And if you say Lady Gaga or Kanye we probably have different definitions of meaningfully and truly controversial.

To be fair, I think I probably wouldn't have thought Madonna was meaningfully controversial but it hindsight I think she did contribute to the popular discourse regarding America's puritanical views on sex.

Folks may want to say Killer Mike or Yasiin Bey but I don't think enough of the main stream is checking for them to count a pop figures for this discussions sake.

I'd say NWA or Public enemy for sure but there has got to be folks since then in hip-hop right?? (not trying to backdoor another tupac discussion so I won't mention him).



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

>And if you say Lady Gaga or Kanye we probably have different
>definitions of meaningfully and truly controversial.
>
>To be fair, I think I probably wouldn't have thought Madonna
>was meaningfully controversial but it hindsight I think she
>did contribute to the popular discourse regarding America's
>puritanical views on sex.
>
>Folks may want to say Killer Mike or Yasiin Bey but I don't
>think enough of the main stream is checking for them to count
>a pop figures for this discussions sake.
>
>I'd say NWA or Public enemy for sure but there has got to be
>folks since then in hip-hop right?? (not trying to backdoor
>another tupac discussion so I won't mention him).
>
>
>
>**********
>"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then
>they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
>
>http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

most pop figures start off with a talent & springboard off that talent to branch out into other things and build their celebrity.

not kim.

she's meaningful because she's generates money and gets attention without really being able to "do" anything...other than generate money and attention.

which is where the controversy comes in. everybody you may want to name in this post will have a main talent or talents that brought them into the public eye. but not kim. she sucked some clown's dick and built an empire off it...


***
I'm tryna be better off, not better than...

White folk still mad about "George Bush doesn't care about black people". That's the real reason he's such a lightning rod for manufactured controversy.

That is dissension that would have easily gotten him imprisoned or killed right now today in many countries around the globe

>That is dissension that would have easily gotten him
>imprisoned or killed right now today in many countries around
>the globe



Yep...

I think they scared him enough thereafter to scare him away from talking politics.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

no church in the wild?

go head dude

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

......................................

https://soundcloud.com/jasper_brown

http://jasperbrown.bandcamp.com/

I think Kanye (and Jay-Z) as well have made attempts to talk social issues but it's always come off as obligatory (how can they not talk about what's going on it the hood) and certainly ain't saying anything that would be considered controversial. At this stage in the game neither is really adding anything to say that niggas are dying in the hood and no one seems to care.

I think they both have had new things to say about celebrity culture and what its like to be a rich black man but....who cares.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

of controversial

Cool

album in months (MDTF in years). I could be wrong...but I doubt it.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

They had already been mentioned so I didn't bring em' up. I do however weigh their respective controversial qualities separately and I tend to think Lennon's had a greater impact.

It should be obvious why.
MJ has atleast 2 or 3 reasons.

controversial?

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

the allegations but he was more howard hughes controversial than say NWA controversial

They got blamed for all the school shootings back then.

which was crazy because compared to the current version it was barely violent

and being controversial. Kaney isn't controversial just because people talk about his stupid antics. He's said and done stupid things, that isn't enough to be controversial.

To me Kara Walker comes to mind. Anyone else? Anyone doing it in film or music?


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

Slid to Africa for awhile & mainstream media went ham specifically labeling Dave as CRAZY

This post was kind of inspired by the idea that Commerce has so co-opted pop art that Artist can't really afford to be controversial anymore.

Yeah artist were paid before but when you got 100s of millions on the line it becomes really hard to go against the machine.

Dave went against the machine and they all thought he was crazy.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

big respect to dave - http://globalgrind.com/2014/12/05/dave-chappelle-hands-up-gq-men-of-the-year-red-carpet-photos/

for sake of this post i can back this.

.

Toni Morrison, Chimamanda Adichie, Beyonce, Nikki Minaj, Cornel West...

I mean, people always will speak their truth. There are no less "meaningful, contorversial" artist than there was 40 years ago. But the definition of pop culture has changed TREMENDOUSLY since then.

Point is, the problem with finding good, smart pop culture artists doesn't lie with the artists, it lies with how narrow mainstream culture has become.

There is a difference between attention seeking and controversial.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

Calling out Dubya on worldwide TV is undoubtedly controversial.

some have mentioned Kim K. and to that point she has redefined the standard of american beauty; there are numerous discussion about why she is/isn't a person of color or why her and her sister keep snatching up Black men.


None of that shit really means anything to me but you'd be hard pressed to deny her impact on American Pop(ular) Culture

Kanye still counts

Dave Chapelle counts, too.

You looking for 'counter-culture'?

I could see a decent case for Chapelle I suppose.

But...Pac was literally beefing with politicians, literally
shot cops, etc.

nm

Roseanne Barr, Louis CK

*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...