I have been a fan of many types of music including Hip Hop. However, lately, I no longer hold the same feeling about the music that I once admired. Twenty years ago, Hip Hop was used by black urbanites to express their sufferings living in the ghetto and the social unjust of poverty in white America. Today, in contrast, Hip Hop is used to express what would black people do today if they had money: hos, crime, materialism, and clubbing/party. I would like to say this is absolutely not a true depiction of what black people are really like outside of hip hop music. It's just what those black artists think. And not all records churned out are like that either, but 9/10 records would qualified as one.

First I would like to say that there is nothing wrong w/ most of what Hip Hop artist endorse. I'm all for having sex with as many people as you want, so as long as you do it responsibly (our constitution gives you those freedom). I'm all for buying whatever you want, cars, clothes, jewelry, mansions, etc so as long as you can afford it. The one thing I disagree with of course is the use of force to kill or hurt people as portrayed so often by Hip Hop music videos -- to posturize their masculinity or lack of self-esteem.

Of course, violence isn't good and it is illegal. But what kind of impact can those other elements have on the vast majority of the people who listen to Hip Hop? I believe it has a detrimental effect on those who listens to Hip Hop enough. After doing some research on most black cities, I couldn't help but to wonder why black communities are doing so bad in comparison to the rest of the population, and what could have contribute to their downfall. And I also thought about other minority communities like ours, Khmer Americans, and why we suck too. Trying to figure out what "exactly" causes it is kinda moot, since there maybe a million variables. But I think somewhere with all the kids listening to a music that doesnt make sense half of the time and that has nothing substantive to offer 24/7, on and off the radio, in and out of school,  couldn't bode well for the minds, and the advancement of a race.

i guess the 1st time being banned wasn't good enough for you and hasn't taught you anything about being respectful and civil. you've been slanderous enough and is actionable. i seriously hope you find some help, and with that empty and filthy statement that you exposed yourself to be, you really need it.

Sad to see so many people with personality disorder infiltrating this site.  I'm talking people who show real signs of being psychopathic.  I have counted at least 3 who seem to need serious professional help.  I sincerely hope they have offline friends or family who will do an intervention before they hurt themselves or someone else.

That said, I agree with you somewhat about the influence of hip hop.  But I think prior incarnations of hip hop had just as much b.s. as today's.  Sure there were songs like "Mr. Wendal" and Tupac sang about injustice and such, but he also sang about living large and gettin' hos.  You had Biggie talking about sipping champagne when he's thirsty and his moms with minks on her back.

People, whether black, white, yellow, what have you, universally seek money, sex, power.  Hip hop presents the fantasy of these things to people who's own lives are missing it.  What I hate worse is shows like the Hills or Paris Hilton making depraved materialism glamorous.  I hate the fact that these people are considered high society whereas the hip hop artists are still viewed to some extent as clowns with who lack proper values, when in fact they promote the same shallow materialistic value system.

Not all minorities experience the same effect with what you observed: Look at the Jews as an example (not that I'm a big fan of Jews).

This is the price you have to pay for living in a free society: Those who are not aware will fall into the trap and become followers instead of leaders, slaves instead of masters.

Khmer communities and families who don't have good leaders will for sure face an uphill battle. Without guidance, discipline ... the younger generations have no clue how to prepare for life in this very competitive world.

Those not aware and not prepared will become slaves. Those who are aware and prepared become the masters.

Have you ever wondered, why is it that the percentage of CEOs who are Jewish is much higher than the percentage of Jewish population in those territories? I guess the Jews are aware and they prepare their youngs to avoid the trap ...

America's biggest exports: Hollywood, music and porns . I am not a fan of Hip Hop but do like its rhymes and beats;  I have never really thought about the aforementioned of the above. Now that I think of it I pretty much agree -- Hip Hop fans somewhat consciously or unconscioulsy associate/influence with this culture of debauched lifestyle, power; it's the sort of trend young people considered to be 'COOL' or you'd label as gay.

It usually cracked me up when I see Asians and other minorities volume up Chamellionaire in their car dressing in baggy clothes, chains and that bandana scarf  or whatnot tryin to impress

I listen to rap. I don’t take it in like I use to but I don’t shut it out like it  doesn’t exist. I no longer believe everything I hear just because it sounds cool . I use to write rap too back then and on occasions had dreams of being a rapper in another life time. It was one of the tools I used to find myself in discovery and my need to share and express it. I enjoyed the “socially conscious“ type of rap the most and thought highly of spoken words for example. Tupac was my idol and for a brief moment I was caught up in that mentality. We called each other nigga, We felt proud because we grew up in East Oakland and lived in the project. We liked getting high, drinking Old English . So when I hear some of those famous verses spoken by some of the best, I know what it’s all about. I do recognize the artistry behind this particular art form. It is a language and by its very nature an ideal manifested in  the real. It is a man made tool inspired by the angels now corrupted used to control the masses. It was bound to happen, inevitable similar to how darkness came out of light, and sin out of Truth.

