Hip-Hop: Art or Poison?

[Katherine Brengle]

Anyone else watching this on CNN?

[itsmesgd]

1. is this important news???

Paula has spent the past...forever doing "race related issues". It's about as relavent as Britney's hair. Why fight the real enemy, lets bitch about rap.

[Katherine Brengle]

4. I didn't say it was news.

I asked if anyone else was watching it.

[itsmesgd]

7. no no, I'm not criticising you. I'm making fun of Zahn

I think that it's a fluff piece

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Abstract expressionism...

is it a new form of art, or a threat to our children?

:rofl:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Clearly, it's poisonous.

It's been shown to induce melanoma in European rats.

[Katherine Brengle]

6. lol

[ls317]

3. So far its decent

Chuck D brought some good points to the table in the first segment.

[Katherine Brengle]

5. The last three bobble-heads said some good things as well --

my favorite was the guy who said "previous generations wouldn't have tolerated the excess of this music."

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. To Me It's Poison, But To Each Their Own.

[katsy]

10. Art can be a reflection of it's society.

Better question: Is our society poisonous?

[Bronyraurus]

11. NWA's Straight Outa Compton is one of my faves

The lyrics are dicey, but if you don't like it, don't listen to it. I doubt that many kids killed people because they listened to it.

On the other hand, hip-hop does promote a certain view of black masculinity that has become the dominant paradigm in black and especially inner-city society. And it's not a particularly productive ideal to aspire to, if its adherents ever feel like getting decent jobs.

But most people, I think, can enjoy the music without wanting to beat bitches up and smoke motherfuckers, or at least look like they do.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Actually, That's A Great Album. RIP Eazy-E n/t

[Bronyraurus]

16. And that's when I saw...

...some niggas that I DON'T like.

[Solo_in_MD]

13. You can't spell CRAP without RAP

the whole street thug calling women ho's and bitches only makes it sillier. I have laughed at some of the purveyors who got very upset that I "dissed" them. It made it worse, and I didn't care

[donheld]

23. You know it's not all like that -- stop the stereotype

:spank: Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah, Kanye West, Mary J Blige, John Legend + others prove that.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

14. Art.

I'm referring to the true hip-hop that's out there, not the crap played on MTV and BET.

Anyone who thinks it's all about "bitches and hoes" isn't paying attention. It's the equivalent of saying Kenny G represents jazz while completely ignoring John Coltrane.

[cgrindley]

15. Baroque Music: Art or Poison?

I think that hip hop is too big of a subject to be either art or poison. Sort of like Baroque Music... Telemann sucked but JS and Handel were okay. Some organ music is a little grandiose, and almost all harpsichord ornamentation is pointless and irritating. Same thing's true of hip hop.

[Bullet1987]

18. You can tell...

They tried to frame the special around Hip-Hop being responsible for violence. It fell flat when nearly all the panelists disagreed with her. Truth is, a certain form of Hip-Hop may promote violence...but so does numerous video games and movies (which nobody mentioned). I don't see people attacking Martin Scorsese whenever he makes another Italian Mafia movie...which is indirectly glorifying the mob. In a lot of mob films, cheating and beating on your wife and over-masculinity is seen there too. And movies like The Godfather are seen as classics...it's a double-standard to hold ONLY rap music accountable.

Just like I agree with Chuck D and the others when they said you also have to hold the music companies like Universal accountable as well for only marketing the bad side of Hip-Hop and not just the rappers. The rappers are a product of the market...they don't dictate it. Overall, I thought it was solely going to attack rap music (which technically it tried to do), but luckily they had a good number of panelists who wouldn't go along with the program.

[KharmaTrain]

17. Disco: Art Or Poison

Look...it made people wear polyester and let hair grow from places it shouldn't have. It was the worst of times. :rofl:

Personally, I'd rather see a show on Art of Noise...far more interesting.

BTW...does Zahn still have a show? I knew CNN ran something vs. Olbermann but hell if I've bothered to watch them since Keith is on.

[manic expression]

19. And the racists rejoice

Next on CNN: are blacks a hinderance to sivilized society? :eyes: Quasi-supremacist f*cks.

[Bronyraurus]

21. Come on, Manic

How many people freaked out about heavy metal back in the day? I don't think this is about race.

[killbotfactory]

27. If there is a racist motive in this, it's kind of ironic

since white people "consume" most of this music.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

20. CNN Reporting: Fart Or Poison?

[GreenZoneLT]

22. Oh, it's definitely Ruining America.

Just look at all the girls who have become obese because of Sir Mixalot's "I Like Big Butts."

Personally, I blame Warner Brothers' gangster pictures of the late '20s and early '30s for the 1933-34 crime wave of Dillinger, the Barker-Karpis gang and Bonnie and Clyde.

[conscious evolution]

24. It started off as art

And I'm sure there is still some art aspect to it out there.

Today,though,it is mostly poison.

Thank Clear Channel for that.

[Hosnon]

25. I simply love how everything in life is labeled as X or Y.

As we all know from experience, everything is easily fit into categories and there is no gradation between extremes.

:sarcasm:

[petronius]

29. Post #25: 'reasonable analysis' or 'asinine drivel'?

:shrug: ;)

(And yes, that whole X or Y thinking is ridiculous. Unfortunately it fits in a headline or a 15 second sound-bite, and exaggerated dichotomies serve to get people all heated up for verbal combat - and that's just good TV...)

[Hosnon]

33. I'm going with asinine drivel. That poster NEVER knows what he is talking about.

:P

I think the main reason I posted was to use the sarcasm smilie...never had a chance to use it before.

[oldlady]

26. It's the Corporations, Silly.

Underground hip hop is bangin! My son performs regularly on a local circuit & I know lots of young (under 25) hip hop artists. They are some of the most well-informed, politically aware, socially committed, optimistic & non-violent people I know. Now...they wouldn't be chosen to open for many big name acts, of course, but they are making great stuff & have loyal local & online fan bases. If you think Kucinich is too progressive, check out the politics of Saul Williams -- love that man!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

28. Does your son have a website?

I'd love to check out his music. :hi:

[devilgrrl]

30. Yep. Most of what is exposed to the asses which make up the masses is utter crap.

And that's exactly what the "liberal media" wants you to see - the ass-clowns of hip-hop, the misogyny, the violence.

Think about your favorite genres of music... do you ever hear the really good stuff on commercial radio?

There is some very good "well-informed, politically aware, socially committed, optimistic & non-violent" hip-hop out there, most people just don't know about it.

BTW, Saul Williams is simply wonderful! :-)

[conscious evolution]

32. You are absolutely right

Like I said earlier. Thank Clear Channel(and others).
It's no accident that "well-informed, politically aware, socially committed, optimistic & non-violent" gets no airplay.
Mass media hip-hop is programmed to appeal to the worst instincts? impulses?* in its listeners and re-enforces bigoted stereotypes in freeps and sheeps.

A bad combination all around.



*not really sure what word exactly expresses my thought here.Definitely a negative word though.lol.

[enigmatic]

31. Art/Poison

Art:



Poison: