>Yes, I am a white guy...your point?

-you are in no position to comment on the black community. you refer to "the community" a number of times in your post. what the fuck do you know about our community just because you listen to hip hop?

>White people listen to
>as much if not more "hip-hop" as black people do these
>days...

-hmmm my point above is proven. have u been fed ex-ed your "black" certificate yet?

>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.

- hmmmm u totally contradict yourself in the same sentence. how can you understand what goes on in the community if A) u arent black, and B) u arent black. so basically because mr cosby goes against what u have heard in rap songs, that you disagree. amazing.


>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?

-uhmmmm check their album sales and check 50, chingy, luda's album sales. just because all YOU listen to is "conscious" hip hop doesnt mean shit. if u want to get real about this problem, get real about what the MASSES are listening to.


>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?

-check my response prior to this one, sounds 2 me like im dealing in reality and u are coming down off your mushroom high.

>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.

-there is hip hop influence, but what kind of influence. in fact, go check the billboard top 20 hip hop charts. www.billboard.com from there tell me what "influence" these songs are having on people.


>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.

-lol you are still staying loyal to these 400 album selling artists. its obvious this conversation isnt for you because you refuse to acknowledge the existence of rappers outside of okayartists, plus you probably dont know that many people who listen to 106 n park artists...people like u live in another world altogether, a world where 50 cents PIMP and khia's "my neck my back" dont exist. again, this convo isnt for you.

>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.

- you know whats funny. mr cosby never said anything about hip hop he just reffered to lyrical content. r&b is just as ignorant as hip hop nowdaze too...and if u arent black how do u know whether or not hip hop is damaging to the community or not...ive lived amongst poor black folks pretty much my entire life, ive seen how folks went from high top wearing b-boys to thugs seemingly overnight...some of u will blame outside forces like a political party or prison system, but im not stupid, that shit comes from the music and the videos and movies like menace 2 society and boyz in the hood...

>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.

-actually it everything to do with it. just try to imagine me being a black man on an asian web site and they are talking about problems within the asian community, and because i listen to asian music, i feel like i have a grasp on asian culture and what they go through...would it be my place to talk to them about what is right/wrong with their community? would i be qualified to tell them that the guy on MAD TV isnt damaging to their image? sometimes you white people just try to get in where u fit in so you go through this "black" phase and thats cool, but on certain issues such as what mr cosby is speaking on? just shut the fuck up.