Has Hip Hop Gone Too Far?

I first want to say that I've always been a fan of hip hop, there are a few lyrics that I cringe at but overall some of my favorite songs are made by rap artists. But with that said, there is a new generation of rap that I cannot get with! I believe in the old saying that, "if you don't stand for something, then you will fall for anything." I will not stand for some of the lyrics these days that promote "popping molly" (a pure form of ecstasy) or not too long ago Lil Wayne comparing performing a sexual act on a female to the terrible tragedy that happened years ago to Emmett Till who was beaten to death for allegedly whistling at a white womyn. The recent controversial lyric comes from rapper Rick Ross, who brags about slipping molly in a womyn's drink and having sex with her without her knowledge.

The lyrics that Ross used were:

 Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it
I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it.

Is this where music is going? Thankfully there are a couple of radio stations in the states that are taking a stand against this type of negative and degrading music by banning these songs from being played. I'm very happy to hear this and hope that more radio and video stations follow suite. I believe in artistic and creative expression, but by promoting date rape as the norm and coming from a rapper, may be viewed as cool or enticing to young people, is completely irresponsible.

What do you all think, has rap culture gone too far to ignore or just a form of freedom of expression?

Bitch Bad: Hip hop and the B word.

Have you guys seen Lupe Fiasco’s newest video, B**** Bad? Released 3 weeks ago and watched over a million times already, it’s also nominated for a BET Award in a new category – Impact Awards. The song challenges the use of the B word in hip hop. There’s been a lot of talk recently about the B word and the way women are portrayed in hip hop, with Kanye West and Steve Harvey both getting into the conversation, just to name a few examples.

But this video gets into other topics too, such as the mixed messages that kids get from the media and their parents. I really like that he looks at both sides of his argument. He acknowledges how hard it can be to protect your kids from mass media. But he also calls out those parents who expose their kids to dangerous messages without recognizing how it affects their kids.

And the way blackface is used in the video really brings his whole point home and calls out the industry for its lack of authenticity. Not only is Lupe reminding us that artists are playing into a role, but he also asks artists to take a look at the roles they are playing. By the end of the video, the characters seem to realize that they've been playing a role and decide not to play along anymore.

B**** Bad asks hip hop artists and fans to question a number of things about the music that is being created these days and the video uses some really interesting story telling techniques that you don’t see often in rap videos. But, some people are saying the video is irrelevant. What do you think – does it deserve the attention (and the award)?

Check out the video and let me know what you think.

Chris Lighty's death: A Chance To Open Up About Suicide

WOW!  Chris Lighty was found dead yesterday (Sept 30, 2012.)  Unless you are a hip-hop head (like myself), you might not know who he is, but you have certainly heard of the artists he has managed over the years.  He has worked with Mariah Carey, Fantasia, LL Cool J, Missy Elliot and 50 Cent just to name a few.

He was a brilliant manager and a marketing guru who has shaped careers for many successful artists.  He was only 44 when he died.  It completely shocked the entire industry. 

Cause of death: suicide.

It seems as though suicides have been on the rise lately.  Maybe it's because the stigma regarding suicide among the African American community has lightened.  Or the current generation is a little more open to discussing a topic that has always been hush hush among the Black community.  (Suicide has often been regarded just one of those things that "Black people just don't do".)  But I've noticed higher numbers in suicides in the past year.

It's time that we start talking.  

I realize that this topic is not easy to talk about, but if a simple discussion could save the life of someone you cared about wouldn't you have it?

Suicide is rarely spontaneous.  There are often many warning signs that we can catch if we are in tune with the people around us.  But first we need to pay attention.  We need to reach out when someone spontaneously crosses our minds.  We need to spend more time with our friends and family getting to know them so that when something is wrong we are able to identify it.

There is no quick-fix answer. No text book can tell us how to prevent it.  All I know is that it is a problem and the only way to remedy it is to open our mouths and talk!

I wasn't planning to go that deep on you on a Friday before the last long weekend of the summer, but hearing of Lightly death really made me wonder WHY?  Why would anyone, regardless of race, age, gender or class consider ending it all as the only option.

I can only hope that his death sheds light on the subject and that somewhere around a dining room table someone is talking about suicide prevention.

Prays and positive vibes to his entire family, and to anyone who has recently lost someone.

RIP Chris Lighty