"Guns are glorified in hip-hop culture". Bob Costas

[Easy-E]

I just watched the extended interview; yea, he leaves it at that.

Hip-Hop promotes gun violence, most the players are black--oh, some of them aren't Hip-Hop, though.​

And Jon chimes in with Plexico. Maybe I missed in the point of the interview, but, I hope they aren't tying gun violence, in America, to rap music and black ppl.

I can't stand how some ppl act as if blacks aren't American. It's always about what rap is doin' to us. The same thing that makes white folk value guns, so does blacks. He was spot on with the violence stayin' on the field (when the very game they play is violent) and how head trauma effects guys on a daily basis.

 

[No_bammer_weed]

Of course it is.. But this is Bob Fukkin Costas here..He's been fighting Nixon era culture wars his whole career.. That's his shtick..He treats end zone celebrations as a sign of the pending apocalypse..

Hip hop is not under attack or being used as a scape goat..

50 Cent is friends with Bette Midler on Oprah now.. Jay-Z sat front row at the inaugaration and performs 99 Problems at Democratic fundraisers.. Snoop Dogg is as American as apple pie at this point.. He's doing Hot Pocket commercials for christsake.. Nobody is afraid of hip hop in 2013...



But even you admit it yourself.. Nobody wants to see Melvin Nerdly from Iowa rap like Tookie Williams in a song...But Melvin Nerdly from Iowa can act like Tookie Williams in a film and receive an Oscar and nobody will care.. There lies the difference..So you can't demand the same leeway if you yourself have different standards...

But doesnt the bolded kind of work against Costas' point here? And thats what we're arguing --- the validity of Costas' statement. It's a cop out to say "well, hes just an old white guy, cut him some slack"...no, this is a meaningful conversation, and to use misleading reference points to indict an already vulnerable, beleaguered community/culture is irresponsible. Costas wants to make black, crime, and hip hop interchangeable. This is dicey ground to travel, and while our communities are troubled, he damn sure better get his facts straight when he starts speaking on black folks, and black culture. Thats not asking too much.

And yes, rappers can be square and "play roles"...again, this is outdated critique to say they cant. 2chainz and Plies are valedictorians I believe. We all know Ross is the furthest thing from a kingpin --- yet, they keep playing their "characters". Hip hop is a nascent art form, and its still developing --- especially from its earlier violence obsessed days.

 

[Savior]

I don't see any black people at these NRA rallies....hip hop glorifies guns, hoes, etc but at the end of the day its just music. NRA actually influeneces legislation and they fight tooth and nail against even the mention of gun control. So what does singling out hip hop accomplish really?

 

[Mic-Nificent]

Don't shoot the messenger...he said the truth

No he didn't...

A particular sub genre of hip hip MUSIC glorifies guns, not the culture itself.

Even if he was telling the truth he's still be a racist cocksucker who was singling out something that is perceived as "black" and ignoring all the other shyt in American culture that glorifies guns.

 

[DStyles]

Forget about race, hip hop glorifies gun use more than any music genre.

 

[No_bammer_weed]

No he didn't...

A particular sub genre of hip hip MUSIC glorifies guns, not the culture itself.

Even if he was telling the truth he's still be a racist cocksucker who was singling out something that is perceived as "black" and ignoring all the other shyt in American culture that glorifies guns.

To be fair, Costas did publicly challenge the NRA/gun lobbyist/right wing community in a major way, on SNF after the CT school shooting, so its not as if he is indicting hip hop culture as being an exclusive source of our violence woes. But yeah, I am in complete agreement that his conflation of hip hop culture and violence, is not only invalid --- but smacks of latent racism.

 

[OG Talk]

But doesnt the bolded kind of work against Costas' point here? And thats what we're arguing --- the validity of Costas' statement. It's a cop out to say "well, hes just an old white guy, cut him some slack"...no, this is a meaningful conversation, and to use misleading reference points to indict an already vulnerable, beleaguered community/culture is irresponsible. Costas wants to make black, crime, and hip hop interchangeable. This is dicey ground to travel, and while our communities are troubled, he damn sure better get his facts straight when he starts speaking on black folks, and black culture. Thats not asking too much.

And yes, rappers can be square and "play roles"...again, this is outdated critique to say they cant. 2chainz and Plies are valedictorians I believe. We all know Ross is the furthest thing from a kingpin --- yet, they keep playing their "characters".

