Open Letter To Hip-Hop Article by: Jason Fleurant Flipping through channels, I landed on CNN. I don’t know why but this picture of this young kid had caught my attention. So I turned my interest to the program and saw they were talking about Blair Holt. If you haven’t heard Blair is an or should I say was a 16 year old honor student who gave up his life to save his friend. The interesting thing is that this young hero was an inspiring rapper. A rapper whose rhymes were more about making a change in his gang siege community. It’s so horrifying when looking more and more into this story to see the vicious cycle of evil that haunts us. I read that in that school system they have had 20 deaths, 20 DEATHS of students just trying to get to school and back. Yet there wasn’t any noise being made? Man I don’t even know where I’m going with this other than we need, NEED to stop this. We need to stop poisoning our own and killing our own! There is so much more to life than this bullshit! How do we sit back and just watch this go on and on? Not to play the race card, but if this where to happen in the Suburbs we’d hear about this shit daily. If this was to happen to upper class white kids there would of been more done to stop this kind of shit when it was just one person killed. No fuck all that, the real problem seems to be we as blacks just don’t give a fuck. We just don’t give a fuck unless it happens to us directly, right? The whole stop snitching movement, the spreading of gangs! Kids growing up admiring the D-Boys and wanting to grow up to be like them. What The Fuck! I’m sick of this shit! Hip-Hop is such a powerful vessel, its something we got to realize and utilize! Instead of these dumb asses promoting violence and promoting the culture of poison only to hide behind the mask of “Free Speech”. How many times do you hear a dick-head rapper say, “I’m talking for the people representing the struggle” only to peep their album to hear them glorifying the negatives (drugs & guns) in music? Or only to get on a DVD waving guns bragging about how their still in the hood moving weight? Now I’m the most “anti-censorship in art” person out, but enough is enough. There has to be responsibility taken by the artist in what they are portraying and in the companies in what they’re putting out. I’m not saying we need the airwaves flooded with “Conscious Music” because quite frankly I don’t want to hear that all the damn time. Just like I don’t want to hear “D-Boy” music all the time. I just want the people in Hip-Hop to take a stand. I want those who have gained and claim to represent to get involve where the Government and Police refuse to. We have the power to effect change. Can’t anyone tell me Hip-Hop hasn’t changed the world? It’s insane that it’s unsafe for kids to just go to school! I don't blame Hip-Hop for that; I’m calling out Hip-Hop to fight back! I know it’s down right racist for me to say “white people don’t care about niggas” but those in power sure act like they don’t. So does Hip-Hop not care about niggas? Does Hip-Hop not give a fuck about the kids that support them, the very streets they give credit to creating them? I know there are many that do and try to do some positive things. For that I am very, very grateful. It’s just time that Hip-Hop’s heavy weights become the new black leaders, in the sense that they are more involve in stopping the self-destruction. Yeah I know I’m writing out of anger but lets not let the death of Blair Holt and many, many others be in vein. This isn’t Dangerous Minds or Freedom Writers, there is no white lady riding a white horse coming to save us. S.O.S. my peeps, cause we got to save our selves. I don’t have answers; I wish I could tell you how to change things. I’m just one of millions of voices crying out for change, knowing that Hip-Hop has the power if we use it correctly. This is my open letter to all of Hip-Hop. To Jay-Z’s, 50 Cent, Russell Simmons, to the LA Reid’s, to someone who just picked up the microphone or making beats. S.O.S.! S.O.S.! We have more power than is imaginable, so we got to do something with it. Fuck these bitches that hop and these ignorant DVDs promoting gang violence, waving guns and bragging about the negative. S.O.S.! S.O.S.! We are loosing too many lives over nothing, fucking NOTHING. A lyric that I read from Blair Holt said, “They won’t stop, till my mothers grieving”. Let’s try to make his the last mother to grieve over senseless violence. We as a people have come way too far to fall so short. There is a war going on outside, one that’s claiming too many innocent lives. Then again, I know many just don’t give a fuck because that’s their gimmick. This is how they profit, off the hardships of others. So I guess it is what it is...is it? Nahh.. Just another excuse. Editors Note: Don’t hate, vote if/when Russell Simmons, Jay-Z or KRS-One (when they get the balls) runs for any public office. Russell is rich and did coke, Bush did coke and more, Jay-Z knows how to make the new millennium dollars, sorry Bush got you beat (oil), KRS-One is “Well Spoken”, David Letterman mocks Bush’s oratory capabilities nightly. Barack Obama is a pawn, Lastly, “Absolute power courps absolutely”. (34) Comments | Post a comment »

