When I heard it I didn't believe it. I thought he must have been misquoted. Maybe it was an ill-advised joke that the interviewer for "60 minutes" didn't get. For those who haven't heard, DipSet HNIC Cam'Ron told "60 Minutes" that he wouldn't tell the police the location of a serial killer if he lived next door to him (see the video). Cam said he would probably move, but he wouldn't tell the cops because it would hurt his business and telling would go against his "code of ethics." Really? Look, I understand the code of the hood. Even your Moms used to tell you not be be a "tattle-tale." Growing up, we used to know who shot who, who stole what from who, who selling what and where, etc. We called it the grapevine. Those are the things we came to learn that you normally mind your own business about. But as much acrimony that there is between law enforcement in Black and Latino neighborhoods and its citizens, there's NO circumstance where I wouldn't tell the cops to come get a serial killer (A SERIAL KILLER!!!) living next door to me and mine (or strangers for that matter). Cam is what, about 30 yrs. old. He should be mature enough to determine what's "snitching" and what isn't. Cam is also a father so I'm sure if a serial killer was living next door to his little man he would want whoever knew that fact to say something. (BTW - A Busta's one of my favorite artists, but unless you plan on avenging your man's death personally, you should've told the cops something. At least for dude's wife and kids. He fouled out. Can't be said any other way). But the 13 to 18 yr. olds that make up the majority of DipSet's fans probably can't tell the difference and that's where the problems begin. I don't even think he meant to answer the interviewers question like that. Maybe he could've said, "Of course I'd get a serial killer arrested, we don't support the senseless murdering of innocent people, but folks in my community have had a hard time trusting police because of the way we're treated in our own neighborhoods. Some folks have just decided to police the hood themselves before another innocent man is shot at 50 times for no reason." There are thousands of kids screaming "stop snitching", wearing t-shirts with the ubiquitous "stop snitching" logo with the red line through it. One witness in a trial in Pennsylvania about a year and a half ago had the nerve to wear one of those t-shirts in court. Most of these rappers are snitching on themselves anyway, talking about how much coke you sell, where your connect is from, who you shot or want to shoot and with what type of gun. They tell the beast what type of cars they drive and where they hang out, etc. So who's snitching?
That being said, the police have to do more to make citizens feel that the police are in our neighborhoods to "protect and serve" us. There are too many officers drunk with power or on revenge missions since they were picked on in high school and now is the time for the get back. Almost every inner-city has had to deal with some kind of corruption in their police departments. In some places its hard the citizens to tell who the bad guys are. It's not going to be easy either because police brutality and neglect are problems that have been going on since our grandparents were children. Real talk, we need each other. There's no way the police can do their jobs effectively without help from citizens, but the citizens won't be eager to help the police unless we can trust that they'll do their jobs lawfully. So it's not like I don't understand why Mr. Giles said what he said, I just think he went to the extreme to prove his point. Of course, it didn't make him (or Hip Hop) look too good, but if it wasn't Cam it would've been Snoop or Tony Yayo or Jeezy or somebody that would've co-signed it.
We as a people, and a generation, have to stop making ourselves look ridiculous. Especially on mainstream TV and radio. We all knew that after the "Kramer" thing and the "Imus" thing, that things would start to change (whether they are for better or worse remains to be seen), but after Russell & Company's appearance on Oprah backed with Killa Cam's revelation on "60 Minutes", it crystal clear Hip Hop is in America's crosshairs. And we (Hip Hop) continue to give them ammo (hollow points at that).
April 25, 2007
SAY IT AIN'T SO CAM!
April 18, 2007
IMUS AND HIP HOP
(*This is not a real magazine cover)
What's going on Grown Folks? Let us first start off by sending our condolences and prayers out the the families of the people that were murdered on the campus of Virginia Tech University on Monday. As a father with a daughter on her way to college in the fall, this definitely hit home. No parent should have to worry about their child getting shot to death in a classroom, but sadly, that is the world we live in. 33 people dead and nobody knows why. Whatever note the gunman left still won't explain why such a tragedy happened because there is no justification for killing innocent people at all. Let's all hope that those effected by this will be able to move on someday.
Now back to the Hip-Hop.