Actually it's not...


Does hip hop glorify gun violence? True or false?


If Rakim said this instead of Bob Costas nobody would care...It wouldn't be considered a meaningful conversation.. Everyone would just accept it as fact and keep it movin...

This is one of those "lets shoot the messenger" or "b-b-but other people do it too" type situations.. And I get it…

I understand.. I hate when America tries to blame us for all of their problems.. But when a guy specifically says “not all of them are influenced by that part of the culture, but some are” I find it impossible to be completely dismissive of his point…

And I loathe Bob Costas personally.. But he didn’t generalize and he didn’t say anything that wasn’t true..Hip hop is just one aspect and he states its not the only aspect (mental illness, alchohol, debilitating head injuries and domestic violence) have also been named by Costas as other aspects...

I've also heard him criticize the quote "Wild West Dirty Harry mentality" of white Americans..


Maybe I feel differently because I've listened to his entire conversation and haven't just tried to pick apart sound bites

Bob Costas Interview Regarding Gun Control and Gun Violence in America


Whitlock, Costas talk gun control - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN

 

[Jx2]

Dude was there to plead his case about saying some dumb shyt on the air during the game, only to say some more dumb shyt on the air at the daily show.

 

[OG Talk]

To be fair, Costas did publicly challenge the NRA/gun lobbyist/right wing community in a major way, on SNF after the CT school shooting, so its not as if he is indicting hip hop culture as being an exclusive source of our violence woes. But yeah, I am in complete agreement that his conflation of hip hop culture and violence, is not only invalid --- but smacks of latent racism.

So you admit to be willing to miss the forrest from the trees?



By your own admission you know his agenda is for more gun control across the board...

If a Black commentator attempts to draw a link betwen gun violence with the NRA/right wing community/hunting enthusiast is it because of latent racism? Or is it common sense? I know this is a hip hop website but since when has it become such a sacred cow?

 

[ExodusNirvana]

Lol anything to keep their guns

This is borderline facism

 

[cornercommission2k12]

i really could see the point of this angle, if the black community was on some leave it to beaver shyt, then all of a sudden the sugar hill gang blows up and everybody starts picking up guns, selling drugs and killing each other.

when those artist that talked about violence started becoming more visible on the scene they were not making up some imaginary story to get the hood to engage in. they were talking about a reality that already existed

nikkas been selling drugs, deep into crazy sex acts and killing each other when dudes was rocking permed comb overs and saying "slap me some skin jive turkey" before kool herc ever scratched 1 record gangs were running around in the hood in conflict. hell most gangs started in the damn doo wop era. was nate king cole and the persuaders an influence on them?

the bottom line is, its easy to point fingers and say hip hop yadda ya, but ignore the process of education that is needed to change the way people act out. the same sickness that is acknowledged when a white kid shoots up a middle school is the same sickness that plagues youngsters leaving a high school and shooting after a brawl. neither is musically influenced. rap could never play another tune and nikkas would still be killing each other.

hell the stats show that murder and crimes are actually down vs the times they were at they heights in the 70's and 80's. was nikkas playing L.T.D where did we go wrong, then shooting up some dudes?

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

To be fair, Costas did publicly challenge the NRA/gun lobbyist/right wing community in a major way, on SNF after the CT school shooting, so its not as if he is indicting hip hop culture as being an exclusive source of our violence woes. But yeah, I am in complete agreement that his conflation of hip hop culture and violence, is not only invalid --- but smacks of latent racism.

honestly, all he did was quote and damn near read verbatim Whitlock's column...that was the funny part to me...he was just reading Whitlock's column and got more publicity and blowback from it than Fatlock himself

 

[ℒine ☈acks]

bob appears to be implying or suggesting that whites are morally superior to blacks...white people never decline and opportunity to moralize on so called black culture yet refuse to critique their own;;disgusting...

 

[Tommy Knocks]

bang bang

 

[No_bammer_weed]

honestly, all he did was quote and damn near read verbatim Whitlock's column...that was the funny part to me...he was just reading Whitlock's column and got more publicity and blowback from it than Fatlock himself

True, but the point still remains....no? He didnt have to use Fatlocks column on a public stage to make an overarching point about white culture and guns.