Comments on: Hip Hop High

By: Erica

Erica — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:33:21 +0000

No one is being “cheesy,” or what some would call “corny” with their kids. A lot of the parents think it is “cute” when their kid repeats something vulgar or negative from a rap track. They don’t say, “Hey, don’t say that, that’s in appropriate,” nah, they laugh (with friends) and may even say something like, “That’s my baby, ain’t he cute,” or whatever.

So, the parents aren’t separating what is conducive to a positive future in education, business and family structure and what is negative.

By: Erica

Erica — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:29:52 +0000

No one is blaming hip hop! No one is blaming the rappers either! And if they are, that is not fair. Where in the report did they say they are blaming hip hop? Let’s stop pushing ideas and reports away and start listening. Also, no one wants to give up that lifestyle in order to support more positive influences. No one wants to stop supporting these negative rap videos, etc. because that’s not in their best interests entertainment wise. So, essentially, it’s like we don’t care enough to say, “You know what, I really do need to think about what I’m supporting more or what I am letting my 8 year old brother hear.” No one wants to do that. Yet, by doing that, you could be deterring a kid from feeling as if it is respectable to smoke a joint instead of going to work or school (just an example.) And let’s admit it, the majority of our youth are so misled about what brings “coolness” or “respect,” … acceptance. And that’s where parents and other positive influences come in. Someone needs to be there to BALANCE things; to show what is really the priority, what is really going to make life a lot more secured and stable. However, most black youths don’t have someone to pull the plug on negative influences and say, “Hey, this homework” or whatever is what is really important right now. I know more kids that don’t have this than do.

By: Erica

Erica — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:22:11 +0000

I think a lot of people in our “community” are really missing the point. Black people in the United States are way behind in so many areas and we can’t afford to keep having our youth worshiping and emulating the things that they learn from music and television. And no one can deny that the black youth doesn’t look towards common forms of entertainment for “things to do,” or “ways to be.” It’s called emulating. Also, the truth is that black youth really don’t have positive influences in real life and I say most because that isn’t true for all black youth. That’s why the black youth in this country is more sensitive to these negative influences and we just can’t afford to lose any more of the future to the things that entertainment glorifies. It messes with the priorities of black people.

Some of you guys keep mentioning rock and roll and what not, but let’s look at the state of white people (the main listener of rock) in comparison to the black community (the black youth mostly listens to rap). Black people are suffering more than white people in regards to influences. So, rock music isn’t negatively affecting white people like rap is negatively affecting blacks. So, that whole argument needs to stop.

If you recall during the Columbine tragedy, rock music that was depressing and dark was taking a bad rap because they felt it was negatively affecting the kids and you have to admit, it was. So, we can’t sit here and pretend as if only rap is under the microscope, that’s not true. When the time arises for something to be put under the microscope, it always is. For us as black people, we are always under the microscope ’cause are in this continuous path of negativity and we aren’t doing anything about it except of denying that we have a problem with our youth and negative influences.

By: ziorene

ziorene — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:41:41 +0000

there was also a study done on other types of music and it found that reference to drugs IN COUNTRY MUSIC IS ALSO VERY HIGH bout everybody is on drugs over 70% of addicts have regular 9-5 and health insurance so why wouldn’t music reflect that its a sad part of life but its part of life for many

By: Anywhoo

Anywhoo — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:14:59 +0000

White Lines was anti drug.

I don’t care what they “sing” about in Rock or Heavy Metal. We as a people should not be using drugs (even weed), alcohol, tobacco, etc. Remember, we were kidnapped to this country and their ways are not our ways.

By: Jani

Jani — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:41:37 +0000

i’m sorry rapper do hav some responsibility don’t totally takem out of it, they have the most influence , the young people could casreless that its the fat cat giving out orders all they see is a rapper dripped in bling, big house, fast cars. Like i keep saying we as consumers have power if we didn’t endorse rubbish music it wouldn’t be put out but time and again the number one song tell us nothing and fills us with nothing, if the people voting for a example soulja boy vote for common guess what he would number one and more people would be exposed to such type of music

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:15:32 +0000

Don’t blame the rappers. Blame the media moguls who won’t give record deals or really promote the rappers who do send positive messages like Common, Mosdef and Talib Kweli. They aren’t as high profile as other rappers because the people don’t like their music as much, they aren’t as popular because with the people because the people don’t really get a choice in what they are listening to, they don’t really get a diverse range of music. Instead radio stations stay playin that music that glorifies drugs and talks about money, cars, jewelry and hoes. Why? Because from the radio stations, to the music labels and so on all of our media is controlled by 4 or 5 rich white men and they know that that rappers who are telling people to read a book and open their eyes aren’t half as profitable as the rappers who are out there saying how cool it is to buy chains, be fly, have the hottest cars, shoes, gear…etc. Conscious rap is not marketable and so it doesnt get promoted and conscious rappers don’t get record deals or radio play.

By: Wu

Wu — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:40:04 +0000

Highlighting means awareness. Awareness means enlightenment. And enlightenment will lead to root causes. You can’t just change something without knowing and understanding the root causes. And it isn’t solely hip-hop, no, but there is more than one place where we can start change.

By: Jani

Jani — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:47:06 +0000

We are responsible for letting our children know that what they see in music video’s, sitcoms, reality TV, video games, is not real, depending on your neighbourhood we all have to encourage our children to not let where they are right now (today) will not be where they will be in 20, 30 years time. They are so many people that rise from the hood or bad situations to become something and a high percentage of successful people come from a struggle of some kind because it is what drives them to make change. So throwing blame does not change a situation it just high lights, its the WHAT NEXT is what is important and its the lets start a change that should be discussed more than constantly just high lighting issues with no solution.

By: I'm Just Me

I'm Just Me — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:29:16 +0000

IT is absolutely true. Times have changed since 1979 and I cannot say solely for the better at all.