By now everyone has heard, or heard about, the comments that cost Hall of Fame broadcaster Don Imus his job. Predictably, the mainstream media again bought up the supposed double-standard of hip-hop artists being allowed to call women "bitches" and "hoes" (and call men niggas), but when someone outside of the race does it, there is an uproar. This is a similar argument used by folks after Michael "Kramer" Richards use if the word "nigger" during his stand-up act. While speaking to different folks over the past 2 weeks, I've heard a wide array of opinions on both Imus' comments and whether or not his comments were harsh enough for him to be taken off of the air (of course they were). Oprah devoted the the last two days of her show to the topic. Good Morning America and The Today Show devoted morning segments to the same topic bringing different folks (or experts) on the show to speak their opinions. It seems that EVERYBODY, even folks who have no connection at all to the culture, had something to say about it. My question is, "What did what Imus said have to do with music, let alone Hip-Hop." Don Imus is a news radio personality. He's not a DJ or Artist. He barely plays background music when he goes to commercial. But 80% of the mainstream media chose to raise the "why can rappers say it" flag once again.
During these debates, I never heard anyone (until Russell Simmons on Oprah) say that there are different types of rap music out there. Not ALL hip-hop artists use the words bitch or hoe. And for the ones that do, Dr. Todd Boyd, author and contributor to ESPN.com, said something that made a lot of sense, "Rappers are in essence characters performing a fictional life. Though the culture is rooted in the notion and style of authenticity, it is decidedly fictional...so we should be judging hip-hop the same way we judge a novel, a movie, or a television show, and to do so means we have to afford hip-hop the same latitude we afford any form of artistic expression." Chuurch!!! I know I couldn't have said it any better than that so I won't try. Dr. Boyd raises an excellent question. Why aren't the other artistic art forms (especially music and movies) held to the same standard that hip-hop seems to be? Martin Scorsese (director o one of my favorite movies of all time - Goodfellas) won his first Oscar recently for "The Departed", a movie about crooked cops and organized crime. There is tons of gratuitous violence in that flick, dudes getting shot in the head left and right, guys getting dumped off of the top of buildings, blood splattering all over the place, etc. I haven't heard anybody blaming mob movies or the Sopranos for glorifying violence or the continued disrespect of women. So why blame hip-hop? Is it base on race? Class? People that are ignorant of the culture? Should hip-hip be blamed for allowing this type of climate to permeate through the industry?
Let us know.
One thing we do know is that the civil rights generation is woefully unaware of the different facets of hip-hop culture. After seeing what has been said over the past 2 weeks I wonder if they even care. Black Radio and TV (that means you BET and MTV) have done a great job messing their heads up and making them think all we do have sex, drink, do drugs, go to jail, shoot each other, wear our pants below our asses and throw dough at strippers. In order for us to ever make things better they need understand that they have to work with the hip-hop generation and not against it.
Please go to the links we provided to get to very different (and interesting) views on this subject. One from Dr. Todd Boyd, and another from Jason Whitlock a columnist for the Kansas City Star an contributor to AOL.com, who we'll say isn't the biggest fan of hip-hop. We're sure you'll find both views interesting and as always we'd like to hear what you think. Especially the women.
Now back to the Hip-Hop.
By now everyone has heard, or heard about, the comments that cost Hall of Fame broadcaster Don Imus his job. Predictably, the mainstream media again bought up the supposed double-standard of hip-hop artists being allowed to call women "bitches" and "hoes" (and call men niggas), but when someone outside of the race does it, there is an uproar. This is a similar argument used by folks after Michael "Kramer" Richards use if the word "nigger" during his stand-up act. While speaking to different folks over the past 2 weeks, I've heard a wide array of opinions on both Imus' comments and whether or not his comments were harsh enough for him to be taken off of the air (of course they were). Oprah devoted the the last two days of her show to the topic. Good Morning America and The Today Show devoted morning segments to the same topic bringing different folks (or experts) on the show to speak their opinions. It seems that EVERYBODY, even folks who have no connection at all to the culture, had something to say about it. My question is, "What did what Imus said have to do with music, let alone Hip-Hop." Don Imus is a news radio personality. He's not a DJ or Artist. He barely plays background music when he goes to commercial. But 80% of the mainstream media chose to raise the "why can rappers say it" flag once again.