I agree, hip hop is too powerful to not be used in a more useful way.

Posted by marz

Barack isn't a pawn, he's the best democratic candidate. But i would rather vote for russell or jay or krs

Posted by RSX

Look at this sh*t.. A message like that gets 2 replies, 2 people bothered enough to make comment on quite easily one of the most important topic on this site. Respect to the writer for trying to make a difference, it's about time more people recognised the self-destructive effects hip hop is having on the streets where it was born. But lets get real, articles like this are all well and good to help people realise the problem but if anythings guna change we need an actual solution. Endless criticisms on the state of hip hop helps no one, until someone pushes a way of improving the situation. Russell simmons has attempted this with increased cencorship, i ask all of you who criticise this solution as well as those of you slagging of the state of hip hop to do actually suggest an alternative direction or stop moaning.

Posted by Jay Uk

Straight truth homie, theres kids dying everyday over some stupid sh*t. These fools need to get they minds right. Use some of that street cred. And do positive things with it.

Posted by Azheatfromme

Unfortunately unless the general public as a whole wants to hear informed intelligent music like what hes talking about, the record labels wont make a change. Instead of getting great albums from rappers that actually can rap with a good message, a label is going to put out people that can make a good ringtone song. Thats what america apparently wants these days. But for that to happen, the mentality of the white 11-14 year old girl demographic would have to drastically change. These young girls have the most money in their pockets (cause most of their parents will get them anything) and they need to stay "up-to-date". Well unfortunately, their version of up-to-date is ringtone rap like that "pop lock and drop it" song. But more onto this topic...the industry isnt going to change because the main demographic for violent gangsta music is the suburban white kid trying to be a gangster. The music and the lifestyle doesnt affect them personally, so they dont care what actaully goes on in the hood. But the industry knows that this is where the money is, so its not gonna voluntarilly run away from easy money.

Posted by jay dubs

He's right the rappers need to relax with all this gansta stuff . I understand some will say "it's freedom of speech we're painting a picture" but relax not every song has to be a remake of the movie scarface. Im not saying they should stop rapping about being gansta or gangsta situations but they need to tone it down. Especially for songs that are getting radio play.

Posted by anonymos1

Word

Posted by brooklynboss

Its too bad that any real mainstream rappers wont read this...

Posted by jay dubs

A man i glad u mentioned blair holts name b he was a good dude he was real cool with my guys out in the 100s glad people and fl herd about this story but yeah i agree with you man full hearted man

Posted by chi la rock

Preach jasun!!!! all this violence needs to stop!! people across america need to wake up and reprioritize!! it's really sad how the almighty dollar runs andruins so many lives either directly or indirectly! nice letter jasun!!

Posted by mz shady

What i think needs to be done is to prove tha %90 of what % percent of rappers talk about is false because it is once people start understanding that what they rap about is bullsh*t, then they will want to listen to true sh*t

Posted by truth

@ j dubs its obvious that people want the change look at the extreme drop in album sales.... Yea blame it on the net and downloading but the fact of the matter is people are sick of hearing this sh*t. It kills me when i see some cat who was just livin in mom dukes basement get a deal then all of a sudden he is the damn boss and poppin gats, but at the same time if people or artists wouldnt settle for selling ones soul for a dollar amount and realize at the end of it all the same people we the people say are opressing us is who really capitalizes of it. Meanwhile the youngins think thats the way to go, yea it does have to do with parenting, but if these so called cats from the hood knew half of em dont hale a quote unquote family structure. You know mom at the club lookin for the next hustler to tip her down and throw her dollars or cracked out so who you think they look to? wake up! take responsibilty for your actions and stop like homie who wrote this article said hiding behind free speech lets clean our house so when the finger gets pointed its for the right reason.

