ive been strugglin w/ that topic for awhile-'"no Amiri you're lost as long you're concered with what you are in their eyes!"~ Saul Williams. i always believed in that quote, cuz thats what my mother always told me- then i came to the realization that i live in a world full of other people and other opinions n its closeminded n limits my knowledge to just go about things w/ the feeling that all i am is who i see n who i think i am.what i am in their eyes is just as important as what am i am in my own. i say this because when u look at life its in this whole big universe, this whole big earth, n all these people- ur just another person, just because u make urself who u are doesnt mean all you are is what u think u are. people have different opinions and all opinions are right in someones eyes- whos eyes are alone? no one exists in the world alone. now this is different than saying get wrapped up n freaked out n overconcerned about who u are to other people, it just means remeber that u r who u r to them- ur not who u think u are to everyone. at the same time remember who u are,who u think u are, cuz in that image is ur past where u came from, n u cant forget that~ all im sayin is remeber that u are someone else too, in someone elses eyes, as equally and as importantly b/c their opinion is a part of you- the part of you that they see- you can only see one side of yourself at a time. it would be selfish to think that just because you are you, that you is the only way you exist, and that that you is the only one that matters. its selfish because ur saying no one elses opinion is worth ur own, i guess, in a sense. i just think everyone should remeber that they exist differently to everyone, and each of those images of you, is you- to someone. also i think that we should respect our elders but i also beleive we should have the right to correct their mistakes- somebody has to, otherwise well never grow. i think hip hop artists have an obligation to speak up for the human race, as well as the black race. the thing w/ black people is, most of them dont care about where we came from or what out ancestors went through or the fact that were all brothers, and they dont care where we end up in the future- all they care about is bein real n to them that means bein hard n to a lot that means causin ruckus- thats demeaning n selfish n does nothing to help our black people. so i think the hip hop community needs to continue to address those issues, definately, but i think the words got to spread to all them mainstream rappers, cuz... i think that in addressing the human race we need to stress unity, brotherhood, and at the same time, the glory of diversity. those are just my human opinions anybody feel free to brush up on em