The image of the black man, Does hiphop help of the image of the black man in America?

Hard to say since I'm not black. Sometimes people perpetuate stereotypes though.

true true

What, do you mean sex, drug's and, money? What whitey band did that song?

There's always gonna' be a current of animosity...I don't think race relations in America can be healed. It's sad really?

I live in West Texas. It's predominantly hispanic here and there is a very small black population out here and they are mostly cowboys and oilfield workers

about the only impression I get of black america comes from TV and movies. and going from that it would seem they are all in gangs and carrying guns

I know that can't be true but that is what you would think from television and the movies

I don't think race relations are really that bad...I know here down in the south in my small town of 552 well all seem to get along fine...

i listen to rap but i can only take small doses.but i cant say if it hurts or helps it might influence the way one thinks and acts but i dont know

You know what.. For ignorant people it does.


Its fact not all hip hop bands act this way, allthough many do.


Its a case for me as.. prestige, and money and anyone who acts like these things are a part of their image have quite a ways to go mentally, and spiritually.


I see that kind of behavior coming from people who have been through crap, had nothing.. and have a chip on their shoulder because they feel like they have been kept down because OF people who had more than them looking down apon them.

In any case, no real excuse.. rediculous behavior is uncalled for.

I see white kids, and other races of kids wearing dollar signs, and other things, and being cocky about town with whatever flashy possession they can throw around.

Im hoping they at least take some of that money, and invest in some pants that are less ill fitting.


Its often kids who are like this, and its unfortunate they fail to put out there the real things in life that are valuble.

If they were showboating that the ability to help another was a valuble thing, i dont think so many people would have a problem.

A lack of education for any race of people is on topic here.

yes this would affect someone who already had a problem with people of a race, but imho, its just ignorance in general.

I love my hip hop, and every people has a way to go, but most certainly not all in the same way.

I wonder about my peoples too......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qtSnTgBYQ8

Its funny isn't it. an image on the t.v. describes a people.
Only if people look around them and really see what is around them and the people then maybe we wouldn't have this problem.

There are bad images of other races everywhere but its the black race that gets the most attention.

Easy to say a money machine such as hip hop\rap can generate such flack.
I laugh at people that believe what they see on t.v. because if you really met more that half of the folks that produce this type of music they are normal individuals living normal lives that put on a show.

i like some of the messages that rap can get across, particularly the older rap, and once in a while, there are some really deep lyrics in the new stuff. some actually put the message in the album itself, in the beginning or little messages throughout, in between songs, but you only get that message when you buy the CD. now in the projects on basin street in New Orleans, there was a group called liquid, and they rapped, and sang about our problems in the city, and our local heritage, and they were awesome! they combined an old seventies feel(Afrika Bambaataa) with a Ronnie Laws feel, and a Cameo (She's Strange & Hangin Downtown) additive for flavor, so i hope the rap, and soul of messages comes back around....i sure do miss the older stuff, for it feels from the heart.....

Hip-hop is like the black CNN. Remember Public Enemy?

Ok. But knowing that some people's perceptions are based on anything but reality, and seeing how so many of the young people use that " show " as the basis for how they dress, talk, and act....

Why would those " normal individuals " actually WANT to portray themselves in that manner??

Wouldn't it be a whole lot better for the young people they are trying to reach if they portrayed a more positive image?

Because some of these so-called entertainers are in it for money and not for raising other people's children. If there is a demand for that image, they're gonna provide it. One wonders why the demand exists in the first place.

It depense on the artist, as of late they just don't seem to care or think that its cool. However its never a good thing to judge a race by the little info that you see on TV, but when a person lacks the exposer they'll just go by what they see and assume that was a person is like.

I'm not talking about them raising other people's kids.

But how many of them would say that they are in it strictly for the money because their race has been held back for so long....meanwhile...they continue perpetuating the myth that they are all a bunch of drug dealers or thugs?

I dunno. Seems kinda self defeating.

Yes totally, now out of respect for the OP.. ive seen white people do certain things, and kinda cringed, like vanilla ice, orr I dunno.. George Bush, and Ive thought "what do the other races think of this"? They must think were crazy..

But thank God we are not responsible for what our peoples do.

Yeah, I know people are trying to bring up their races to better places, and dont like set backs, but I think he should never fear, there are all kinds of good people out there that dont just generalize.

I totally agree that television isn't reality. Same goes for movies.

But when tv and movies is all the people are exposed to, or even when that's what they see ( ie: the way the youth dress and talk ) on a day to day basis, they will wind up perceiving that as the reality.