Is Hip-Hop Being Irresponsible?

djchameleon · 07-15-2011, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrd00d

Long story short: they have the tools to do so, but most don't use them. Most don't even know there's better stuff out there, and most don't know the classics, of any genre.

Well of course, that's because if that just aren't into music as much as we are on musicbanter then they won't care about digging deeper to find better material. If they ever decide to become more interested in music though then have much more available tools than just having to listening to the radio or watching a music channel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrd00d

I've spend over a year looking for certain albums. Torrents, Limewire, warez sites, Mediafire, Rapidshare, everything. Finally found a blogspot in Russian or something that had a link embedded.... Not so black and white. It depends how pop-ular the music you're looking for is.

For example, I've been hearing for the past week or two that one of my favorite guitarists fifth album is out, but I still can't find a copy. If this was a Lil Wayne album I would have had a leak last month.

This point also goes back to how picky you are and passionate about finding certain specific artists/music. That doesn't mean there isn't good stuff readily available, it's just not good by your standards and what you are looking is more obscure.

MoonlitSunshine · 07-15-2011, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

As much as adults have responsibilities, so do individuals. I think the blame needs to fall on the individual themselves if they can't handle any form of media that is supposed to be used as entertainment and becomes easily influenced by it. It's the individual that it falls back onto. Most of the rappers that have material that is considered "negative" don't go around saying that they are role models and you should do everything that I say in my songs.

If you work in media and entertainment, you have to be aware how many eyes are one you, it's part of the business. Why bother with all the posturing if you're not trying to make yourself look good, and why try and look good if you don't want people to respect/praise/idolise you? Do you have any role models? Have they ever said "I am a role model"? It's not how people work. Yes, most intelligent people know not to do stupid things because someone they like raps about it, but there are many, many mind-bogglingly thick people in the world who won't think about it.

Fobbing off responsibility because the listeners should know better is not an excuse. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXAMPLE AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LITERALLY ON ANY OF THE SPECIFICS** If someone listens so say, 50 Cent, then decides he wants to go out and shoot someone, yes it's his responsibility, yes he should have realised that 50 Cent is not saying it is good to shoot people, no matter how his lyrics might imply it, but if the kid then kills someone else, because he listened to 50 Cent, is 50 Cent not partially responsible for the death? That's what influence is, and that is how it's dangerous.

**Janszoon** · 07-15-2011, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrd00d

Yeah, Janz, but that's cuz you're smarter than the average bear. You know where to look. Any of us on these boards knows how to find new tunes. But the average kid/teen/young adult doesn't know what to look for. Plato's cave'd.

That's true, and it was also true in the 90s, but at least now it's easier to look if you choose to.

djchameleon · 07-15-2011, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoonlitSunshine

Fobbing off responsibility because the listeners should know better is not an excuse. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXAMPLE AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LITERALLY ON ANY OF THE SPECIFICS** If someone listens so say, 50 Cent, then decides he wants to go out and shoot someone, yes it's his responsibility, yes he should have realised that 50 Cent is not saying it is good to shoot people, no matter how his lyrics might imply it, but if the kid then kills someone else, because he listened to 50 Cent, is 50 Cent not partially responsible for the death?

NO, I don't think in that scenario that 50 cent would be partially responsible at all.

All of the responsibility lies squarely on the individual like I said earlier. This whole blame game about passing it off on other people needs to stop. Just like how they went on a witch hunt about how Marilyn Manson and playing violent video games made that kid shoot up some other students at school.

BULLSHIT

**Janszoon** · 07-15-2011, 07:21 AM

I'm pretty concerned about how many impressionable young minds back in the nineteenth century must have been lead into a life of piracy by the words of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Howard the Duck · 07-15-2011, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

I'm pretty concerned about how many impressionable young minds back in the nineteenth century must have been lead into a life of piracy by the words of Robert Louis Stevenson.

look, it has something to do with packaging - it doesn't aim to be anything more than a fantasy

whereas something like Mein Kampf IS impressionable on people to go into white supremacy or Neo-Nazism

MoonlitSunshine · 07-15-2011, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

NO, I don't think in that scenario that 50 cent would be partially responsible at all.

All of the responsibility lies squarely on the individual like I said earlier. This whole blame game about passing it off on other people needs to stop. Just like how they went on a witch hunt about how Marilyn Manson and playing violent video games made that kid shoot up some other students at school.

BULLSHIT

It's not a blame game! I'm not looking to string someone up for what someone else did, I think that the BLAME falls entirely on the individual, but the RESPONSIBILITY for the act can range beyond that. It is the Responsibility of a parent to try and ensure that their child doesn't grow up to be an arrogant, people hating partner-beating child abusing wanker, but I wouldn't try to have them jailed if they didn't try and their child went on to hospitalise someone. Do you see what I mean?

Every attempt is made on a regular basis to make sure that gamers know that anything they do in a game is fictional, that it is not to be repeated. Every attempt is also made to restrict the playing of potentially damaging games to those who are of an age to deal with it and understand the difference. Marilyn Manson, I'm not going to argue about. Personally I think his music is decent but there is an obsession with decadence there which suffers from the same sort of responsibilities.

As I said, I don't agree with going on a witch hunt and trying to blame someone else for the actions of an individual in a situation like this, but I do think that there is a responsibility of the artists to realise just how influential they are being. Sing, rap about whatever you like, but I would like to see them making an attempt to point out that when they called about shooting their enemies and drinking cough syrup for a hit, that it's probably not a good thing to be taking their words to heart. Is that too much to ask?

djchameleon · 07-15-2011, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoonlitSunshine

As I said, I don't agree with going on a witch hunt and trying to blame someone else for the actions of an individual in a situation like this, but I do think that there is a responsibility of the artists to realise just how influential they are being. Sing, rap about whatever you like, but I would like to see them making an attempt to point out that when they called about shooting their enemies and drinking cough syrup for a hit, that it's probably not a good thing to be taking their words to heart. Is that too much to ask?

I get what you are trying to say and that reminds me of a Tyler the Creator video I saw that he had a disclaimer on it and said kids don't try this at home before he started into his rap.

**Janszoon** · 07-15-2011, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Il Duce

look, it has something to do with packaging - it doesn't aim to be anything more than a fantasy

whereas something like Mein Kampf IS impressionable on people to go into white supremacy or Neo-Nazism

So are you are you comparing hip hop to Treasure Island or to Mein Kampf?

Howard the Duck · 07-15-2011, 08:37 AM

Mein Kampf

the rappers obvoiusly have this swagger and pride in what they rap about that might spawn imitators

whereas stuff like Marilyn Manson is just hokey crap

07-15-2011, 07:21 AM	#45 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	I'm pretty concerned about how many impressionable young minds back in the nineteenth century must have been lead into a life of piracy by the words of Robert Louis Stevenson. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm