Hip-Hop Under Attack
Yesterday, Jason Whitlock (a sports journalist), was a guest host on Jim Rhome’s sports radio talk show known as The Jungle. But to my surprise, instead of discussing the latest sports news and headlines, Whitlock initiated a topic. The hot topic of the two hour program was the hip-hop culture and how it’s affecting professional sports and athletes.
During the show Whitlock began his ”hip-hop bashing” by suggesting that hip-hop was to blame for the legal troubles of current NFL players PacMan Jones, Tank Johnson, and Chris Henry. All of whom are facing charges ranging from substance abuse to gun charges, to name a few.
Here are some other comments Whitlock made during the show:
Hip-Hop is undermining the NFL and NBA. Athletes want the street credit associated with rap music.
The hip-hop attitude is one of the reasons the NBA is on it’s decline and t.v. ratings are dropping.
Why does America always do this, why does society always blame others for their social mishaps? PacMan Jones and the rest of the above mentioned players are adults who made bad decisions and will ultimately suffer the consequences associated with their actions-bottom line. It has nothing to do with the type of music they listen to.
And blaming hip-hop music for the NBA’s decline in televison ratings is ridiculous to the say the least. The youth of Generation Y are no longer appeased by the thought of sitting in front of their televison watching sports for hours on end. Instead they’d rather spend their time surfing through mega social sites such as Myspace and YouTube; downloading and sharing files via the net; and picking up the latest product in technology. The youth and America in general are favoring technology over sports.
It’s obvious that more and more media outlets are using the controversy that surrounds hip-hop as a tool to further their respective ratings. This only creates more divisons and further instigates the problem with no solution. But what’s even worse is that American media is focusing it’s time and energy on such a minor issue that it’s overshadowing major issues like poverty, disease, and war.
Wake Up.
-Clark Kent
Suggestion Box
July 4th, 2007 at 9:54 am
That’s some bullshit!!! I agree with you Real Talk, adults must be held accountable for their own actions. If they are so impressionable, how did they get so far as to go to the NFL, NBA etc in the first place. It takes a lot of determination to get to those places.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:07 am
It’s sad that instead of saying “the Black Man” they just say “hip hop”. Whenever Oprah or any other mainstream figure discuss social mishaps they always spin it into “hip hop” when we know full well they want to say “the Black man”. Society is quick to point the finger at the us when shit goes wrong way over in Afghanistan.
Side Note:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqpo04cx28U
July 4th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Does this mean I can blame the NFL for Diddy’s performance at the BET awards?…lol!!! And is he blaming hip-hop or ringtone music.lol….Fuck outta here!!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:10 am
whitlock telling the truth……
July 4th, 2007 at 10:21 am
it’s not hip-hop its fucking gangster rap music
gangster rap might as well just stop cus there isn’t any real gangster rappers out now…
hip-hop shouldn’t have so much negative attention. It shouldn’t be brought up on the spot.
Like chris rock said it it’s hard to defend gangster rap now…i love hip-hop but it’s hard these days
July 4th, 2007 at 10:29 am
good post, everybodys blaming hiphop these days for everthing agree with RTNY
July 4th, 2007 at 10:33 am
It’s almost like nowadays when someone got nothing to talk about they just jump on ship and degrade hip hop.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Its not that hard to defend rap. Most of the songs that are most popular are playful club songs like “a bay bay”, “pop lock and drop it”, “two step”, ect…… So defending rap nowdays is easy.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:41 am
^^^^^You do understand what defending it means right? I can see where its difficult to defend at times, especially w/ the songs you just named.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Oh and another thing
Hip-hop did not event fucking guns so don’t get mad at the culture get mad at the ppl who sell them or carry them..hip-hop didn’t hand them guns.
here are ways to solve your problem to hip-hop
1.)If they don’t like the damn lyrics then don’t fucking read it.
2.) if you hate the sound of rap music…Don’t fucking listen to it.
3.) If your mad at rap music for sayin bithces & niggaz…then yell at the damn dictionary.
4.) People who listen to rap don’t care about the words it’s all about how it sounds..you can make say bad things and make em sound good.
5.) Black men call eachother dogs all the time…we way whaddap dog or ..doggy now and days so why the fuck do women get mad if we say bitch…all a bitch is is a female dogg. Men are more bitches than women are anyways.
