>-arent you a white guy?

Yes, I am a white guy...your point? White people listen to as much if not more "hip-hop" as black people do these days...I'm making these statements from the outside, and I don't claim to have answers for the black community because I AM NOT BLACK. That's dumb, and I hate it when white people think they can SAVE black people and have their best interests in mind when it is impossible for them to know. However, I do believe I can be afforded the right to criticize someone who makes public statements, regardless of those statements' content.

>-but it isn't. time is up for all you hippie flower children
>dreamers. we can talk for years about the "coulda woulda
>shoulda's" but that aint how it is. lets deal in that.

You are going to tell me that listening to Mos Def, Common, Talib, and other conscious cats like that can't have a positive effect on others? It can't uplift one's soul and make them feel empowered? Or are you just making a general statement here relating to all hip-hop, good and bad? Are you also going to tell me that it's better for there to be no hip-hop influence there, when at times guys get so engrossed in music that it gets them off the streets? It does have a positive effect.


>-i disagree wholeheartedly. I remember reading an issue of
>the final call and there was an article about our low
>marriage rates and the author of the article blamed the
>culture of being a "pimp" in our community for men not
>wanting to settle down...of course they blamed the white man
>for all of that but the point had been made...all these
>songs that promote promiscuity and being "pimps" has ALOT to
>do with the illegetimacy rates within our community...what
>about the article in essence i posted a few months back
>about our young black females self esteem issues linked to
>music videos? none of this can be backed by scientific
>research but i refuse to sit back and believe that one has
>nothing to do with the other...
>

I didn't say that one has nothing to do with the other...I said that the music is a reflection of the community, not vice-versa. I am not saying that it is right, and that the objectification upheld in those videos doesn't lengthen the cycle by glorifying the "pimp" ideal, but not all artists support such ideals.

>- well mr white guy, you may not know this but there are
>alot of folks who are critical of hip hop who were already
>alienated from the black community before...besides, who
>said anything about eliminating hip hop? mr cosby has paid
>his dues as well as educated tons and tons of black folks
>with his television programming...i understand peoples love
>for REAL hip hop, but that shit is just music. bill cosby
>has donated so many millions of dollars to keep black
>colleges open it aint even funny, i should know because i
>went to one that recieved his aide (MILES)...

I have not said anything bad about Cosby; I actually think that if he wants to continue, he could possibly be a strong black leader. All I did was criticize the singling out of hip hop as the main influence tearing the black community apart; hip hop does a lot of great things as well. That's my entire thing right there. And please, if you aren't going to blame the white man for any black problems (which as a white guy I even do a lot), then stop throwing the fact that I am white in my face in an argument where I am critiqing a public speaker, not claiming to be black. My race in such a situation shouldn't matter.