Sharpton Decries ‘Gangsterism’ in Music Industry

I was never a huge fan of al sharpton, but the man makes a damn good point. Gangsterism and black are now seen as one and the same. And it seems that if you don't meet up to stereotypes, then you'renot authentically black. F*ck that. Now you have a nation of young blackyouths aspiring to be nothing more than a gangster, drug dealer, or a basketball player. It's time for the asleep to wake up! fight for us!!!!!!!!!

Same here triumph, i never cared much for sharpton cause i always thought he along with jackson always preached nothing but victimhood to black folks. I'm glad to see that he is finally saying that there is nothing wrong with being black and educated. If i were sharpton i would take it a step further and say that rap today is what blackfast minstrel shows were in the early 1900's. Blackface has been replaced with grills. Step n' fetch routines have been replaced with booty poppin'.

Blackface*

Step n' fetch routines have been replaced with the chicken noodle soup!!! but seriously, that mentality has to go.

For the most part none of the youth do or ever took sharpton serious he was always looked upon as the civil rights dude with the james brown hair do..he has some valid points in the same breath though is he sincere with what he's preaching?

What's black face? the man makes a good point what party is he in?

Ditto for me as for the feelings towards al sharpton... I think deep down kids want to see if "our leaders" love them like malcolm and martin did, that is enuff to put there life on the line... Challenging the music industry is a more gutsy move than say, giving clean drinking water over seas like jay is doing... That isn't a bad thing but it doesn't address the problem itself... There's a reason people don't have water and food over seas...it's called racism... Jay's move is like putting a bandaid on cancer... Al sharpton has made those types of moves in the past but what he is talking about here deals more w/ one of our major problems today which is the way we think... And the music has big affect on that... Now if we could just do something about the rev's dooo... Lol...

How did this become about jay?

For one time in this sad mans excuse for a life he makes a good point.

Article on "black face"...it never died, it just got flashier beats. en.wikipedia/wiki/blackface

En.wikipedia/wiki/blackface

first off the rev is the last of dying breed. He cares and think about it who else is strong enough to say he would want to be president when its almost like a death sentence. Anyone with a rightous cause that is black is takin a risk voicing their opinon. And i wish there were more people like the rev out there speaking of teachin x clan got a new joint brotha jay still got it lets see if hov will help the bk native get the message out.........hmmmm probaly not hov ain't a revolutionary...........or is he......... Good point rev sharpton harlem stand up

Kalliope^^ jay is the prez of def jam... One of the biggest labels who markets the very same music the good rev is talking about... Shawna is"getting some head", rick ross is "hustlin", luda is "p-popping" and shareefa "need a boss"... All on mr. Carter's watch... To whom much is giving, much is required... I mentioned jay b/c he is probably the most powerful black mc in america... The streetz is watching... The hood is listening...

Hov is one of the main people that has continuously promoted the very way of thinking al sharpton is saying is detrimental. None of this civil rights talk is new at all-rap has just posed the problem of people who are ignorant gaining a wealth of influence through music. And ignorant is not 'stupid' but simply unaware of their influence and what the hell being black and in america is all about.

I'll give you that, i do believe that pres. Carter is one of the most powerful cats in the "entertainment werld". But why is that? is it because afro american youth only "know" whut they see on television? or hear on a radio? my think is why do you only hear from these guy when they have a gripe about whut someone else is doing? whut are they doing? they should work on getting their message out...it is lopsided, music is all over. But when they do get heard its because they say a popular "black" persons name. In a negative way. Get out and talk about kids overall getting knowledge to know the difference between positive acting brothers and sisters, and bafoonery. Thats "my" way of attacking the dumb shyt thats out there...but for the most part...i like to "get some head", i love to see all women "p poppin", i love to floss,i ball out and err'thang...but "knowledge" will help the youth understand that this is not "everything" the way that i understand it. I endulge in those activities.....i dont invest in them. But your right on the money...i cant argue wit cha. Holla.

Kalifornia (like the way you put the swang on that, lol) hov has been in office for how long? and hes the "main" reason for this? how is that? to ask or desire a business to hault in making their money is gonna be like talking to a brick wall. C'mon. Ask a newport to make tabbacco free smokes, or ask mcdonalds to serve turkey burgers....c'mon, are you serious? like i said above...in a nutshell, look at the consumer...study "why" they "desire" this music. A hustler is gonna cook the raw around supply and demand. You think not? we have to talk to the children, the rappers arent the middle man, they kids are right there in our houses. Talk to them. Not the man behind the curtain. Dont tell them to turn it off, but explain, and practice whut "we" preach (how many kids does jesse have outside his home?). Kids might not understand, but you have a better chance that way than asking a "rapper". He has no reason not to do whut hes doing. What happened first, a company that started making special glasses to smoke dope in, or muthaphuckas who smoke dope? answer: the dope head!! the company will just profit off whuts already there. Go ask them to stop....why would they?