6.) Right now hip-hop isn’t big in gangster rap so i don’t possibly see whatelse you bitch about..
7.) if you hate guns so much get mad at the movies…
8.) IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE STORY OF GANGSTER RAP BECAUSE IT’S REAL AND IT’S OUT THERE AND BOTHERS YOU…well then SHUTTTTTT THE FUCKKK UP AND DO SOMETHING TOO HELP STOP GANG VIOLENCE.
9.) SAME WITH PIMPS
10.) IM BLACK PEACE
July 4th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Like it or not, Jason Whitlock is correct. There is no way to defend some of the hip hop music and personas that are out there now. Plus a lot of the artist should be in the WWE Wrestling, because they pretend to be something that they are not. Have you ever seen a Hip Hop artist smile (excluding LL)? Most are multi millionaires, why always this FAKE I’M HARD frown on their faces?????
July 4th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Pacman made it rain like Fat Joe. Hip Hop was to blame for that one, and Fat Joe’s shitty song.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Oh and another thing
Hip-hop did not event fucking guns so don’t get mad at the culture get mad at the ppl who sell them or carry them..hip-hop didn’t hand them guns.
here are ways to solve your problem to hip-hop
1.)If they don’t like the damn lyrics then don’t fucking read it.
2.) if you hate the sound of rap music…Don’t fucking listen to it.
3.) If your mad at rap music for sayin bithces & niggaz…then yell at the damn dictionary.
4.) People who listen to rap don’t care about the words it’s all about how it sounds..you can make say bad things and make em sound good.
5.) Black men call eachother dogs all the time…we way whaddap dog or ..doggy now and days so why the fuck do women get mad if we say bitch…all a bitch is is a female dogg. Men are more bitches than women are anyways.
6.) Right now hip-hop isn’t big in gangster rap so i don’t possibly see whatelse you bitch about..
7.) if you hate guns so much get mad at the movies…
8.) IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE STORY OF GANGSTER RAP BECAUSE IT’S REAL AND IT’S OUT THERE AND BOTHERS YOU…well then SHUTTTTTT THE FUCKKK UP AND DO SOMETHING TOO HELP STOP GANG VIOLENCE.
9.) SAME WITH PIMPS
10.) IM BLACK PEACE
^^^Thats my nigga right there,fuck all these bitches.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:00 am
hiphop caused Katrina and WTC…
hiphop is to blame for cancer and AIDs
July 4th, 2007 at 11:03 am
#14 lol yeah i feel you
July 4th, 2007 at 11:11 am
^^^^^You do understand what defending it means right? I can see where its difficult to defend at times, especially w/ the songs you just named.
How is it difficult to defend the 3 songs I mentioned? They’re dance songs. Not gangta songs telling kids to go grab a gun. They’re not glorifying anything but stupid dances and catch phrases.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Mind you these are GROWN ASS MEN their talkin bout’. So before leavin a dumb ass comment think about that. GROWN ASS MEN!!!!!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:18 am
#16. Oh ok….I see your point, Im thought you were talkin bout defending it like its worth defending.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Yeah alot of the music is delporable its not like there is alot of positive stuffto balance out the crap..
While the music reflects the environment, the man has a point too many athletes are tyring to be ganagsters instead of being an athlete..
Ohh and My Granny agrees too. Get my poridge ready granny
July 4th, 2007 at 11:29 am
nice written clark but i’m in the middle some hiphop is good some bad
July 4th, 2007 at 11:32 am
“Have you ever seen a Hip Hop artist smile (excluding LL)? Most are multi millionaires, why always this FAKE I’M HARD frown on their faces?????”
True, but at the same time if they do smile and don’t look like I’m a bad mofo, then a lot of hip hop fans call them “soft” “Gay” “fake”..etc. A lot of hiphop fans are ignorant and narrowminded as hell. It’s like some fans can only respect a rapper if he’s truly hood and gangsta.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:46 am
These people are just a bunch of haters. They’re mad that their music is going in decline while you hear hip-hop everywhere. You can’t blame hip-hop for the bad decisions that grown black men make. Remember Bill Clinton received fellatio you can’t blame hip-hop on that one. Don Imus said nappy headed hos. Don’t even think he knows one hip hop artist. I guess hip-hop is the new rock and roll.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:46 am
Hip-Hop started in the streets they cant stop it ! its suppply and demand and we demand our hip-hop music . It might get to the point where everybody is on independent labels ?
July 4th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
The American media is to blame when Viacom (BET and MTV) and similar corporations stop exploiting the culture and putting out this sick variation of Hip Hop called “Shit Hop” (The Black Dot). In addition, artists have a duty and obligation in my opinion to represent the culture and Hip Hop lifestyle the right way. Look at Afrika Bambaataa who was a prominent gang leader in the 70’s who cleaned up and founded the Zulu Nation which not only taught peace but uplifted the culture on a whole. Our image as African Americans has become tarnished globally for a few rap hustlers who want to make a few dollars. Look at what our culture and music has come to. How many graffiti artists or B-Boys and Girls do you know that are getting props nowadays? How many DJ’s are getting love? I am not talking about those mix tape DJ’s who put out blended songs together, I am talking about those scratch kings who actually break in records. We need to stop supporting the fake and support the real. That is all I am going to say.
P.S. I am from the south (Miami) just in case anyone wanted to know, we up on this music shit too.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Clark kent good shit homie, keep it coming
July 4th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
@ number 8
u know ur right, i really hadnt stopped to think about it. as shitty as the radio hip hop is these days, theres next to no violence mentioned. it really is all just dance/club music. pop lock and drop it, buy you a drink, a bay bay etc. white people just hear the heavy base and it sounds angry to them so theyre scared of it.
i wonder when white america is going to realize that radio hip hop is so friendly that they cant blame it anymore.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
That CRACKA! just mad because most of the nba and nfl player that play in the game are black. While the whites sit on the sideline. Then he critisizes and stereotypes the black players for saying they are getting it from hip hop. How does he know they even listen to hip hop… like I said a stereotype. Thats why I dont like it that much when I see white teens listen to it. Its just making there parents mad, and makes there parents critisize the music.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Defending rap these days is pointless. all i’ll say is the positive rappers know who they are, and the dumb ass-crappy no good rappers know who they are.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
#27, Jason Whitlock is not a cracker, he is black.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
They see our people (black people) making too much money in this music industry and will get any chance to critisize it.
Some of yall may not believe this but them cracka’s want our people to stay in the ghetto and to be in poverty. Them cracka’s do not care and will lie on you just to bring us down. Im not racist, my best friend is a 17yr white girl who likes hip hop too, but believe me…I know what im talking about.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Well then…..hes an oreo.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Back to the topic. It’s pretty easy to see how different black athlets are today from the way they were in the 80’s. You never say Michael Jordan wearing 2 or 3 diamond chains and big ass diamond earings, and what not. Of course black athlets today try to copy what rappers do. But copying rappers is not the problem. There is nothing wrong with wearing diamonds and stuff, but when you try to do things to boost your street credit, that’s when it get’s down right stupid.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Here’s an analogy for you: Sports admin are like the parents to athletes, now these athletes dont do anything without them knowing. And just like parents of children who shoot up schools and do drugs they blame Hip-Hop and music for their children fuckin-up. In this instance these are grown ass men we’re talkin about, if you don’t like them fire them or dont hire them at all. I am sure you wont find Lebron Jamees mixed up in some dumb shit and he’ appeared on fuckin mixtapes.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
its not hip hop, its jus these niggas who are multi-millionaires are completely stupid and ignorant so they do sum of the dumbest things, theyre adults they should be able 2 take care of themselves. don’t say “hip hop” when u kno u wanna say “NIGGERS”
July 4th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
that’s good some shit EZEE-T
July 4th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
What about all the GOOD things that Hip-Hop does,
like…and …
July 4th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I agree with you, they blaime everything on hip hop insteed of looking into themselfs
July 4th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
#36…you can make that argument for a lot of things. Try telling folks who listen to rap that not all cops are bad. They’d probably tell you to go fuck yourself.
July 4th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Hip hop has not had effect on somone for the last 5 years.
