We Really Need Strong, Intellectual, Healthy Black Men To Become "Cool"

[Blackout]

Pressed. You talking some "good" rap, as if what you consider "good" has any meaning to the larger conversation.

Put it this way. I coach kids.

Future, Drake, and Lil Wayne could show up to one of my workouts with 15 hos and my kids would be like, "yo man, y'all gotta get off the court until we done."

That's awseome but on the other hand a lot of kids only see rappers as their role model's.

Gotta think about them too

 

[Arithmetic]

I remember my dad said something that put shyt in perspective for me when I was younger and started listening to rap and noticing drug dealers/users, etc.

Me: "Pops, they flash all that money and have all that fancy stuff, that's what's it's all about now"

Pops: "Son, I got my education and stayed out of that life, but you best believe if I cashed my check every week I'd have a thick wad of money in my pocket too, but I put it in the bank like a wise man because I have a family to take care of and kids to raise. And you know what? After you guys are grown, after i made all that money for all those years, I'm still going to be making just as much, if not more, and I'll still be able to cash my checks every week and walk around with a fat wallet if I want, and not look over my shoulder stressing about how i got it. Those guys you're looking at? Give 'em 10 years, they won't have two nickels to rub together, and no family to be proud of."

He said that so cool and smooth, but with such emphasis and conviction, I've never forgotten it and never will.

It was a monumental moment in my childhood.

 

[Consigliere]

I can rock with this approach more than OP blaming rap for all the ills of society.

This is still respectability politics tho.

On topic: the youth & entertainers specifically have always been drug user, but this wouldn't effect us so much if we had more diverse aspirations.

A kid who wants to be a doctor/lawyer/scientist/business tyc00n isn't covering themselves with tats and getting leaned up.

 

[DrX]

I think intellectual rap can work if its done in a cool way....like some hard dark drill shyt but with a angry revolutionary style message


like pace, cub and P.E


ppl always took them serious, they had a way where they could educate and not sound preachy

 

[PhonZhi]

I can rock with this approach more than OP blaming rap for all the ills of society.

This is still respectability politics tho.

On topic: the youth & entertainers specifically have always been drug user, but this wouldn't effect us so much if we had more diverse aspirations.

A kid who wants to be a doctor/lawyer/scientist/business tyc00n isn't covering themselves with tats and getting leaned up.

What point are u making? 1st you accuse me of blaming rap on everything wrong and then u go on and agree with me about our youth having little to no positive aspirations, sounds and images to draw inspiration from. You do realize that rap wasn't around during slavery rite? Thats when our ills REALLY began. Hell, it wasn't around in the 60s and 70s either when we were being hosed down with high-powered pressure water hoses either. Do u agree or disagree that the constant flooding of negative images and sounds of blacks aimed at the youth can have a negative affect.

 

[PoPimp84]

I agree with the OP. I see some of the people posting here really neglect the power of music and the influence it has over people's lives. "Through music you hypnotize people and when you get them at their weakest point you can preach into their subconscious what we want to say" Jimi Hendrix from a Time magazine article. Our subconscious in control most of the time, and if your mind is inundated with negativity, then guess what you are more likely to have a proclivity for negative shyt, especially if the mind is not fed positive imagery to counterbalance the bullshyt. Children are impressionable, they are still molding to the person they will become, so needless to say they are more susceptible to negativity, more so without a good role model in their lives. I see that shyt daily teaching kids with behavioral disorders.

 

[Wacky D]

I think intellectual rap can work if its done in a cool way....like some hard dark drill shyt but with a angry revolutionary style message


like pace, cub and P.E


ppl always took them serious, they had a way where they could educate and not sound preachy

too bad they purposely weeded these types of rappers out the industry.

 

[PhonZhi]

Yep. It's actually in line with some pretty standard white supremacist logic.

Forget about institutional racism, redlining, reverse redlining, white flight, urban decay, the removal of viable economic engine, the systematic and purposeful destruction of self-esteem and self-possession, the flooding of your neighborhoods with highly addictive drugs, the neglect and lack of concern, etc.

It's this MUSIC that's causing these ******s to run around acting like crazy animals.

