Rap About Nothing: Hip Hop Chat Thread

[trynafeelmink]

Drug dealing. _'s going from city to city setting up crews. Yall been having gangs in NY forever, with the leather vets and s***.

Street rap/gangster rap has played a part but that ain't the source of people turning to the streets to get easy/fast money.

This is 100% true but as someone who vividly remembers the first wave of Bloods around 95-96 coming from Rikers/upstate jails..... and then the wave after Dipset..... Hiphop played a huge part in that spreading the way it did

 

[Present]

Eh.

Chicken meets Egg.

The subject comes before the matter.

If there were no ops (subject) then there would be no subject matter (op music).

I do see your point though.

Culture does impact the environment however music is simply the expression of a culture.

A culture of lost values will find lots of ways to express itself no matter the skin tone - especially if there is a dollar to be made by appealing to the lowest common denominator (sex / money / violence).

The problem IMHO is (for better or worse) there are those of us who have been around long enough to recall when you could hear the most positive, inspiring, uplifting. encouraging, and intelligent, raps on the radio station / music video channels.

Even with the positive messages / intelligent artists, the crime was higher.

These days the balance has shifted towards profits / large corporations and the music reflects that culture.

Even with all the negative messages / ignorant artists, the crime is lower.

 

[cragmatic]

Blaming hip hop for all the crime in the black community is low level critical thinking at best, blatant racism at worse.

Ask yourself this question. Why are all these low income black families living in the same areas in every single big city? Chicago, NYC, LA, Atlanta it doesn’t matter where you go it’s all the same.

These same areas in each city also just so happen to have the worst schools, most liquor stores, poorer quality nutrition choices, little to no job opportunities.

But yes let’s blame the 20 something year old rapper for destroying the black community

 

[Present]

Art imitates life.

The only reason songs like this exist is because the times were so bad back then.

There were no Puff Daddy's dancing in these videos for a reason.









The fact that the Crips / Bloods even exist at all is a response to environmental factors imposed upon us by a culture that was outside our own / our control.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

All his features with Mozzy straight, I ain't know he had this much heat.

 

[tay1]

All his features with Mozzy straight, I ain't know he had this much heat.

Shoreline shordie dope. Unique voice. Haven’t heard a bad project from him at all.

 

[$tacy]

Big glo really the hardest female out

 

[kingfoamnyc]

Stop talking about me.

 

[2163O1baller90]

Boston Richey should have released a project by now smh

 

[rbk93]

 

[JRaW’d]

glo n her friends gotta good thing goin. DOPE chemistry between them AND they all nice fr.

They in house producer perfect for them.

Rootin for em…

 

[cragmatic]

Another newer great track tackling the topic of rappers dying/violence in rap.

But yeah, it has no influence on people getting killed right

 

[DripNick]

Another newer great track tackling the topic of rappers dying/violence in rap.

But yeah, it has no influence on people getting killed right

Now do Quentin Tarantino movies, I'm tryna see something

 

[wavycrocket]

These dudes were actually rapping on the corner in north Philly, in 1968 wow!



Also, another great watch. Claude was talking the real a couple mins in the doc. Loved how he shot down the interviewers attempt at affirming the bs Moniyham report.



Entire doc



All relevant to the convos from yesterday

 

[Magic33]

Blaming hip hop for all the crime in the black community is low level critical thinking at best, blatant racism at worse.

Ask yourself this question. Why are all these low income black families living in the same areas in every single big city? Chicago, NYC, LA, Atlanta it doesn’t matter where you go it’s all the same.

These same areas in each city also just so happen to have the worst schools, most liquor stores, poorer quality nutrition choices, little to no job opportunities.

But yes let’s blame the 20 something year old rapper for destroying the black community

Yep, people are blaming hip hop for ALL the crime in the black community.

The goal post move in order to deny it's influence

 

[WASHED KING]

Yep, people are blaming hip hop for ALL the crime in the black community.

The goal post move in order to deny it's influence

Just because you’re wrong doesn’t mean the goal posted was moved. You missed no one moved it.

You asked was hip hop “THE CAUSE” or “A CAUSE”. I responded with what was THE cause of crime. You then responded with crips and bloods.

Where did I move a goal post?

 

[Magic33]

Just because you’re wrong doesn’t mean the goal posted was moved. You missed no one moved it.

You asked was hip hop “THE CAUSE” or “A CAUSE”. I responded with what was THE cause of crime. You then responded with crips and bloods.

Where did I move a goal post?

What am I wrong about?

That rap music and gangs have a negative influence on the black community?

Do you know the difference in me saying THE CAUSE or A Cause? Because nobody is saying THE cause, but you keep trying to say THE cause to negate what people are saying. You know damn well people aren't saying that.

Just like poverty isn't the cause for ALL the violence, nothing is 100%.

Yeah, Charleston White is saying gangs are the cause for ALL the violence

 

[cragmatic]

Now do Quentin Tarantino movies, I'm tryna see something

Do people watch Tarantino movies when they are driving to work? When they are at the gym? Do they play the same movie over and over and over?

I see what you’re trying to do but I don’t think it’s quite the same comparison.

We don’t consume movies the same way we consume music.

