Which is why I conceded it was more of a bribe. True they share blame for selling out, but the record companies also share blame for giving them ignorant lyrics to rap. Not saying any one group is responsible.
Matter of fact that's my point. There are numerous external variables contributing to the poor black plight. You can't just blame them entirely for their own problems without ignoring the other factors. Not saying blacks are blameless in it all, but they are definitely being victims of circumstance.
Originally posted by Lestov16
True, but now this leads back to my point. What's motivating them and their criminal behavior? A culture of ignorance. Where did this culture come from? Violent rap music. Why don't they listen to other less violent music? Because violent music is the only music that record companies like to market. You see the cause and effect here?
It's not rap music, what is motivating them is a culture of "I'm a victim" not of ignorance. Being a "victim" is popular these days because they can do whatever they want and blame it on others..cops, their own poverty, racism, etc. Anything to deflect away from any type of shady behavior.
I don't think it is the musics fault, these problems didn't suddenly crop up only once rap became a thing.
Originally posted by Surtur
To further the point: for me, I think blaming any type of entertainment on a persons behavior is a slippery slope. People have blamed tv, movies, video games, books, etc. for a myriad of things.
I disagree. Music differs from the other entertainment mediums you cited. TV, video games, etc. all fall under the rather blatant category of FICTION. A kid playing GTA knows it's not real and thus is not influenced by it. Music does not fall under that same category. It can be viewed as, as stated before, an IRL worldview, and thus most certainly can and has inspired behaviors.
Originally posted by Lestov16
I disagree. Music differs from the other entertainment mediums you cited. TV, video games, etc. all fall under the rather blatant category of FICTION. A kid playing GTA knows it's not real and thus is not influenced by it. Music does not fall under that same category. It can be viewed as, as stated before, an IRL worldview, and thus most certainly can and has inspired behaviors.
So you are trying to say they are smart enough to recognize a game isn't real, but that they are so utterly mindblowingly stupid they believe everything any rapper says in a song? 99.999% of rappers talking about being thugs and guns and all that shit are full of it. Anyone older then the age of 14 should know this.
If they are dumb enough to think every song is true the problem goes well beyond rap music, but a fundamental misunderstanding of people to which you can blame the parents for that, not music. Parents need to teach their kids what is real and what is fake bullshit used to sell records. Learn who your kids role models are and then do something about it if they idolize these rappers who talk about slapping hoes and drive by's and all that.
You have also failed to address the elephant in the room: crime in these various communities didn't just crop up once rap became a thing. What caused it before then, Doo Wop? Jazz? Rock?
Originally posted by Mindset
You remember Surtur's grandma being mad at his dad for letting him play GTA3?
Well she was known to gossip..women, am I right?!?!
Nope. Are you saying all rap is false? So NWA were just talking out of their ass? The notion that rap music should be automatically viewed as fiction is BS. Music can't have a message according to you.
Also, crime rates typically associated with blacks began with the rise of the crack cocaine drug trade, which began in the 80s, alongside and probably contributing to the rise of rap. Not before.
Originally posted by Lestov16
Nope. Are you saying all rap is false? So NWA were just talking out of their ass? The notion that rap music should be automatically viewed as fiction is BS. Music can't have a message according to you.
I didn't say all rap is false, just a lot of it. Most of these guys aren't really the thugs they portray themselves as. Some of them might of been that way prior to becoming successful..but others just plain never were really what they act like in videos. The ones who were like that prior to success usually tend to embellish the stuff they did.
Just take 50 Cent for example. He was shot 9 times, so it's not like he can't say he lived that kind of life, but he also has a bunch of songs talking about getting high all the time. Yet he has gone on record saying he actually doesn't do drugs. Which is something I can believe given how in shape the guy got around the time. So even the guys with a past tend to play things up or just flat out lie to sell records.
Also, crime rates typically associated with blacks began with the rise of the crack cocaine drug trade, which began in the 80s, alongside and probably contributing to the rise of rap. Not before.
But the drug trade sounds like a more legit reason then blaming rap music.
There is also the problem of you saying people don't take tv or games as real. Thing is some people do. I was reading an article recently about Malcolm McDowell and how he got various death threats because he played a character in a movie that killed Captain Kirk. So even though it is fiction it can make people do all kinds of crazy stuff...so you can't brush that off and say music is different.
Even ignoring the crazies think of this another way: kids can indeed have trouble differentiating certain forms of entertainment from reality...and adults are the ones who should know better then to believe everything a rapper says.
I feel this is relevant to the topic and I really respect and agree with this woman: