50. Years. Of. Rap. Hip. Hop. Music. .

[harry brown]

There. Is. Talk. And. A. Documentary. About. 50. Years. Of. Hip Hop ,,Rap. Music. .,1979 ,Rappers. Delight ,,Then. Run  D. M. C ,,Kurtis  Blow ..Hip. Hop. Rap. Becoming. Apart. Of. Culture. In. Fashion. ,In,,Literature. ,Black. Athletes ,Tv. Shows. And. Movies... Male And,Female. Rappers. Hip. Hop. Groups.  Then. There. Is. The. Crime..  Murders. Of. Two. Of. The. Greats. Biggie. And  Tupac  . On,,YouTube. There. Is. Talk. Puffy. P. Diddy. Combs. Was. Involved,In. The. Murders. ,And. Shug  Knight.  The. Gestapo  ,White ,Police. Are. Watching. Puffy. Combs. Saw. On. Youtube.  There. Is,,Talk. On. YouTube.  Some. More. Greats. Were. Murdered. ,,.Some,Believe. Heavy. D. ,Aailiyah  ,Whitney. Houston. Was. Murdered .........Kanye. West. Wearing. White. Lives. Tee. Shirt ,,Supporting. Trump. Was. Alright. ,Say. Something. About. The. ,Jewish. ,,He. Is. Hated. ,Loses. Money. .....Frances. Cress. Welsing ,,Said. We. Are. The. Only. Race. That. Is. Taught. To. Hate. Ourselves,,,Call. Each  Other. Vile. Names. .......Rap. Music,,Calling,Black. Women. The. B. Word. Hoes ,,Glamourizeing ,,,Gangs ,Crack. ,Cocaine. ....Lot. Of. Positive. Rappers. Hip hop ,Singers. Including. Chuck. D. Public. Enemy. Sister. Souljah .....The,,Hitler. Police. Do. Not. Care. About. Tupac . Or. His. Murder...Kanye. West. ,Puffy. Combs. ,Jay. Z. Wealthy. Black. Men ,...Racist White. Society. ,Sports. Owners. Want. To. Control.  The,Black. Wealthy. ,Kyrie. Irving. ,Black. Football. Players. ,,Knee!ing. Down. ..Who. Is. Over. Hip. Hop. Rap. Music. .Kanye West. ,Say. The  Jewish ?.?

[ProfD]

Blacks folks were doing dysfunctional sh8t way before somebody looped a beat and rapped about it. 

 

Hip-Hop music isn't responsible for prostitution, drug epidemic or the murder rate.

 

Interestingly, nobody complains about Hollywood glamorizing and glorifying negative themes and images.

 

Seems there is a white vigilante movie every 2-3 years.  John Wick has killed hundreds of people over 4 movies.

 

Black artists and musicians found an entertaining way to capitalize on the negativity within our communities and turned it into a multibillion dollar industry. 

 

Unfortunately, Black folks do not control the power and resources behind that industry.  They have zero say in how the dominant society pushes the music and narratives. 

 

Once white folks have extracted as much money as they want out of Black folks, they either destroy or throw them away.

 

There's no shortage of Black folks who are complicit in our own demise for loose change.

 

Black folks have to get on code and do a better job of controlling our intellectual property and our narratives.   

 

At some point, Black folks have to stop selling out to the dominant society.  

 

Otherwise, music, TV and film fall under the category of entertainment.  It should filtered and consumed accordingly. 

[Troy]

I think what is "new" about hip-hop is how blatant and public the sexual and violent themes are expressed.  The artists who "sold out" allowing themselves to be pimped out for a few shiny things while enriching record executives. Sure, some rappers have become very wealthy. But far more have died violently as a result of the lifestyle.

 

We used to listen to people like Blow-Fly but it was behind closed doors, and we definitely knew better to let our moms know we were listening to such "filth"

 

Before the Furious Five we wondering how to keep from goin' under, we had Gil Scott Heron and The Last Poets. Shoot we had whole Black Art Movement.

 

To the @ProfD's point we have to stop selling out.  Consider some of the principal artists Black Arts Movement.  I defy you to show me one sell out.  Now if I posted a list of the most popular contemporary rappers. Do you think finding sell outs would be as difficult?

 

While "Hip-Hop music isn't responsible for prostitution, drug epidemic or the murder rate." It does glorify this behavior and reenforces the "racist" stereotype in the minds of rap music's biggest consumer: white people.

 

The Brothers and Sisters below, some of whom are still alive, were active in the community doing the work. In America, uplifting Black people does not generate fantastic wealth.  Selling Black people out is what gets people rich.

• Toni Cade Bambara

• Amiri Baraka

• Steve Cannon

• John H. Bracey Jr.

• Gwendolyn Brooks

• Mari Evans

• Nikki Giovanni

• Nathan Hare

• Gil-Scott Heron

• Fred Lee Hord

• Rosa Guy

• John O. Killens

• Etheridge Knight

• Audre Lorde

• Haki Madhubuti

• Paule Marshall

• Larry Neal

• Sterling D. Plumpp

• Eugene Redmond

• Ishmael Reed

• Carolyn Marie Rodgers

• Kalamu ya Salaam

• Sonia Sanchez

• Ntozake Shange

• S. Pearl Sharp

• Askia M. Touré

• Quincy Troupe

• Marvin X

 

[ProfD]

24 minutes ago, Troy said:

We used to listen to people like Blow-Fly but it was behind closed doors, and we definitely knew better to let our moms know we were listening to such "filth"

 

Before the Furious Five we wondering how to keep from goin' under, we had Gil Scott Heron and The Last Poets. Shoot we has whole Black Art Movement.

 

While "Hip-Hop music isn't responsible for prostitution, drug epidemic or the murder rate." It does glorify this behavior and reenforces the "racist" stereotype in the minds of rap music's biggest consumer: white people.

Like every other artform, when it comes to music, the McDonald's version of it will be pushed to the consumers. 

 

Every form of music that is lacking nutritional value (mentally) usually sells like hotcakes.

 

Rock & Roll music is 3 chords and garbage lyrics.  Millions of records sold. 

 

Most R&B music is based on 2-4 chord progressions  and lyrics.  Millions of records sold.  

 

Music that is more complicated harmonically and/or requires folks to actually listen to the lyrics and think is a harder sell.

 

The 1990s through early 2000s glamorized and glorified gangsta rap and blinging out.  Millions of records sold. 

 

Yet, there were still artists like KAM, Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Bahamadia, Ras Kass, Immortal Technique and many others who were conscience in their lyricism. 

 

Most folks have probably only heard of 2 or 3 of the aforementioned.  More than likely, Common is one of them because he's an actor nowadays.

 

The music industry does not promote music that is positive and conscience.  Listeners have to dig for it.  Like Jazz, the music is often an acquired taste.

 

But again, like every other style of music, there's artistic license of freedom and expression. Think Hollywood.

 

Black folks should not have to shy away from gangsta rap or Trap music or negative imagery music if that is their bag. 

 

We just have to do a better job of ownership and hiding it if necessary....like they did with those Redd Fox, Richard Pryor and Blowfly records back in the day.

[zeke1234]

I have not heard of any of the 'artists'  in the above post.  But I remember the 1970s, because I was

shooting basketball everyday, trying to make my college basketball team.  I don't remember rap music

being popular in those days.    What disturbs me is that many of these people are about my age 70, and

seem to have no remorse about putting this 'garbage'  on the face of the Earth.  A few passages from a book

I wrote in the 1990s. 

 

The 1980s saw the return of old "coon songs" in the  guise of "rap music".

    

Brothers ain't shit

They're lookin' for the next big a__ they can stick

 But this here chick's not on your d__k...

 (Footnote:  "Brothers Ain't Shit" by Roxanne Shante p. 282,"Rap the Lyrics", ed. Lawrence Stanley, Penguin Books,  1992, New York)

  

Straight outta Compton!   Crazy motherf___er named Ice Cube

From the gang called Niggers with Attitude        When I'm called off                                    

I got a sawed-off                 Squeeze the trigger

And bodies are hauled off          You too, boy, if you f__k with me ...

(Footnote:  Ibid, "Straight Outta Compton"  NWA, pp. 241 & 242)      

    

I was spankin' her and thankin' her, ch__in' her and  doin' her 

Laughin' cause my girl didn't know that I was sc__ewin'  her

(Footnote:  "Big Ole Butt"  LL Cool J, p. 189)

 

These songs served the same purpose as the coon songs  of the early 1900s, degrade the Black race.

Most comments on the NY POST regarding rap, sees it as vulgar.  I sense a lot of White money made

this 'genre'  possible, to destroy Black minds.  And a lot of the rap artists were accepted by major TV

stations as movie stars, such as snoop dog.  'Clouds without rain, reserved to the fires of Hell forever'. 

[Pioneer1]

 

The dysfunctionality existed before Hiphop....true...however Gangsta Rap EMBOLDENED it.

They PROMOTED it and SPREAD it.

Gangs like the Crips and even the Bloods existed in the L.A. area as far back as the early 70s.....but few people outside of the L.A. area knew about them UNTIL the late 80s when movies like Colors and Gangsta rappers like NWA popularized them.
Then different branches of them began popping up around the nation, along with low riders and cars on hydraulics trying to emulate them.

It's the same with many of the Blaxploitation films of the 70s.
Prostitution and pimping existed in the ghetto since before the 20s.....but you didn't hear about boys growing up wanting to be pimps and "macking on hoes" until AFTER  Superfly and The Mack.
 

These devils know what they're doing when they push this garbage on our youth.

My question is......
If ONE PERSON's life could be saved from losing it to some disturbed fool who was negatively influenced by a Gangsta rap song....would that be enough to pull it from the market?

[ProfD]

Back in the 1970s, folks like Oscar Brown Jr., Nikki Giovanni and most well known, Gil Scott-Heron were basically doing what we consider today...Rapping.

 

The Last Poets could be considered the 1st Rap group.

 

Rap became one of the elements of Hip-Hop. 

 

The real skinny is that every generation likes to pretend no vulgar records were made on their watch.

 

The 1970s, I present exhibit A....Millie Jackson.

 

But, it's not about shaming ourselves for the artistic choices we make. Again, it's no different Hollywood. 

 

Black folks should not be throwing shade at themselves for producing vulgar music. It's an entertaining aspect of sh8t folks were already doing in every day life.

 

As someone who grew up in the inner city,  I know  for a fact that music had nothing to do with folks getting into prostitution, drug dealing, gangs, murder, etc.

 

If Black folks were going to be ashamed of anything, they wouldn't have been pimps, hoes, gangsters, etc., way before it was set to music.

 

Again, Black folks should be more ashamed of the fact that we don't fully control and own out intellectual property i.e. music .

[Troy]

10 hours ago, zeke1234 said:

I have not heard of any of the 'artists'  in the above post. 

 

Really?  Then again why should I be surprised, this is America.  Follow the links and check out their work

 

10 hours ago, zeke1234 said:

I don't remember rap music being popular in those days. 

 

Then I know with absolute certainty that you are not from NYC.  In the late 70's Rap had not really gone beyond New York.  I remember bringing my Spoonie Gee 12 inch to Raleigh NC and they had never hear it before.

 

 @Pioneer1 I hear you. Hip-hop did not invent anything new.  The difference it popularized the type of lyrics @zeke1234 shared, (which are relatively mild) and stamped it with a Black face, like the Black Exploitation films featuring pimps and drug leaders.  White people invented drug dealing and pimping but you'd think we are the only ones doing it.

 

We are 13% of the population but are essentially 100% of gangster rappers! Why? 

 

White people, who have been the most notorious gangsters ever, protect their brand.

 

Black people do not protect our brand, so we are at the mercy of people who are more than happy to abuse it for profit and handsomely pay the sell-outs willing to help.

 

 

[Delano]

Being gangster is cool being a nerd is not cool. But they make more money overall and have less bullet holes.

Are they selling out or buying in?

[Troy]

It depends, plenty of nerds sell-out.

 

Sell-out meaning: taking money from the other man to hurt the brotherman.

[nels]

On 8/11/2023 at 2:02 PM, Troy said:

It does glorify this behavior and reenforces the "racist" stereotype in the minds of rap music's biggest consumer: white people.

https://decider.com/2023/08/09/ladies-first-a-story-of-women-in-hip-hop-on-netflix-review-stream-it-or-skip-it/

 

Adding more fuel to the argument that Black Americans are their own worst enemy?

[zeke1234]

In response to not being invited to the recent 60th anniversary of March on Washington by MLK in 1963,  hip

hop devils schedule October Mall event.

'Public Enemy, Ice-T to headline free DC concerts at The National Celebration of Hip Hop', to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, there will be free concerts at West Potomac Park on the National Mall on Oct. 6 and 7.

By Maria Sherman and The Associated Press • Published August 24, 2023  

 

These Black hip hop jackasses have done more to destroy the Black race, than any White hate group.  

[Troy]

I watched the first 2 episodes. There was a scene where a cassette of Sha-Rock was popped into a tape recorder— not a commercial recording, but one that was passed around in the community. I actually have one of those cassettes and had played it a few years ago!

 

 The justification for the female overt sexuality rang hollow to me. They were doing it because it was lucrative period.

 

I’d  forgotten KRS 1’s diss of Roxanne Shante… I actually like her more after seeing her speak. I saw her perform in 1984 at a small bar outside of Philly. I did not appreciate how young she was until then.

 

 To answer your question @nels It depends there are so many styles of rap. For example I would not put Cardi B or Trina in the dance category as MC Lyte or Queen Latifah, but is is all called "rap" and "hip-hip."

[Pioneer1]

4 hours ago, zeke1234 said:

In response to not being invited to the recent 60th anniversary of March on Washington by MLK in 1963,  hip

hop devils schedule October Mall event.

'Public Enemy, Ice-T to headline free DC concerts at The National Celebration of Hip Hop', to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, there will be free concerts at West Potomac Park on the National Mall on Oct. 6 and 7.

 

By Maria Sherman and The Associated Press • Published August 24, 2023  

 

These Black hip hop jackasses have done more to destroy the Black race, than any White hate group.  

Maybe I'm mis-reading your post.

You aren't calling PUBLIC ENEMY one of the "hip hop jackasses" destroying the race, are you?????

[zeke1234]

I wouldn't know Public Enemy from the public defender, my comment was 'undercovers' directed towards one of ProfD's comments

that there is some good in hip hop.  He, as well as you, are entitled to your opinions, as well as I, without getting

too derogatory and keeping it non-violent.  Again, I have no personal idea who Public Enemy is as a rapper, I just put them

all into the same category, Black thugs. 

[Pioneer1]

Public Enemy......Thugs?

  I........

I uh.....

Hey @ProfD You wanna tackle that one?  

I....I just can't....not right now...lol.

 

[nels]

4 hours ago, zeke1234 said:

These Black hip hop jackasses have done more to destroy the Black race, than any White hate group.

Tend to agree.

29 minutes ago, Troy said:

there are Sunday styles of rap I would not put Cardi B or Trina in the dance category as MC Lyte or Queen Latif’ah

Interestingly enough, "Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop" currently out on Netflix doesn't seem to do anything to benefit the image of black American women. Over-the-top sexualization seem to be killing the mission of the black woman.