And since we are on the topic, maybe I’m wrong, but it’s easier to separate a movie as a fictional story, but we listen to music as an extension of an artists self expression, and some of them rap like they really be in the streets killing people. But what do I know lol

 

[trynafeelmink]

The standard literally being the crack Era in order to state things have gotten better is Wild

Yes crime has went down…. After cities got billions in funding for crime, more jails were built, and technology advanced to a point where there’s cameras on every corner & everyone’s pocket.

The consciousness of the rap community is just as bad if not worse than it was 30 years ago & we keep making excuses for the ********.

Have y’all seen what these politicians doing out here?? Those outside factors are always gonna be there … so we gonna be in a helpless situation until we decide to switch **** up

 

[WASHED KING]

What am I wrong about?

That rap music and gangs have a negative influence on the black community?

Do you know the difference in me saying THE CAUSE or A Cause? Because nobody is saying THE cause, but you keep trying to say THE cause to negate what people are saying. You know damn well people aren't saying that.

Just like poverty isn't the cause for ALL the violence, nothing is 100%.

Yeah, Charleston White is saying gangs are the cause for ALL the violence

I know the difference do you? Your post was framed as a question. I answered the question.

YOU didn’t like the answer which is why we’re still talking about it now. The type of violence we’re talking about can 100% be tied back to poverty that was created by systematic racism.

You have suburban white kids all across the country listening to rap why aren’t they spinning the block on their opps? Hip-hop didn’t become the biggest music genre from just black people consuming it. By your logic we should be seeing the same gang activity among these white kids right? Since the music is an influence and what not.

The standard literally being the crack Era in order to state things have gotten better is Wild

Yes crime has went down…. After cities got billions in funding for crime, more jails were built, and technology advanced to a point where there’s cameras on every corner & everyone’s pocket.

The consciousness of the rap community is just as bad if not worse than it was 30 years ago & we keep making excuses for the bull****.

Have y’all seen what these politicians doing out here?? Those outside factors are always gonna be there … so we gonna be in a helpless situation until we decide to switch **** up

I don’t have the energy for a bootstraps debate today.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Let's say hip hop is the reason or a big reason why people in poverty turn to illegal activities, what's the solution? Because it's been talking in circles for 2 days.

 

[Magic33]

I know the difference do you? Your post was framed as a question. I answered the question.

YOU didn’t like the answer which is why we’re still talking about it now. The type of violence we’re talking about can 100% be tied back to poverty that was created by systematic racism.

You have suburban white kids all across the country listening to rap why aren’t they spinning the block on their opps? Hip-hop didn’t become the biggest music genre from just black people consuming it. By your logic we should be seeing the same gang activity among these white kids right? Since the music is an influence and what not.

You didn't answer, you dodged the argument like Floyd dodged fighters and punches.

It's not 100% tied to poverty, because if it was, Gunna and Young Thug would be on tour right now.

Nothing is 100%, but solving part of the problem helps. So, education, gangs, rap music, poverty, single parent homes, mental health, are all parts of the problem.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Let's say hip hop is the reason or a big reason why people in poverty turn to illegal activities, what's the solution? Because it's been talking in circles for 2 days.

In the simplest form, Use that same exact platform to denounce all the **** **** that is currently going on..

 

[WASHED KING]

You didn't answer, you dodged the argument like Floyd dodged fighters and punches.

It's not 100% tied to poverty, because if it was, Gunna and Young Thug would be on tour right now.

Nothing is 100%, but solving part of the problem helps. So, education, gangs, rap music, poverty, single parent homes, mental health, are all parts of the problem.

You're proving my point here. Is Young Thug the individual he is now today due to his childhood and the environment he grew up in or is it due to rap music? Grew up in poverty, didn't finish high school, served 4 years in juvie, already involved in gang activity. On the flipside does he become the artist he is now without experiencing those things?

Adding an influx of money into his life wasn't going to change the way he was living his life. It just amplified it even more.

Is rap music a cause of the violence in the black community or is it a reflection of what's going on?

 

[sneakaprince]

You're proving my point here. Is Young Thug the individual he is now today due to his childhood and the environment he grew up in or is it due to rap music? Grew up in poverty, didn't finish high school, served 4 years in juvie, already involved in gang activity. On the flipside does he become the artist he is now without experiencing those things?

Adding an influx of money into his life wasn't going to change the way he was living his life. It just amplified it even more.

Is rap music a cause of the violence in the black community or is it a reflection of what's going on?

Just playing Devils Advocate:


Thug himself has admitted that Lil Wayne is one of his biggest influences. As evidenced by his early music, Thug pretty much wanted to be Wayne.

While all the other things you stated are true, how much influence do you think Wayne had on Thug getting down with the Bloods and eventually becoming "the biggest blood in America" (his words not mine).

While I agree that due to surroundings maybe that was inevitable, but how much influence do you think younger Wayne proliferating gang **** at his peak had to do with Thug staying active even when had literal songs with Elton John.

I get it this might be a chicken or the egg thing but as someone who spent years working with kids let me tell you what you should already know: Kids are impressionable as hell. Too many artist glorify street ****, that makes it look "cool" to kids who would otherwise avoid those things.

We all heard those stories of white (and black) kids from the suburbs being obsessed with hip hop and looking for the real thing so they go to places they shouldn't be and get involved with things they shouldn't, and yes those parents should be more involved with their kids but we've all been kids before. Sometimes even the most committed parent can't battle a message thats being reinforced day in and day out via entertainment.