Thanks kalliope but i wasn't saying that we need to look to jayz for answers...i know he doesn't give a F*ck. But someone mentioned hov and what he could do to help and im just saying it ain't gonna happen. What you saying is true tho dawg. All i can say is "with great power comes great responsibility" al sharpton's at least using his voice to voice reason, and he's not a platinum-selling rapper.

Oh, and consumers need to smarten up--especially people of african descent. They sell us anything...

Werd.

Real talk tho' i do think that "somebody" with a mic needs to address whats going on with aids. I mean really. In my city of new orleans i believe this is why the youth run around like chickens with their heads cut off, like life isnt worth anything.....alot of them have aids, thats what "i" believe...some know, some scared to find out and would rather die young than from the symtoms of that shyt.....idk....thats what was on my heart tonite....holla.

Damn, thats F*cked up but i feel u g. I gotta homie out in louisiana, but i mean rap can only take it so far. I'ma rapper myself and i always think if i ever get recognized and get money ima try to organize a political party that encompasses all working class, poor people's needs. That's al sharpton's 1st mistake: thinking democrats gon' back him.

Im a fan of rev al. I dont believe he makes us out to be helpless victims] i believe he tries to skool us wit information ]so that we can empower our selves- we need to be educated on our past]and be reminded of it]yall think cuz we got a lil change that the struggle is over] we will always be victims in america]until we cut the non sense and stand together,but we are victims of the willie lynch philopshy, post slavery mentality, and a racist society wit policies that are enforced to see that we remained trapped. Yea i argee that we must take account for our own actions]but wit many of us seperated, un informed, un educated, trapped in community ignorance, religous philosphies] which influence our thinking- who knows wen change will take place-]plus so many of us are recpetive to lies than truth]its makes change impossible]then u have the factors-eco status, employment, finanicial, gender, education, housing, culture, religion]all these things that seperates-and cloud our thinkin]have many of us thinking were diff or better than one another-concerning havin more or less than each other. This gangsta sh*t is foolish-the real gangsta sit in board rooms making decision bout they werld or are mkt a prod to sell to you] that bet will gladly advertise-and have all u ghetto folk spending ya last on] all this twisting ya fingers-wearing scarfs-is non sense]yall keep killin each other over turf]that belongs to whitey or end up in a hospital own and operated by whitey- perhaps u may end up in a coffin sol

D to ya family by whitey= or maybe sit in a prison designed and operated by whitey]either way they dont have to burn crosses or lynch us ne more]they can let us drown in our own ignorance & hatred towards]one another]and kick back and get paid of it] smarted up the man is watching n listening!

Peace to all yall brothas that are taking rev. Al sharptons words into consideration because the time is now wakeup lets start the revalution lets get our self in position to make a change for your kids and your grandchildren, will we just stand aside and look as they(fbi,cia)kill our prophets like malcom,martin, they used trickknowledgy to brakeup the black panthers and to create self distruction within the black and hispanic and other communities talk is cheap lets make it happen .

Cense you got some very valid points dawg... Kali and kalliope as well... Yo just call it wishful thinking but i want so bad to believe that someone as intelligent as jay is gonna flip this shyt on these devils one day... But you couldn't ask an african who was making money exporting other africans to stop... The most dangerous person to our people is the "house negro" who at one time was in the field (the streetz)... Now that he is eating good and shyt he is less likely to want to bring that house down... We do need our own party like the black panther party again... But like marcus garvey said we ultimately need power... We have no power in this country to change laws, to militarize, stop drugs, build schools, build real healing centers (not hosipitals),etc etc... I believe that aids and cancer can be defeated but this government is not gonna let those cures come to light... Too much money being made... Prison are being privatized so do they really want crime to stop? do they want music to stop gangsterism?? hell to the no!!! and we can't expect our ministers and "spirtual" leaders to say nothing either cause they getting their pockets laced as well.. Sorry for the essay... Pure and simple... We need power, knowledge of self determination...

Werd very valid!