Or as M-1 said:



I'll even quote Em:

Funny u mention these tools of INTENTIONAL OPPRESSION but conviently (or unknowingly) failed to mention "media propaganda" as a tool of white supremacy. Ive listed ALL of those things in previous threads in an attempt to explain "systemic oppression". You're not dropping ANYTHING new here. Matter fact, since you are aware of the INTENTIONAL plan to oppress the black race (usually i get called a conspiricist for bringing it up) im very suprised that you are ignorant regarding "media propaganda". Its a tool also like those tactics you listed. Remember breh, to control a mass amount of people physically its VITAL to control their minds. This goes back to slave days. How the hell do u think millions of slaves were kept in control,subservient and docile? The answer is their MINDS were under the white mans control. The exact same thing is happening today breh. We are still being conditioned and brainwashed today mentally. Do u not think so? Those things that you listed, are they still going on today? If so, best believe that mental brainwashing is too. Here's a very short clip explaining "mental propaganda", an extremely real tool of oppression(along with the ones you listed). And by the way i could care less about what u think about Umar personally. Peep his msg and let me know what u think if u choose to watch. Remember that the worst mistake we make is viewing this tool of oppression as simply "entertainment", and thats why its so effective.

 

[PhonZhi]

too bad they purposely weeded these types of rappers out the industry.

What u said RIGHT HERE is what only a few of us are aware of. THATS the problem that ive come to realize. Ive been called a "conspiricist" many times for saying exactly what u just said

 

[PhonZhi]

Future, Drake, and Lil Wayne could show up to one of my workouts with 15 hos and my kids would be like, "yo man, y'all gotta get off the court until we done."

Bullshyt

 

[PhonZhi]

I think intellectual rap can work if its done in a cool way....like some hard dark drill shyt but with a angry revolutionary style message


like pace, cub and P.E


ppl always took them serious, they had a way where they could educate and not sound preachy

Those types of rappers that were having a positive and uplifting affect on the black community were PURPOSELY drowned out by the influx of gangster and materialistic rappers. Even today, if a rapper wants to speak about certain things it wont be allowed. For instance, if a rapper says anything remotely disrespectful about J*ews its edited. Rap was INTENTIONALLY MANIPULATED. Wise speaks on it here:

 

[PhonZhi]

These black men you vilify have used music as a tool to ascend income classes due to a lack of options/knowledge.

They are making money legally and giving consumers what they want.

Horrible way of thinking you have. Spread poison to your people in exchange for fame and money from the white man. Horrible.

 

[Trill McClay]

Agreed OP. If there are any Coli brehs in the DFW area holla at me we can build on the image and redefine what it means to be a cool black man. No bullshyt.

#BlackExcellence

 

[Consigliere]

What point are u making? 1st you accuse me of blaming rap on everything wrong and then u go on and agree with me about our youth having little to no positive aspirations, sounds and images to draw inspiration from. You do realize that rap wasn't around during slavery rite? Thats when our ills REALLY began. Hell, it wasn't around in the 60s and 70s either when we were being hosed down with high-powered pressure water hoses either. Do u agree or disagree that the constant flooding of negative images and sounds of blacks aimed at the youth can have a negative affect.

I think that these kids have to be inspired to become something before they reach an age where outside influences can mold them. Rap culture, drug culture, whatever the subversive force of the week, is filling a gap. If there were already something positive filling that gap all the symptoms of societies ills that moral conservatives like you rail against wouldn't exist.

Black people consume more media than any other group by far. Most media is negative. Most media is a negative representation of us. We know this. It's not a secret. How much media you consume and how you let it influence you is a choice. So, my point is what's cool or aimed at us has little to do with the decisions we make because we are making choices. All along life's path, people are making choices.

It's sad that we spend so much energy worried about people making bad decisions and using that conversation to further stereotype ourselves as a group. Anytime you're having a conversation about those people you should look at yourself instead. The hood is a terrible place and a beautiful place. Everyone there isn't a criminal or some drug addict and maybe that's where we start creating this intellectual, healthy cool Black role model. Stop pulling from the bottom of the barrel to define what's the norm for all Black people.


Sidebar: Mumbo Jumbo is a great book. Don't be like the Wallflower Society.

 

[Field Marshall Bradley]

Nerds in here having a pity party for themselves because they aint cool like the people they proclaim they wanna help......