeah, Payola, I know, I know,its all 'bout the dough! The thoughts conveyed at this meeting were all well spoken, and I was pleased when some older folks asked for explanations regarding the music, so to better understand. One lady asked me "If Hip-Hop is a culture that our youth live, love and are immersed in, why don't they take their culture back?" I was speechless. What to say to that because I too have no answer. It's a struggle. A friend of mine, (also a teacher) created a workshop called (what else?)Beats,Rhymes, & Life...which we presented to students in summer school(jr high-high school age). The basis of the workshop is this: we presented students with a certain hit, for example we used Khia's My neck, My back as one, then went over the lyrics, word by word, watched the video, then held open discussions on how these words affect them. Half of the girls didn't even realize half of the crap they were repeating! But the running line was "The beat is hot". We also introduced them to some old school, and what I guess we'll call "Conscious" hip-hop.For instance we played a tape of Jill Scott doing "You got me" with The Roots at a show we went to, those kids damn near begged us to turn it off. (we did not, i believe in infecting their minds best way I can) The majority did not like it at all!!, they were like "what's the point", or "he sounds broke", (that in reference to Black Thought of all people, cause he wasn't talking about B & A (bling and ass). The comment we received the most was "the radio don't play that stuff".(*sighs*)When asked what they plan to do when they "grow up"?Well folks here is your future:"I want to be....A singer like Ashanti...a rapper like 50...I am going to the NBA..." Where the fuck are the doctors, lawyers, teachers,etc?DAMNDAMNDAMN.(Dream on my little brothers and sisters, Dream on) It took everything in me to not lower my head in shame at these children who look like me, cut from the same cloth as me and respond so positively to negativity! But i teach, and teach them I will continue to do. Could use some help though. Sorry so long, and if I ranted so be it, this is the most I have said on OKP in a year or two. Here is a link to the forum that our newspaper put in, there are pics, and audio, of the discussion if anyone is interested. I am the chic in the brown shirt, with the extra curly 'fro.
Its called is Multimedia:Is Hip-Hop getting a bad rap?

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050417/MULTIMEDIA/50415002

or www.democratanchronicle.com --->click MultiMedia section




~~~~~~~~~PEACE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~