Posted by Illapuertorock

It's a shame there aren't more comments to this posted.

Posted by anonymos1

Well written article. Its clearly the truth put in words. But 99% of the artist wouldent change the way they rap cause of two reasons. 1: they diddent come to the game to inlighten people they just want the money n the fame, of course they like rappin n they enjoy writing rhymes ...(the ones that dont get a ghost writer to do it for them). They aint want to suddently go against the grain and start spitting contious lyrics and start donate they amounts back to the comunity like a real man would do if his peers meant something to him and he wanted to make a change. 2: its impossible to rap about a better life and how to get a better life when rappers constantly glorify crack-sales and killings cause they either aint have brain cappassity to rap about anything else or just dont want to be creative. Matter fact if every rapper stopped lying and started spitting how his real life was what would happen??????? anyone.... Then there would only be room for the real sh*t and the lying sh*t ya portray woud be the F*ck outta here. Come on 99 % of u rappers aint doing that sh*t and may never been doing that sh*t. Stop lying u F*ck*ng idiots

Posted by BIG HATE

Where do i start?? i really believe all of this is a test for africans here in america... Black folk. See, think about it if we don't take control over the whole of what hip-hop is doing to american families and values, then it will destroy. 1st - mainstreem america - white america (gotta call it like i see it) never thought hip-hop would last this long, 2nd - now that it has lasted this long, let's see how much money we can make, 3rd - it wasn't a problem until it started having their kids "actin' black", just like crack wasn't a problem until mary sue and john bob started hitting the pipe. So i say all of that to say true hip-hop heads have to take a stand and demand that the bullsh*t out there doesn't continue to dominate. Think about it, we weren't even on radio in the 80's and we somehow made radio play and listen to us, now we have to make radio play the good/pure hip-hop so our kids don't loose total controll or interest like they did with rock & roll. Ez

Posted by Hasan7body

You can talk about it all you want. We know these things are true. But untill the cats that feel like this start putting out some bangers that rep those feelings, we will be stuck with ganstas and wanna be ganstas that look up to them. Put away the soap box and pull out your pen get a deal and go to war with all these cats thats making the world a dangerous place to live.

Posted by whatevanicca

I was born in 1972, & fortunately (or unfortunately, according to how you look at it), i have seen hip-hop in every stage. The music we hear today is not hip-hop, it's rap. I'm not gonna go thru the differences cause we should all know them. My point is the culture, the lifestyle, the movement, hip-hop is obviously the most powerful vice in the commercial world. Which translate to, more people are exposed to & affected by this artform than any other in history combined. Car manufacturers, sports drink makers, computers, alcohol, etc. All use the hip-hop movement to make money. Why can't we (the originators of the movement) use this movement to help better ourselves instead of making the "man" rich. We are giving them such a great platform to profit from. Right back to "slavery"days. We do all the work, they get all the fruits of our labor. Think about it!!!!!!!!!

Posted by SLIM

Its deeper than hip hop. Its coz the govt don't teach black history in schools. If you don't know were you're comming from you cann't know were you're going.

