Originally posted by: DiZASTiX
Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
If someone grew up in the ghetto, managed to make it big and become rich and move into the good life, shouldn't they try to bring their friends who were left behind into the rich life as well?
Why should they continue to rap about it to make it "seem cool" instead of telling them ways to get out of it and change their lives. They don't even need to use money, their voice and message is enough. Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, Jurassic 5, etc.. they all grew up in the ghetto but are still producing songs with positive messages.
Jay Z said it best in one of his songs where he wished he could rhyme like Talib Kweli and Common, but knew that wouldn't bring in any money.
Yeah, reminds me of Talib's line on his track "Ghetto Show"
"'If lyrics sold then truth be told
I'll probably be just as rich and famous as jay-z"
Originally posted by: DiZASTiX
Originally posted by: yllus
Few things are funnier than an Internet forum of predominantly white or Asian geeks arguing over what defines the rap genre. If Will Smith isn't cut out to criticize the industry, it's interesting that many of you feel that you do...
Winner. It took 3 pages for me to find a post I agree with.
The biggest problem with this thread is that you are all using the term "message" loosely. 99% of you are talking about the "rap" you see on MTV and VH1...then a few of you throw in names like Tupac and NWA thinking knowing old school rappers makes you better in this thread. For these reason and more, I will not join this argument but I will say this: most of you are wasting your finger strength, stop typing.
Originally posted by: Bumrush99
Originally posted by: konichiwa
Will Smith's comments may be on the right track, but he has no clout to support his views.
Clout? Please define when a person has clout. Having clout is a subjective issues, something that involves an opinion. He may not have clout to you, but he may have clout with others. Stop acting like you are the final authority on his career and how much weight he carries in the hip-hop world. As a matter of fact, Will Smith got plenty of people into rap, hip hop, whatever you want to call it back in the late 80's probably well before you were born.
I didn't start listening to Public Enemy until after I got a good taste of rap through his first album. Just because he doesn't fit your profile of a what hard rapper/hip-hop artist should be , it doesn't mean he has no clout.. Or perhaps you need to compare him to tainted or dead artists that are hard like ODB, Easy E, Tupac, Biggie, R Kelly.
EDIT: And BTW, I don't even like his acting or his music beyond some of his first songs when I was I kid
Originally posted by: Proletariat
The only way to fix this is to deflate the huge gap that seperates the wealthy and the ghetto-dwellers. Until that happens this type of music and culture is going to be very popular.
Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN
Article
Smith, who won the first rap Grammy in 1988 for his squeaky-clean "Parents Just Don't Understand," said he wants hip-hop artists to recognize their importance and shift away from thuggish themes.
"It's real important to have balance of the imagery. Yes, there are people who fire guns in the street, but there's also doctors who go to work in those areas to feed their children."
That's the image of survivors. The dude that sells the drugs or has the guns or is most willing to kill somebody is the dude that has the greatest potential for survival, or at least that's the perception. So that's what people strive for.
"What I'm trying to present and what a lot of other artists are presenting is a different approach to survival and a more sound approach to survival. It's a more long-term approach based on intellect and skills that can't be taken away from you: The smartest dude survives the best."
Smith picks out Common and Mos Def as other artists "that really have something to say that don't necessarily fit on the `106th & Park' top 10."
He's pretty much expounding on what Bill Cosby said earlier, and I'm happy he's trying to bring forth that image.
Too bad that most folks will probably ignore him and say that he sold out.
Originally posted by: desk
Originally posted by: pyonir
There are TONS of rap artists that don't use the "gangsta" image already.
exaaaaaactly. what he's saying is fine.
but these artists already exist. its the president's/ceo's of the record companies and media conglomerates that decide not to play their stuff.
Originally posted by: Bumrush99
The culture of hip-hop is crap. It has nothing to do with history or oppression, it has everything to do with the exploitation and glorification of a thuggish lifestyle to increase records sales.
There is no underground hip-hop scene with a message, it has become all about the bling-bling, the bitches and hoes and the pimped out rides. The new wave of hip-hop artists couldn?t hold Public Enemy?s jock strap.
I personally worked several hip-hop conventions and can tell you that the lifestyle is disgusting, that the drug use and the quality of women they attract is the lowest of the low. Not to say that all hip hop artists are like that, but no matter how you spin it, these guys do MUCH MORE HARM than good to the people they supposedly represent or sing for. Half of them aren?t even thugs, they are no different than Marilyn Manson acting like a nutcase.
I applaud Will Smith for his comments, and while I don?t like his acting or rapping skills, I like his positive attitude. I?m sure all the wannabe thugs and gangsters will spend some time dissing him in their raps, heck it will probably sell more records to pad their multimillion dollar ?poor thug? lifestyle.
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: PawNtheSandman
Do I have to remind you people?
"Wild, Wild, West"
Will Smith Trivia:
Once stated that in his whole career he most regrets turning down the part of Neo in "The Matrix" and the film that he most regrets making was "Wild Wild West".
At least the guy admits it was bad.
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: konichiwa
The reason Will Smith's prowess as a rapper does matter is because in order for his comments to hold any weight he needs respect in his field. He has none. Whether you guys on here believe it or not, Will Smith is a bad rapper. I can't and won't force that point anymore because the argument is going in circles. You guys think he's a good rapper but I know what I'm talking about. And for the guy who said that rap is not a black art, get your head out of your ass.
If Al Sharpton came with a press conference saying that politicians need to be more frank and straightforward, would anyone care? Sure his message is a good one but in order for that message to actually WORK one needs to garner some respect first. Neither Will Smith nor Al Sharpton has done that. (And please let's not turn this into an Al Sharpton debate, it's merely an example)
Your argument makes no sense. If president Bush were to come out and say that most rap today was degrading to women and promoted violence and drug use, I don't think that people would say "Oh well, he isn't a rapper so he should shut the fvck up." It doesn't work like that. You don't need to have respect of the people that make the crap rap put out today. You need to have the respect of the people that BUY the stuff because they are the ones that put the money in these bastards' pockets. If people stop buying their sh!t, they're start singing a different tune.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out today that mainstream rap is full of degrading bullsh!t and violence.
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Originally posted by: Proletariat
The only way to fix this is to deflate the huge gap that seperates the wealthy and the ghetto-dwellers. Until that happens this type of music and culture is going to be very popular.
But there are people who are lazy/stupid, and they'll always be poor. There's a good chance that that's how they got in the ghetto in the first place.
It's like the scum on the bottom of the pool. You might want to mix that scum up with the rest of the water again so everything's mixed up and equal. But since you didn't do anything to address the cause of why it got to the bottom on the first place, it's just going to end up there again.
You can buy a ghettomonger a nice house and give him a million bucks. After a few years I'll guarantee that they're back in the ghetto again, having spent all their money and sold their house.
They're in the ghetto for a reason...
Originally posted by: pyonir
There are TONS of rap artists that don't use the "gangsta" image already.
Originally posted by: Staples
Originally posted by: pyonir
There are TONS of rap artists that don't use the "gangsta" image already.
Unfortunately, very few of them are popular.
Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
Originally posted by: Staples
Originally posted by: pyonir
There are TONS of rap artists that don't use the "gangsta" image already.
Unfortunately, very few of them are popular.
i agree...the image has gone way to far...