Wow he made sense and hes pretty much on the spot

I feel that intel, but "i" believe that if you leave a 10 dollar tip at the table after you dine 95% of the time, that doesnt equal up to the 5% of the time you left change. The waiter is gonna remember the 5% and label you a stiff. Period. I dont know cats chose to put the bad on the front page. One of the main reasons i like jay is hes one of the emcees that blends the good with the bad. I never hear him on any reckless shyt like the majority of the rap game now. If he does its on some protect my own shyt (in my opinion). I never heard jay on some "kick in tha door wavin tha 44, all ya hear is pappa dont hit me no'more"....but cats dont label big a bad influence. Or nas a bad influence when he tells a shortie "pay me back like i paid your rent, pay me back when you shake it like that"...or "theifs theme"....i just think deep down yall just dont like jay. Which is understandable, but just say that. I dont hear nas saying shyt about nothing. "these are our heros" is just a song slamming blacks...if thats how were suposed to correct whats going on, dont expect a positive response.

^^ kalliope... That's cool you have "reasonable doubt" about our love for s dot... And i pray i don't come across as bashing jay or any of these rappers... Jay, pac nas... All of them play the fence... I joke on them but on the real no judgement passed... They don't gotta "justify they thug"... I listen to music and not just skim through it... I know jay is a "renegade" who is complex like "che guevra w/ bling on"... I can't speak for the rest of these catz but i ain't "trying to throw rocks at the throne"... I love jay... I just want my un born seeds to be able to "throw up a dynasty" sign like our egyptian ancestors but that's hard when rappers using the wrong "blueprint"... I want my people to have their "moment of clarity"... Stop following "d'evils" and the "allure" of "lucifer"... We need to stop being focused only on "dead presidents", get our mind right, "change clothes", brush the "dirt off our shoulders" and get "focused man"... But damn... "what more can i say?" i'm bout to fade to black... Thanx to all you brothas and sisthas for the food for thought... I'm bout to do the dishes... Lol...

I knew you were a smarty pants...lmao. Good play on the titles.....you must be a prince fan...i think he did that with an album...

Nah... I just got a lil "vanity"...

That need to be said....if you make something of yourself and move to the burbs to make decent life for yourself, you a sell out or your fake. Dudes don't realize it but it's almost like a lot brotheres don't realize it damn near a " programmed/slave mentality" they have. It's like if you don't sell crack you ain't real. We praise negativity and look down on the positive. And don't get me wrong i understand that things happened and some dudes like to say it's the white man....maybe to a point, but at some point u need to take personal responsibility for your actions. Wake up!... Jah bless

Wow i think that every body here has valid comments but are we forgetting that a nation of fatherless kids look up to cats like jayz and 2pac and all they want is someone to identify with( since your father is the one who tells you who you are) not saying that your mother can't but as a man your mother cant show you how to be a man all she can do is tell you what a man is up to the point where she's been successful.which usually isn't far if her children are fatherless and she doesnt have a good man in her life and has never had one.those people are the people who are really hurt by lyrics that demean women and glamorize a life that is all about havin sex with countless hoes and gettin money the quick and illegal way by any means necessary.no matter how many women say i don't need a man to raise my children... Your children need a man to be a positive rolemodel.either they're going to recieve one(a helping hand from a father or a pastor or grandfather) or they're gonna take one(the streets gangs or homosexuality(sorry yall but some people who don't have fathers or mothers who are positive choose to take that route in search of paternal intimacy)this has never been a game but because people don't care about anything but money they make choices that have negative affects on our smallest victims;our children.those are the ones who grow up selling drugs, having sex outta control, pimpin and becoming prostitutes.

Listen, gangsterism and black might be one and the same, but to me this seems just like steriotypes. Why cant people like wat they listen to without someone putting that person down like if they are not good enough. Hip-hop culture is something i grew up with. Im from brooklyn, and that is what is about there. To me hip hop is a break away on life, if you know what i mean. It lets us know what is going on in the world. It is like a politics that the young people will understand. Im not being racist, but white people just do not understand the certain lyrics that are seen in music. Especially if you never grew living that life style. I grew with alot of problems in the ghetto, so i can relate. So just give dj's and rap artists a break. They are just trying to reach certain people, and give the youth something they can relate to. There is many concepts to music. I hope you people can understand that.

Hip hop lives no more, the south killed it. They have no real lyrics. They talk about random things. They do not get the political aspects out there. New york is where hip hop was born. All of the attention is goin to the south. It needs to go back to the birthplace. The south need to stop acting like they know wats going on. Them and there nursery rhymes. Brooklyn!

Thanks for addressing this topic. Much more needs to be said and done. What drives the hip hop industry? greed--pure and simple…and destructive. Unfortunately, the record producers and their stable of artists are amoral when it comes to making money. So much that is screwed-up in our country is due to greed and those of us who patronize it. One courageous african-american broadcaster has taken a stand. Many more must do so. You might want to catch my blog at: dwhitsett.wordpress/