Mat- You seem like your heart is in the right place, but something running through your posts here is a weird focus on what gets called racist, rather than what is racist(e.g. who gets "a pass" and why).

That's a symptom, a second order consequence, and considering the main disease there is "centuries of institutional white supremacy" to worry about who gets called racist by snarky randoms on the internet seems a bit trivial.

Oh we're getting all the greatest hits now, SINCERITY is apparently a defense to that accusation now

I mean Dr dre built 2 separate billion dollar businesses from nothing aftermath and beats while writing poetry that connects with millions and millions of people. He does more productive good in a week than we will probably do in a lifetime.

Where is Detox, though? What we need is tax cuts to encourage a culture of work, obviously.

Why are you taking it as a "defense"? He was honest about his opinion. Many people don't even have the ****ing balls to be honest about **** like that because of the backlash that'll come out over it.

I'll say the same exact thing. I am constantly walking down side streets in my city at 1-5am in the morning. I don't like any group of young men walking towards or behind me. I cross the street for all of them because the chances are they are probably drunk at that time. I don't walk through groups of white guys either at that time. Just easier to avoid anything that could possibly happen.

Is that racist? Then so be it.

Exactly where do you get this whole "more productive good in a week" thing from? How do you know this?

It is hyperbole intended to throw into sharp contrast the difference between reality and the narrative that you and jonnycrash seem to be working with with regards to 'rap culture'. Productive good in this case means creating countless mutually beneficial transactions and generating wealth by adding value to raw materials.

Ehh. I generally agree. I realize I don't go around shooting people because I grew up playing Counterstrike or Grand Theft Auto. I also realize I don't disrespect or shoot at police officers because I listened to N.W.A.'s "**** the police" track.

That doesn't mean I don't have some problems with "rap culture". For many kids who grow up in inner city environments I think it's very detrimental to their mentality. Growing up in the suburbs or in a strong household where your family's values override any stupid cultural influences you may come across through popular media, in my opinion, can be very different.

Nobody here would say that's racist, and I refuse to believe that you think otherwise. Like there may be unnecessary accusations of racism thrown around here, but at least when it happens it's when the discussion actually involves race and not just some guy who doesn't like walking past drunk men at 5am.

This is also not exactly the same thing JohnnyCrash said, at all.

Dude gave an honest opinion--our of nowhere that wasn't connected to any discussion itt.

The white panic about rap culture is racist in itself. Nobody complains about Martin Scorcese movies and how they glorify the gangster life--why is that?

Laughed? You weren't terrified?

Well images like that obviously only come from rap videos.

I am deeply concerned about the culture of heavy metal music, which we all know is closely correlated with murder, devil worship and LARP.

Because it is not nearly as influential and prominent as 'gangster rap' is on society?

I agree with a lot of your points, but this comparison seems fairly hollow.

I am curious if you think that the popularity and overall influence of 'gangster rap', with some of its focus on being a hard badass, material possessions, the objectifying of women, etc... has any sort of negative influence on urban african-american youth? or is it neutral? or is it positive?

I'm sure it has a negative influence. Like porn and a thousand other cultural influences are probably net negative.

Lol at all the white suburbs guys making this bull**** comparison to what is "gangsta" and what isn't. You talk about about white panic about rap culture, which routinely glorifies violence and specifically tries it's best to come off as violent and "gangsta" as possible. This mentality is prevalent in inner city neighborhoods and is extremely dangerous and detrimental.

We aren't talking about kids living in decent conditions trying to be cool by having dipped pants and their hat tilted to the side. We're not talking about suburban kids doing the Shmoney dance and making self made videos so they can be put on a Vine.

I'm talking about inner city hardcore mfers who don't snitch and have a gun in the wheel well of a car within 15 feet of the corner they are standing on. I'm talking about the teenagers you know you don't walk past on a dark street because you'll get stuck up.