During these debates, I never heard anyone (until Russell Simmons on Oprah) say that there are different types of rap music out there. Not ALL hip-hop artists use the words bitch or hoe. And for the ones that do, Dr. Todd Boyd, author and contributor to ESPN.com, said something that made a lot of sense, "Rappers are in essence characters performing a fictional life. Though the culture is rooted in the notion and style of authenticity, it is decidedly fictional...so we should be judging hip-hop the same way we judge a novel, a movie, or a television show, and to do so means we have to afford hip-hop the same latitude we afford any form of artistic expression." Chuurch!!! I know I couldn't have said it any better than that so I won't try. Dr. Boyd raises an excellent question. Why aren't the other artistic art forms (especially music and movies) held to the same standard that hip-hop seems to be? Martin Scorsese (director o one of my favorite movies of all time - Goodfellas) won his first Oscar recently for "The Departed", a movie about crooked cops and organized crime. There is tons of gratuitous violence in that flick, dudes getting shot in the head left and right, guys getting dumped off of the top of buildings, blood splattering all over the place, etc. I haven't heard anybody blaming mob movies or the Sopranos for glorifying violence or the continued disrespect of women. So why blame hip-hop? Is it base on race? Class? People that are ignorant of the culture? Should hip-hip be blamed for allowing this type of climate to permeate through the industry?
Let us know.
One thing we do know is that the civil rights generation is woefully unaware of the different facets of hip-hop culture. After seeing what has been said over the past 2 weeks I wonder if they even care. Black Radio and TV (that means you BET and MTV) have done a great job messing their heads up and making them think all we do have sex, drink, do drugs, go to jail, shoot each other, wear our pants below our asses and throw dough at strippers. In order for us to ever make things better they need understand that they have to work with the hip-hop generation and not against it.
Please go to the links we provided to get to very different (and interesting) views on this subject. One from Dr. Todd Boyd, and another from Jason Whitlock a columnist for the Kansas City Star an contributor to AOL.com, who we'll say isn't the biggest fan of hip-hop. We're sure you'll find both views interesting and as always we'd like to hear what you think. Especially the women.
On a lighter note, there are times when rappers actually profess their love for the women in their lives. Not only do these songs show another side of the artist, but in many cases it becomes classic material. We've posted some of our favorite songs where the artists shows his softer side.
As the big homie Don Cornelius would say, "We wish you Love, Peace and SOOOOOOOUL!!!!!"
As the big homie Don Cornelius would say, "We wish you Love, Peace and SOOOOOOOUL!!!!!"
Jason Whitlock - http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/66339.html
April 4, 2007
Have you outgrown Hip Hop?
It's a question I've found myself wondering about over the past few years (mostly about myself). In the past, the answer has always been a quick and resounding, "Hell No!" But the enthusiasm with which that answer is delivered has calmed considerably. That's not to say I don't enjoy a lot of the hip-hop music that is out today. I count The Clipse, Lupe Fiasco, Little Brother, Slim Thug, Lil Wayne and Young Buck among my favorite "new school" artists. The last thing I would want to be is some bitter older cat still stuck in the 80's and 90's. But nowadays when "heinous crimes help records sales more than creative lines" (Thanks Nas), I find myself at a crossroads.
I believe that if there was a soundtrack for our generation it would be comprised of mostly (if not all) hip-hop records. In contrast, most of our parents generation's soundtrack would be comprised of music by Motown. If I believe that, how could I ever outgrow it? How could I ever stop listening to B.I.G., Redman, Jay-Z, Nas, Big L and all my other favorites? I hear people tell me all the time that they've left hip-hop alone since they've gotten older. I usually ask them what they listen to now. "Jazz" or "R&B" is usually the answer. I'm a music fan. I've always listened to all types of music (for example, I have Criminal Minded; Frank Sinatra-Live at Radio City Music Hall, Best of Beres Hammond and We Got it For Cheap-Part #2 in my CD player at home right now), but I never hear anybody that likes rock music thinking they're too old to listen to it. Same with reggae, classical, folk, soul (R&B), etc. Why do the people who enjoy listening to hip-hop music have to "outgrow" the music. It's true that I may not listen to "Talk Like Sex" (Kool G. Rap) or "Wildflower" (Ghostface) like I used to, don't think for one minute that my CD player isn't filled with albums (both old and new) from KRS-One, A Tribe Called Quest, AZ, and Pete Rock.
