Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - What is holding Black America back, if not Hip Hop?

phoenix1002 · 08-21-2003, 09:22 PM

I think that the way this thread has gone demonstrates the risk of making broad statements about anything. Of course there are exceptions to any statement. Darkblack, if you happen to see this, I don't think that anyone actually thinks that all black people are unmotivated, I think that, like Infinite Hybrid said, many (by no means all) black people are "waiting for someone to save them". There are a large number of unmotivated white people, too... I don't think its really a racial thing. There are just different results due to that lack of motivation, depending on things such as economic position, education, and location.

I think that hip-hop appeals to the black youths of today because they see successful black men and women who have all the trappings of wealth and power-the house, the car(s), the women-without necessarily having the education usually associated with these things. They see rap-stardom as a way of "getting out" without needing a higher education. The only problem is, it only works for a very small percentage. The rest are stuck desperately trying to salvage their lost dreams, with no real alternative because they dismissed their education in exchange for a chance at stardom. This is just my humble opinion, however.
edit: I'm not saying here that hip-hop is the cause of the problem, only a manifestation of the greater problem.

Also, another minor point. Someone mentioned freestyle earlier. At least to me, there seems to be a large difference between freestyle and mainstream rap. Freestyle is most definitely an artform. The ability to stand up in front of an audience and craft words along with the music is a gift. What is portrayed in rap videos is very different from that. A somewhat similar comparison would be to compare an underground band (with some skill) to a pop group like N'sync or Brittney Spears. The band will only attract listeners if they are skilled at their instruments and write good songs. The pop groups, like many rap artists, are manufactured by the record industries, then sold much like any other product. But now I'm rambling off the topic of this discussion, so I'll stop.

I know whenever race is involved, it is a touchy topic, but I hope we can lower the tension in here. People are raising some good points. I just hope everyone will take a second before they hit "submit" to make sure their post will not be misconstrued.

08-21-2003, 09:22 PM	#60 (permalink)
phoenix1002 Psycho Location: lost	I think that the way this thread has gone demonstrates the risk of making broad statements about anything. Of course there are exceptions to any statement. Darkblack, if you happen to see this, I don't think that anyone actually thinks that all black people are unmotivated, I think that, like Infinite Hybrid said, many (by no means all) black people are "waiting for someone to save them". There are a large number of unmotivated white people, too... I don't think its really a racial thing. There are just different results due to that lack of motivation, depending on things such as economic position, education, and location. I think that hip-hop appeals to the black youths of today because they see successful black men and women who have all the trappings of wealth and power-the house, the car(s), the women-without necessarily having the education usually associated with these things. They see rap-stardom as a way of "getting out" without needing a higher education. The only problem is, it only works for a very small percentage. The rest are stuck desperately trying to salvage their lost dreams, with no real alternative because they dismissed their education in exchange for a chance at stardom. This is just my humble opinion, however. edit: I'm not saying here that hip-hop is the cause of the problem, only a manifestation of the greater problem. Also, another minor point. Someone mentioned freestyle earlier. At least to me, there seems to be a large difference between freestyle and mainstream rap. Freestyle is most definitely an artform. The ability to stand up in front of an audience and craft words along with the music is a gift. What is portrayed in rap videos is very different from that. A somewhat similar comparison would be to compare an underground band (with some skill) to a pop group like N'sync or Brittney Spears. The band will only attract listeners if they are skilled at their instruments and write good songs. The pop groups, like many rap artists, are manufactured by the record industries, then sold much like any other product. But now I'm rambling off the topic of this discussion, so I'll stop. I know whenever race is involved, it is a touchy topic, but I hope we can lower the tension in here. People are raising some good points. I just hope everyone will take a second before they hit "submit" to make sure their post will not be misconstrued. __________________ I'd rather be climbing... I approach college much like a recovering alcoholic--one day at a time... Last edited by phoenix1002; 08-21-2003 at 10:21 PM..