Posted by TRM

---fight ---for---us---!!--

Posted by etheoryall

Why is hip hop always given the responsibility of saving an entire race of people?? do you ever hear anyone telling marilyn manson or ozzy osbourne that they need to be better role models and to stop the negative messages in their music?? no! because at the end of the day fans of their music realize that its just F*ck*n music! they dont live their lives according to what led zepplin or kurt cobain sang in their songs.. So why is it always said that rappers need to have this huge responsibility of leading a generation?? why are the biggest names in the black communities the hottest rapper out? how about instead of putting all the weight of a race on the music industry, its put on some people that actually care to make a change.. That actually hold some influence and have a chance to make some changes. Rappers dont care.. Its about the money.. And who can blame them.. They are musicians

Posted by datopdawg

Not urban city saviors. Stop looking up to rappers to set the pace for how you should be living your life. Violence is going to be there in the hoods and the ghettos regardless of whatever bullsh*t 50's spittin on the next single.. Dont blame them.. Take it upon yourself.. Why dont you be the one to step up and make a change instead of always F*ck*n counting on someone else.

Posted by datopdawg

Hip-hop is not just music its a way of life. Hip hop influences the youth like it or not. So if the music is violent,ingorant, and always degrating women then that would be the mentality of the youth out future, on the other hand if the music was full of all aspects of life im not going to say all positive because too much of anything is not good but if it had many different perceptions of life then our children would have an open mind and think for themselves. - all entertainment is educational dont fool yourself

Posted by wisdom/knowledge/understanding

"see... Man ain't like a dog. And when i say "man," i'm talking about man as in mankind, not man as in men. Because men, well, we a lot like a dog. You know, we like to piss on things. Sniff a Bia'ch when we can. Even get a little pink hard-on the way they do. We territorial as sh*t, you know, we gonna protect our own. But man, he know about death. Got him a sense of history. Got religion. See... A dog, man, a dog don't know sh*t about no birthdays or christmas or easter bunny, none of that sh*t. And one day god gonna come calling, so you know, they going through life carefree. But people like you and me, man, we always guessing. Wondering, "what if?" you know what i mean? so when you say to me, "hey, i don't think we should be doing this," i gotta say, baby, i don't think we should be doing this neither, but we ain't gonna get no move on in this world, lying around in the sun, licking our ass all day. I mean, we man. I mean, you a woman and all, but we man. So with this said, you tell me what it is you wanna do with your life. " reflect my brothas. Do the best with what god gave ya. Pay it forward. We all got to stand up. Don't lick your ass anymore. Live life your way. Not based off what you hear in a song. That glamorizes poverty, drugs, gangs. Fort minor did this idea justice. Mike raps about the sh*t of his life and even his grandparents lives. Thats real talk from them. It has "many different perceptions of life then our children would have an open mind and think for themselves." thats tru

Posted by Twenty

Rappers are not going to change until something happens to them directly......everyone is out for themselves and not to many people want to help the next man....its a shame....but alot of people speak about it but are not willing to do anything to make a change just point the finger and say what needs to be done but are not making a effort to help on the situation............

Posted by lonestar

I dont know exactly when this article was posted but i did find it interesting enough to comment on it. The one thing that i feel is the real issue behind all of what was being talked about in this article is that of all of the people in hip hop nation, no one, artist, label or fan, have come up with a thought out solution. But everyone complains. Complaining only leads to more complaints, pointing out the negative in the situation only will only continue to bring about attention to keep it alive. So while we're all so focused on the negative and, saying things need to change, why don't we stop. And say what can we do to make this a positive situation? for every "rappers need to change the portrayal of women in videos" comment we should be saying: "how about we present (for lack of a better term) business plan to the video networks, label a&rs, label video commissioners, video directors and artists with a worthwhile alternative to the run of the mill videos that we see everyday?" for every "i'm tired of hearing the same 10 hip hop songs on the radio" comment why don't we say: "lets actively support alternative means of radio like internet radio or satellite radio that play an array of artists. Lets petition car manufacturers to install internet radio devices so we have the freedom of choosing from a plethora of outlets to find good new music" the bottom line is...and this is black people more than anything else. But lets tell the truth, we love to talk about sh*t! and not do anything. It's self