I truly believe the vast majority of you have no idea what the **** you are talking about. You see things in your perspective, a relatively safe one, and pass judgement on everyone who may have a wary attitude towards "thug life". After being in multiple fist fights, stuck up 3 times, having a gun pointed to my chest, and knowing many people who've been murdered or shot over trivial things, you have some balls thinking you know how it really is.



The entire thing is pretty entertaining but at least watch 20:15 - 24:20, it's a few minutes that will open your eyes a bit. I live in this city. I've been to these neighborhoods (not in quite a long time). I've known people EXACTLY like this. Don't tell me wtf I should be wary or not wary of. I'd bet quite a bit 99% of you have never dealt with this type of mentality EVER, and that's a good thing.

So go ahead and revel in your holier-than-thou attitudes, but realize that in the real world you might get a ****ing gun stuck to your head, and you can give it up and still get popped.

What is it about people that buy into this racist bull**** that prevents them from being the least bit self-reflective on their own culture? Mother****er, you're named after Johnny Cash! ****ing Johnny Cash who led a notoriously pious and straight laced public life and sang such peaceful songs as I Won't Back Down, which glorifies violence if ever a song did. here you are thinking a song whose title implies avoiding conflict is helping to destroy black society because they are carrying guns openly? Mother****er, WHITE PEOPLE OPENLY GLORIFY GUN OWNERSHIP. They want people carrying guns in schools and to the ****ing supermarket. But you don't ever stop and openly wonder about how Folsom Prison Blues or Family Tradition is destroying white culture. I WONDER WHY?

13ball,

Agree. I think gangster rap/hip-hop music is incredibly misogynistic, and promotes other poor ideals into the culture that embraces it.

I think 'bro country' music is also misogynistic and promotes other **** I think is negative for society.

I think violent films promote violence, etc etc.

But I think that of these, one has more influence on a larger culture of people, and so yeah i don't get why you seem to seem to be drawing the parallel to violent films. People do complain about them.

your post of as a reply to wil saying:
is kind of bull****. is wil 'white panicking' here? is he being a racist?

i think the level of influence on culture from ****ty, misogynistic, homophobic, 'gangster glorifying' rap/hip hop music sucks, and is kind of a big, widespread, culturally defining thing.

I generally agree with you a lot and consider you a fairly rational, intelligent person. But this post is just brutal.

You know there are scholarly journals on this topic you can read, right?

lol. Dude, "**** the Police" isn't a sentiment that sprang form nowhere. It's the sentiment of people who have been discriminated against for decades. There's no doubt that some gansta rap is a bad influence, but mostly it's a descriptive art form and not a prescriptive one.

I'm pretty sure crime predates rap.

What kind of music did you listen to when these things happened?


youtoobzcat.gif, but you can be wary of dangerous situations, it's just lol that you think gangsta rap has much of an influence. Swapping Three Six Mafia out with Dan Fogelberg won't even move the needle.

What music will stop this from happening?

not johnny cash, thats for sure

wait,
wait, so you don't think it has much of an influence and shapes the cultural views of the young men that are encompassed by it?

I don't think he's all white panicking, and I agree that the Scorcese comparison isn't 100% apt. But he's certainly conflating a symptom with a cause.

Tens of millions of people consume gangsta rap and the vast, vast majority do not join or form gangs. Just like when my friends and I listened to Kill 'Em All, we never bothered to actually kill them all.

Um, no I don't. Somehow with all this gangsta rap, crime rates have been falling.

You've... you've never actually listened to Johnny Cash, have you.

i agree, and i am glad you didn't. i think with the high level of consumption/big $ business/marketing though there can be plenty negative cultural and community results aside from people actually going out and carrying out the most violent of acts.

recommend this movie. it's interesting.

I don't think its wrong to think that "Gangsta Rap" is a bad influence on people. My issue is more that its focusing on a small subset of the problem - a subset largely defined by race.

It's sort of like crack vs. cocaine. I don't think somebody defending the punishments for crack is inherently racist. It's just when they make crack the focus and ignore other equivalent (or more problematic) drugs differentiated mainly by the race of the stereotypical user, that it becomes racist.