There are things about the culture that bother me. The "beef" thing has been played out. The way the women (our Beautiful Black and Latina women) are treated and portrayed makes me cringe (especially as the father of a teenager). I remember Queen Latifah said she'd smack a dude for calling her a bitch. Now being a bitch is a large part of the female MC's bio. The radio and music video stations playlists are so duplicated that you listen to the radio in N.Y. hop on a plane, fly to Cali and hear almost the exact same playlist. There was a time that we liked to listen to the radio when we were OT just to see what they rocked to in whatever part of the country we were in.
I don't think my folks over 30 have outgrown hip-hop. We just want the variety and balance that was once a big part of the music. No MCs (or rappers-there is a big difference) with the same names (Lil, Young, Yung, etc.), different video girls, more interesting subject matter (no more rims or making it rain-since when did music for the strip club become mainstream?) I love lasagne, but if I had it for more than 2 days in a row I will get sick of it.
We at GFHH will never forget the "good ole days." But we'll never look to the past so long that we can't see appreciate present and/or future. We hope to provide a full-view of hip-hop music. The music is our motivation so GFHH will always be true to that. We will, from time to time, comment on social issues involving hip-hop, current events, etc. We hope that our topics make you think and, hopefully, you feel compelled to comment on some of our blog topics.
It's a question I've found myself wondering about over the past few years (mostly about myself). In the past, the answer has always been a quick and resounding, "Hell No!" But the enthusiasm with which that answer is delivered has calmed considerably. That's not to say I don't enjoy a lot of the hip-hop music that is out today. I count The Clipse, Lupe Fiasco, Little Brother, Slim Thug, Lil Wayne and Young Buck among my favorite "new school" artists. The last thing I would want to be is some bitter older cat still stuck in the 80's and 90's. But nowadays when "heinous crimes help records sales more than creative lines" (Thanks Nas), I find myself at a crossroads.
I believe that if there was a soundtrack for our generation it would be comprised of mostly (if not all) hip-hop records. In contrast, most of our parents generation's soundtrack would be comprised of music by Motown. If I believe that, how could I ever outgrow it? How could I ever stop listening to B.I.G., Redman, Jay-Z, Nas, Big L and all my other favorites? I hear people tell me all the time that they've left hip-hop alone since they've gotten older. I usually ask them what they listen to now. "Jazz" or "R&B" is usually the answer. I'm a music fan. I've always listened to all types of music (for example, I have Criminal Minded; Frank Sinatra-Live at Radio City Music Hall, Best of Beres Hammond and We Got it For Cheap-Part #2 in my CD player at home right now), but I never hear anybody that likes rock music thinking they're too old to listen to it. Same with reggae, classical, folk, soul (R&B), etc. Why do the people who enjoy listening to hip-hop music have to "outgrow" the music. It's true that I may not listen to "Talk Like Sex" (Kool G. Rap) or "Wildflower" (Ghostface) like I used to, don't think for one minute that my CD player isn't filled with albums (both old and new) from KRS-One, A Tribe Called Quest, AZ, and Pete Rock.
There are things about the culture that bother me. The "beef" thing has been played out. The way the women (our Beautiful Black and Latina women) are treated and portrayed makes me cringe (especially as the father of a teenager). I remember Queen Latifah said she'd smack a dude for calling her a bitch. Now being a bitch is a large part of the female MC's bio. The radio and music video stations playlists are so duplicated that you listen to the radio in N.Y. hop on a plane, fly to Cali and hear almost the exact same playlist. There was a time that we liked to listen to the radio when we were OT just to see what they rocked to in whatever part of the country we were in.
I don't think my folks over 30 have outgrown hip-hop. We just want the variety and balance that was once a big part of the music. No MCs (or rappers-there is a big difference) with the same names (Lil, Young, Yung, etc.), different video girls, more interesting subject matter (no more rims or making it rain-since when did music for the strip club become mainstream?) I love lasagne, but if I had it for more than 2 days in a row I will get sick of it.
We at GFHH will never forget the "good ole days." But we'll never look to the past so long that we can't see appreciate present and/or future. We hope to provide a full-view of hip-hop music. The music is our motivation so GFHH will always be true to that. We will, from time to time, comment on social issues involving hip-hop, current events, etc. We hope that our topics make you think and, hopefully, you feel compelled to comment on some of our blog topics.
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