The Hip Hop movement was a response to the Greater struggle. It came out of the never ending class warfare always in existence. The movement expresses itself in a collective voice having the power to control the individual as they are the audience. It started out as “socially conscious” calling for social justice and ended up corrupted in total materialism as seen in mainstream rap. The idea was great but when applied fell short of what it promised. It is a lot like Socialism, Communism, and some of the other leftist ideologies. So Hip Hop, in essence and artistry doesn’t destroy a nation. However there is another side to it far more dangerous. It is now used as a tool to control the people, to put them in a trance if you will. Rap is dangerous when it promotes a certain agenda and in today‘s world it is often a leftist agenda used to reel in unsuspecting youngsters who‘s just looking for some love.  The issue is when people start to believe everything they hear just to fit in making up the cult of personality.

It is a concern when you got Jay Z and all of the hip hop movement for example supporting Obama without checking his “street creds”. It is dangerous when all of Hollywood is raving about man made global warming because of its popularity. Don’t get me wrong, I respect Tupac and Nas for their abilities to put words together but frankly these rappers and many more out there never invested the time to study the greater things in life like politics and history.  Their visions and messages are often narrowed and skewed when put next to the Greater struggle. On the flipside, you have many conservatives, anti rap who doesn’t understand the passion behind the movement. Hence the alll of the misunderstandings.

Thanks all for chiming in.

I've been thinking about this a lot more these days mainly because I'm a father now and I have to be very careful about what kind of music I want to expose my son to. Growing up I have been listening to whatever is on the radio or whatever my friends were listening to. It was only recently that I realize there's another world of music out there, a different kind of music that is, to my surprise, more uplifting, educational, and poetic. Those kind of music do exist, so why are they mostly absent from where I grew up?

After many years of spatting between my domestic partner about the negative influence of hip hop - I was the opinion that hip-hop was ok, I thought it serves a different purpose like just for clubbing, and she justifiably called it a travesty of the uneducated people, I concede that she may be right after all. Hip-hop may impede on your growth and probably has a more draconian effect on poor people than what most people may think.

It's true music changes over time and that people only listens to what is popular at the time, but I think today's music like hip hop does not produce much meaning. Some songs are timeless and some music are inspirational and some aren't. For example, songs like American Pie by Don Mclean, Scarborough Fair sung by Sara Brightingham, or You Raised Me Up sung by various artists. Original music and lyrical writing does require some meritocracy in order to produce meaning. Copying and remaking old music does not (but sometimes can be good).

Even though hip-hop records sales is at a all time, the meaning of it is at an all time low.

prl,

Tupac and Biggies are no poet much less activist. They like many rap artists were rapping to make a living. But like all people they also have a story to tell, and from their songs it was very telling. I just find it amusing how until after the death of BIG & Tupac that the hip-hop community rally behind them as a revolutionay icon.

Yes, it's true hip-hop isn't the only thing that promotes materialism. But I think there's something much more to say about it.

Paris Hilton is an exception. Her parents own the Hilton Hotel enterprise. No matter how shallow and unsophisticated PH portrays herself to be, the Hilton family exhibit a value system unordinary from millions of middle class.

But I think something about being successful, the characteristic of it, seems to not allign with hip-hop.

LL,

Contrary to all other minorities, Jews as a whole are much more successful than any other group of people. But they are an outlier as they do not listen to hip-hop. I was speaking about the groups who do listen to them like our Khmer youngins in america and Black and Latinos. But Jews are definitely a perfect examply why NOT listening to hip hop makes you better.

I blame it on the dumb-ass average joe who gone out and act upon of what the songs said.  And for Khmer so call HIP HOP ARTISTS....please leave it to the black people. 

IMO, very seldom do musicians mix politics and music together.

What do you mean by this Greater struggle with an upper case G. Can you ellaborate please. I think you're alluding to more religious innuendo.

I agree. Hip Hop is great for clubbing or just dancing in general. But it promotes the kind of lifestyle that doesn't fit so well with families.

I think the financial crisis has hurt a lot of cities, but this phenomenon in Detroit has started way before that.

According to Wiki:

As of the 2000 Census, there were 951,270 people, 336,428 households, and 218,341 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,855.1 people per square mile (2,646.7/km²). There were 375,096 housing units at an average density of 2,703.0 units per square mile (1,043.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.6% Black, 12.3% White, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.5% other races, 2.3% two or more races, and 5.0 percent Hispanic (mostly Puerto Rican and Mexican).

But the Detroit Metro has over 4 mil people.

Detroit abandoned skyscrappers:

while hip hop primarily produces by "minorities", its consumption is pretty much an even slice among youth of all races; therefore, something else greater is at work in regards to minorities downfall of the last 25 years.

there are almost equally amount of Chinese youth in China listening to hip hop as the entire USA population.

and white youth here listen to hip hop just as much as "minorities", if not more AND the whole while ARE NOT allow to utter the word "nig%#%#$%$"

the singular greatest factor contributes to "minorities" downfall is single parenthood or both parents "fight" donuts.

 I’m not quite getting the correlation. Perhaps because I’m not too far from there and it was ghetto looooong before the insurgence of rap. If you want to be nit-picky, Kid Rock & Eminem are from there as well, so it should also be considered a white trash mecca  :) 

Hip Hop and Black Liberation Theology are like 2 brothers who grew up in the same Hood. Both are rooted in Marxist ideals. Commercial music and politics are 2 sides of the same coin. What is mainstream is dictated by how much money is to be made. When there is money involved politic rears its head. When I said the Greater struggle, I am referring to the dynamics between the individual and the collective, good and evil,  right and left, socialism and capitalism. Off course having a good grasp of religious concept is key to understanding the “struggle” as it happened in the kingdom of heaven now manifested on earth.