[Pioneer1]

Many if not MOST of the "gangsta rappers" were actually funded by White executives.

Eazy-E and NWA....the "fathers" of Gangsta Rap were invited to the White House to sit down and have dinner with George H.W. Bush.

There is a Conspiracy Theory going around that in the early 80s when prisons were starting to become privatized, they needed a way to guarantee occupancy to ensure revenue.

The private investors started kicking around ideas and two of the most prominent ones were the distribution of highly accessible cocaine in poor communities (Crack) and a way to market crime and violence as a way of life so that citizens would become permanent criminals (customers for the private prisons)....thus GANGSTA RAP was promoted.


Now before some of you start preaching about personal responsibility and how no one forced these rappers to glorify crime and violence......
It works like this:

Back in the 80s about 75% of rap was positive or neutral and only 25% was about crime, violence, and disrespect.
The racist executives took that 25% negative element and magnified it and promoted it to the point that by the mid 90s the balance had flipped and about 75% of rap was negative and only 25% was positive.  And that positive rap PURPOSELY received very little airtime or promotion.
 

[ProfD]

57 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

Hey @ProfD You wanna tackle that one?  

There's nothing to tackle. The anti-Hip-Hop sentiment is real. 

[nels]

1 hour ago, ProfD said:

There's nothing to tackle.

From what's been observed, rap and hip-hop are like social pathogens that have metastasized across nearly all of black America, as well as youth (from nearly all races, ethnicities and heritages) across the entire globe. Rap and hip-hop rely less on skill and more on disgruntlement to enrich those who both create, perform, market and promote it.

[Jeromex]

Rap music is poison and isn’t actually music. A bunch of thugs rhyming about shootings, robbing, and ho’s. C”mon, it’s embarrassing!

I think we would all rather hear dogs barking than listen to god aweful rap music.

The  violence, the nonsense. Rap is garbage ! Lets not even mention the silly names of rappers.

[ProfD]

Hip-Hop is a multibillion dollar industry.  Mostly non-Black folks have gotten rich as a result of it.

 

I doubt white folks will turn down the fortunes they've made from Hip-Hop music. 

[Troy]

Oh brother, the people trashing rap, admittedly don't know anything about it. People are free to express their opinions on things they are uninformed, or ill-informed about, but why they do it this always puzzled me about people...  If you don't know something about a subject, you should be quite and listen to those that do.

 

I have both praised and critiqued rap music.  Unfortunately, the web elevates controversy, over positivity.  This has been more detrimental to Black people because we have so very few platforms. One of my most popular comments on the web has been can "Can Black People Go 5 Minutes Without Music?" Where I complained about someone blasting rap music out their window incessantly. 

 

Nothing positive I've written about rap has ever ranked in search.

 

The web skews negative, and it is reflected in the negativity expressed against a whole genre of music in some of these posts.

[ProfD]

41 minutes ago, Troy said:

Oh brother, people the people trashing, admittedly don't know anything about it. People are free to express their opinions on things they are uninformed, or ill-informed about, but why they do it this always puzzled me about people...  If you don't know something about a subject, you should be quite and listen to those that do.

 

The web skews negative, and it is reflected in the negativity expressed against a whole genre of music in some of these posts.

Many folks once entrenched in a position or belief will only seek our sources of information to justify it. 

 

Someone who is truly interested in learning about something will ask questions in order to seek understanding. 

 

But, if someone has already decided they don't like something for whatever reason, trying to enlighten them is an exercise in futility.

 

Music is a great example of it.  I wouldn't waste time trying to convince someone to like Black music which includes Jazz, R&B, Blues, Gospel and Hip-Hop.

 

Every style of music has its good and bad songs.  But, there's a reason other genres/styles copy the flavor of Black music though.

 

So, even when Hip-Hop h8ters are listening to Rock, Country, Pop or whatever....they're still listening to Black music adjacently.