Jason Whitlock column on Taylor

What I can't stop thinking about is his analogy of hip hop to the KKK.

That's just wrong all the way around. Even the KKK would find that offensive.

My guess to why Whitlock feels so strongly against hip hop is - he must have been wronged (probably gotten beaten up) by a youngster(s) that fit his description of what hip hop is (and maybe he was right).

That's where prejudicism and discrimination usually comes in. When you have a disdain for a group of people for what an individual or several people have done to you.

He talks about not perpetuating and re-enforcing these stereotypes, but then he does it when he speaks and in his article.

I actually think that violence is less promoted in hip hop. I think he still holds on to what he has seen in the old 90's gangster movies with the bloods and crips and all of that. Don't get me wrong those things still go on, but not as prevalent and not to the extent as those movies seem to show.

It may be a little insensitive to do this, but let me compare this to the media's perception of Sean Taylor and what Sean Taylor seemed to be to his friends, teammates, and family. That's the same thing you have with the perception of hip hop, or rather misconception and misundertanding of. Your gonna believe what you want to believe, but that doesn't mean it's true.

I agree with you warriorzpath, hip hop doesn't promote violence, but only because hip hop is not some monolithic institution. There are some rappers that do glorify violence, but that's not an issue for a Redskins forum.

As it relates to the issue at hand, none of this does anything to stem the tide of black on black crime.

Violence is an American problem. Point blank period. Hip Hop is thuggish because America is thuggish. Ask any other country. Hip hop is blamed for every thing wrong in the Black community because certain individuals from the black community who call themselves leaders have no answers for the problems in the black community. Also these so called leaders are not man enough to accept responsibility for their failed leadership. Step down I say. Hip Hop was born in violent communities i.e. Bronx 1970's. Hip Hop's stated purpose from day one was to give gang members a medium for artistic expression, an alternative to violence (breakdancing, grafiti etc.) Hence the thug influence on hip hop. It's purpose was for thugs in a thug environment (i.e switch blades, west side story, grease). The inhabitants of that environment understand Hip Hop does not cause violence. Violence reflects the environment from which Hip Hop was born. An environment created by failed leadership and made worse with the introduction of crack (i.e. Reaganomics, Iran-Contra). Like Mike Wilbon said in his article get out the best way you can from such an environment, for some it takes longer. If a kid is born in a war zone do you blame him for being a warrior? What once was hidden in the black community became seen, Hip Hop aired the dirty laundry (i.e. keep it real). The so called leaders (i.e. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and company) had been lying to the media, white america, and Hip Hop exposed them. Now they are irrelevant and fighting for relevance. So now they have an answer for the black communities problems. After all these years (since the 60's). Hip Hop is keeping us from solving the black communities problems is what false leaders say. How weak minded does Whitlock think the black community is? Watch a video and then go sell crack? I guess it had nothing to do with being broke and having no economic development in the black community. W's answer for stopping violence in Third World countries with all the oil is economic development, hence forth your solution. Ask W, economic development eases violence. Unemployed youths join gangs and crime. I have heard Condi say it a many a night.

Violence is an American problem. Point blank period. Hip Hop is thuggish because America is thuggish. Ask any other country. Hip hop is blamed for every thing wrong in the Black community because certain individuals from the black community who call themselves leaders have no answers for the problems in the black community. Also these so called leaders are not man enough to accept responsibility for their failed leadership. Step down I say. Hip Hop was born in violent communities i.e. Bronx 1970's. Hip Hop's stated purpose from day one was to give gang members a medium for artistic expression, an alternative to violence (breakdancing, grafiti etc.) Hence the thug influence on hip hop. It's purpose was for thugs in a thug environment (i.e switch blades, west side story, grease). The inhabitants of that environment understand Hip Hop does not cause violence. Violence reflects the environment from which Hip Hop was born. An environment created by failed leadership and made worse with the introduction of crack (i.e. Reaganomics, Iran-Contra). Like Mike Wilbon said in his article get out the best way you can from such an environment, for some it takes longer. If a kid is born in a war zone do you blame him for being a warrior? What once was hidden in the black community became seen, Hip Hop aired the dirty laundry (i.e. keep it real). The so called leaders (i.e. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and company) had been lying to the media, white america, and Hip Hop exposed them. Now they are irrelevant and fighting for relevance. So now they have an answer for the black communities problems. After all these years (since the 60's). Hip Hop is keeping us from solving the black communities problems is what false leaders say. How weak minded does Whitlock think the black community is? Watch a video and then go sell crack? I guess it had nothing to do with being broke and having no economic development in the black community W's answer for stopping violence in Third World countries with all the oil is economic development, hence forth your solution. Ask W, economic development eases violence. Unemployed youths join gangs and crime. I have heard Condi say it a many a night

[QUOTE]I guess it had nothing to do with being broke and having no economic development in the black community.


I think this is what he's getting at, making excuses to commit crimes. I take it all these rappers have a lot of money? Why do they continue to break the law after financial success? And lastly I feel blaming crime on lack of economic value is a slap in the face to every kid who grows up in that type of enviroment and doesn't go on to be a criminal, I bet there are more people in a poor economic situation that don't become criminals than those that do? Which should tell you there are other means in which you can succeed without becoming public enemy number one.

quote:
Which should tell you there are other means in which you can succeed without becoming public enemy number one.

I agree like being an artist and expressing how you feel and selling it to the masses.

Bronx 1970's. Hip Hop's stated purpose from day one was to give gang members a medium for artistic expression, an alternative to violence (breakdancing, grafiti etc.) Hence the thug influence on hip hop.

Making a gangster rap record does not make you a criminal.

With failed leadership what are the alternatives. The community created an alternative. Something the failed leaders did not do.

Making a gangster rap record does not make you a criminal.

It doesn't make you a responsible citizen either. I don't know... there are many lucrative career fields out there that capitalize off of what some would call immorality (highly subjective term). I think gangsta rapper is one of them. If you're making your living through promoting violence and criminal activity, you're not a good person, in my eyes (if that matters). Still, I have to agree with your overall point, gangsta rap/hip hop music/culture is not the responsible party for violence among young people, civic leadership is. When you are the/a leader of a group of people, and that group of people is in a non-improving situation, you are at fault. That's thing with being in charge, it makes you responsible. I'd love to see a strong black leader that was truly devoted to improving the situation for young people. And I'm a white dude... I'm damn sure I don't know anything about the situation comparatively but there just has to be soooo much wasted potential. How many fantastic futures are being discarded because there is no one to show these young people the way?

So much wasted potential. So much, an that is the point. Each person will have their own opinion about what is moral and what is not. If you get rich making records and you improve your family's condition. In my opinion you don't have to apologize to anyone. If Hip Hop is glorifying violence you could say MTV is glorifying homosexuality. You may not think homosexuality is wrong but some people do. You can nit pick anything. Making gangster rap records is not a crime.