It's not that simple. In fact, my brother and I were raised the same way and with the same morals, and both of us turned out differently. I'm not going to go into detail, but I can safely say that we differ (sometimes greatly) on our principles and morals. It's like that book The Power of One says... kids aren't a coloring book to where the parents can color in and shape what they want their children to look and act like. While they may take on similarities of their parents, they are still human beings and have individualistic qualities. Not to mention children and adolescents are extremely impressionable at that age -- influenced both by inside factors (i.e. parents) and outside factors (i.e. the media).

Can you honestly say that having so much exposure to this kind of music in the media is a positive thing?

Reading back on all of that, I can see how I sound like I am advocating some sort of control on the media... I am in no way whatsoever for that. I am completely for free speech... even if I find it to be negative. If we were to ever try to censor the media there would be a lot difficulties, and it would make matters very complicated.

This whole discussion reminds me of this (I think both sides make good points):



Again... I am asking if having so much exposure of this kind of music in the media is a positive thing.

Yes, I know that. That part comes along in the later years as kids develop over time they grow into their own individual person and decide whether or not to follow the guidelines of how they were raised. At that point there isn't much a parent can do because they have done a majority of it already. I know you aren't saying that artists should censor themselves but I'm strongly against that.


It all depends on the individual, you can say that about over exposure to any type of media.

That's just like saying if a kid watches too many gory movies he's going to start going on a killing spree to satisfy his desire to see gore.

Fair enough... it really does vary from person to person... I can see myself leading my argument into a huge contradiction, so I'll go ahead and stop with this last statement:

In my opinion, I don't think the amount of exposure that this kind of music receives is positive in anyway whatsoever, but I also understand that it isn't devastatingly detrimental to our society. I also understand that censoring of the media could lead to sizable complications (both in what to censor and how the population would react to it).

My take on it is that people need to take responsibility for their own actions, or the actions of their kids if they are young (and therefore a reflection of your parenting anyway). Instead of trying to shelter your kids from this stuff, why not educate them as to why drugs are bad, why violence is bad, why all this stuff you want hip hop to be rid of is bad, and then trust that should the time come when your child is offered drugs, gets into a fight or whatever else they will make the right decision.

In short, why not try and teach your kids right and wrong, and then trust both your child's judgement and your own abilities as a parent.

i always thought hip-hop was always irresponsible and self-serving and negative

there's so few of "positive" hip-hop, and those that did make it bad with "positivity" i can count on one hand

I feel like an old man at the age of 23 when I say... do you see the kids these days? I've seen stoned children no older than 11 come into my store asking for matches. I'm a stoner and I have a problem with that. Parenting is as bad as ever, media is worse than ever. The Lady Gaga videos where she's butt naked save caution tape or so on would not have been aired 15 years ago. Growing up nowadays, there's relatively no alternative for this generation. It's radio rap, radio pop, radio rock, or dubstep. And as far as all the radio songs, almost especially in the pop department, have gotten doubly more explicit in the last decade, for the sake of shock value and oneupsmanship.

I shake my head at how dumb a lot of these kids are by the time they graduate high school. My generation was smarter. I always felt like I just barely made the cut in the 'good' generation, and mind you, I was envious of my older cousins growing up as teens in the 90s. They really had alternatives to mainstream then.

I seen the 8 year old neighbors' kids dancing out in the driveway to Lady Gaga for an hour, singing along to every word, and I hear the content and see the girl and just shake my head. She will be a slut by high school.

Has anyone taken a look at this generation of kids coming out of the works? They thought my generation was 'unprepared', wait til' they see these kids. Absolutely mindless drones.
:clap:

While absolutely true, can't some artists find better things to rap about I don't know... some time?


That's not how it began, and it only got worse over time. But I bet I could find positive rap albums in every era of hip-hop.

Why is this?


How are there less alternatives now? We have all the previous music and more outlets for music.

I agree with the rest though, especially the shock value part.



This is not cool.

typo - i meant "make it big with positivity"

Well Matious, what I meant I suppose is that this generation growing up had to dig harder for what I consider 'growing up staples' whether hiphop or rock or whatever. Most of my generation hasn't dug nearly as deep as I have, but at least the foundation was sound. As a fan of music across the board, I can't turn on even satellite tv and consistently if at all find music I like on any version of MTV, VH1, Fuse, Box, 100 XM channels, etc., or on the radio. Growing up with less options, better/more music was played.

The corporate/business end took control and really fine tuned what should be popular. It's an exact science for them, and they have the formulas across the board.

You do have old man mentality with that one. This generation is far better off than during our own time because they have the internet to open up their minds to a greater library of music than just using the radio and music television channels to get music.

lol I have to admit I have that done that before....future sluts of america but it's judging unfairly though.

This generation has a greater advantage because of all the green jobs being available and also the handy dandy internet so that whole "unprepared" crap is just nonsense imo.




No, I rather them rap about what they know or would like to be than to try to tackle politics or some other bullshit and have it come out sounding forced.


going online and looking for music isn't digging hard imo. You know how easy it is to come across music so quickly? The same better/more music that was played is also part of what they are able to find today as well easier thanks to the internet.