Again, I don't think she's talking about it as a "hip-hop" thing. It's a mainstream thing now. She's talking about what she sees in her own suburban neighborhood, which is white kids emulating rappers. I agree with you that the attachment to materialism in hip-hop has its roots in social issues, but that doesn't mean I'm going to cosign it. We'll have to agree to disagree on that issue.
Ask yourself, why do so many Black sports stars go broke?
http://www.blackisonline.com/2012/03/chapter-11-the-plague-of-sports-stars-going-broke/
Why do so many rappers go broke?
http://www.complex.com/music/2013/03/a-history-of-rappers-going-broke/
Why is an album title like Get Rich or Die Trying (an album that defined an era of the music) not considered troubling when that's exactly what kids are doing out in the streets, instead of trying to set up a long-term, stable plan for success?
I've been defending hip-hop from white folks for years, but it's gotten harder and harder to defend as a culture.
I'm tired of hearing every rapper use the "I'm just reflecting what goes on in the hood, I'm the hood CNN" excuse for those lyrics and messages. At this point, it's toxic. I'm not saying it can or should be forced to change just as a matter of lyrics, because it is a reflection of a deeper issue in the hood, but I can't cosign it, and I think it should be criticized
Here's a great article on the subject:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/aug/09/black-teenagers-money-matthew-ryder
listen to this sh1t *posts link to the Jonas Brothers*"