Posted by Q Dot

Wow, where shall i begin? first off, hip hop is life, its culture, and at one point in time, it was substance. Now we all know that most of these rappers did not do half what they say they do or did, cuz they would end up in jail. I grew up in hip hop, buyin mix tapes, etc...and its all business now. Yes, yes i know, y'all ready know this, so what's my point. My point is this, when we allowed white people to buy us, and dictate what plays on radio, and what is considered to be "hip-hop", thats when sh*t went down hill. I love jay-z, nas, common, etc...., but everyone is trying to be them, because their "hustle" worked. Now we have everyone getting "shot" in songs, every wants or use to be a d-boy. Lets be real...how many of these rappers actually lived by, let alone walked by the projects. How are you a 80s baby, when you was a baby in the 80s. I mean c'mon. It all starts from the top; if there was enough rappers talking about something different, then the radio will have to play it, thats why kayne has success. Still, when will us, black people, step up to the throne and handle our business, instead of pointing fingers at others, and taking control; cuz truth be told, it is there for the taking; we are just too lazy to do it. It is a lot easier for us to blame ourselves, blame others for our situaition.. Man F*ck that!!! stand up!!!

Posted by Smacks

To all you "rappers", for example, 50, weezy, gucci main, and all you other fakers. This for you: i'm standin up. Shuttin up all these commercial ass "rappers". All these "ice money hustla's" and these "punk Bia'ch slappers". I'm still part of youth, sixteen tellin truth. Recognition or not, i'm spittin truth to you. If you do got roots, then why don't you express? it takes a real man to be man, more or less. Money or not, i'm stayin in the same spot. With all that i got, you'll get the message when i'm shot. I'm sixteen like blair and to show you don't care, you told me to sell drugs and go pull a "Bia'ch's" hair. I got a message, your "studio", could i borrow? forget the message, let's heal the people for thier sorrow. But wait, my message is to heal. F*ck you and your record deal. Ya'll gettin money, and cuz of it kids are killed. My little brother had a shotty. Told me 50 said to party. Went out that night. Boom!! i stand over his dead body. If i go big, sh*t, i'll hand you all my money. You're thinkin your funny. The message out now you runnin and my gunnin. My bullets are the facts that i spit. And maybe when day you'll get that all you say is all bullsh*t. But till then enjoy your life while you sit back and watch us die. "the world is your's", go ahead and tell them lies......

Posted by Lucky Lok$

I understand what you saying on so many levels. But as one of the people said, the mainstream rap being put forward in todays society is putting a major impact on todays culture. So if you talkin about slag'n and bang'n then thats exactly what kids and young adults are gonna do. But if more rappers get out there and paint a positive picture for young eyes and minds to see a least drastic change will come about b/c not to many people want to hear about the positive but they'll see another picture other than being a d-boy/d-girl, kill'n etc. But we juss need a couple of 'real' mc's to step up and some of the hip-hop icons to step off they pedastool, come forth, and be real.

Posted by Pinky

Some kid in this world will do it - some kid right now will be working away in his bedroom,writing the most subversive lyrics the craziest music - a mutation of hip hop/jungle/drum n bass and he will shame all of these blingy posers into silence!

Posted by Kramizm

Betül

Posted by betül

Gua' aldi brooo..... Gua leh bung ma klen g;

Posted by aldi_cute05

Fyi. There are plenty of hip-hop creators who make create songs with meaningful lyrics. I know it's hard to find which is why we feature them on .thestreetsfm. Check us out and help get the word out that, "the south is more then you think".

Posted by TheStreetsFM.com

You sound hella stupid because you sound like u never lived in the ghetto that sh*t been like that before rap took the forefront your trying to blame a more complex situation on rap i bet if we change places u never hear about a black kid shooting up a school in the ghetto because we know we'll never see the light of day again but whites do it in the suburbs and tere gonna get slapped on the hand u fault the government and the parents for this

Posted by b

Pointless comments will be deleted. Man your whole soapbox speech was pointless. You need to get a grip on how the world works. It is what it is. Find another fight cause this one you losing, by a long shot. You change the world a household at a time starting with your own. Its one thing to know your jay-z's but it another to know your shawn carters. Two different people trust me!

Posted by dragonslayor

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