Realtalk
July 4th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
stupid ppl. there so dumm learn to appericate music for wat it is, try learnin wat its bout and wat it means instead of putin the blame. they blame hip hop for EVERYTHING learn to stop pointin fingers and have an open mind to differences. if u dunt like it dont fuking listen to it but dunt go around actin like its the worst thing that happened to society when u have no idea what its about. man fukers have to wake up and see its not hip hop fualts but the ppl who are pointing fingers man im tired of this shit.
July 4th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Clark Kent
you need a raise that was some good shit!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
I HATE WHITE WHITE PPL…NOT THE COOL WHITE PPL…THE PUSSY WHITE PPL..call me racist idc fuck yall cracker ass niggas tryna fuck up wat little niggas do got..
can niggas get somthin for slavery? Bitches…lol i feel like i got mad shit off my chest
July 4th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
@ #4, #11 No he’s not, he’s tellin a quarter truth and thats the problem. There’s no clear definition of what hip hop is and mos def/ lupe Fiasco/ Kanye aren’t the ones dictating what street cred is.
@ #10 In the case of Pac man jones who else popularized making it rain, and the strip club?
@ #21 Are they really hip hop fans? are they simply fans of rap, or jus mindless drones?
@ #24… YOU SAID IT! CT reppin too!!!
@ #30 you need to see the bigger picture, for every dollar the top notch artist make many “crakas” make multiples of that.
Folks need to focus on Jason Whitlock also. Just like the rappers are doin what they need (sellin the common person out for profit), he is also in the same catagory. They can’t put too many Steven A Smith’s and Michael Smith’s on so they balance that with a jason whitlock… who for some odd reason finds his way to a wide range of networks and shows…lol!
July 5th, 2007 at 3:00 am
Don’t let your kid listen to the dirty versIon of the song,or if u let them, talk to him, tell him that is just a music, that they wont do what they sayin and the problem is done. Movies, video games even in cartoons they’re showing kids how to use a gun. don’t blame hip hop 4 destruction, blame hip hop for make some NIGGAS millionaire, yeah thats right, they are mad couse blacks is gettin rich, we fond a way to do legal money and they don’t want it to, cause they know that soon or later we(NIGGAS) will be on top of every thing.
And me a listen hip hop cause a like the beat, and the way the lyrics flows make me feel good. that don’t make me go out and start shooting.
Dont forget that those players that they are talkin about most of them grow up listenin hip hop harder than today.
I’M BLACK TOO, PEACE
July 5th, 2007 at 4:39 am
Well said clark
hiphops becoming a scapegoat for every damn thing!!!!!!!!!!
July 5th, 2007 at 5:17 am
this guy is a complete nut. Blame hiphop for everything. He had nothing to say and when he left Im telling you he had 50cent new cd in his car.
July 5th, 2007 at 5:39 am
#1 and real talk said it right(and a couple of others).
These are adults we are talking about here. do “ppl” blame rock and alternative music for the meth and coke heads in the white community? have any of you ever listened to some of the alternative music out here? its disturbing at times, no one is blaming that genre.
July 5th, 2007 at 7:52 am
Good look Clark Kent that was some good shit. Basically boyz writting skillz is getting better.
July 5th, 2007 at 8:03 am
@ 47
u know them mofo’s ain’t gone blame rock for nothing and that’s messed up, all the drug abuse that’s associated with rock and nobody say’s a damn thing
July 5th, 2007 at 8:37 am
how to rappers want the street cred of rappers when first off 90 percent of the league is african ameican and maybe 75 persent of those african american players came from the hood so street cred thats stupid for dude to suggest people cant blame their actions on rap but on themselves like a while back this causion kid shot up some people and said he did it after listening to crime mobb song knuck if u buck are people serious a song or verse cant make u do anything people have their own mind and know right from wrong
July 5th, 2007 at 9:07 am
@ #21 – I think that is the exact reason people are mad at rap… because the fans expect them to be “hard” or “Have a record, or at least talk about it”… and that is part of the problem…
If you are like Kweli or Common you get no play, get called a backpacking pussy and outside of your own loyal fans, and the few true hip-hop fans no one listens to you…. this
@ #49 – I believe Marilyn Manson was blamed for the entire Columbine Incedent… not just simply Marilyn Manson has a “bad influence on society”… He shouldered every bit of the blame… no one talked about the shitty ass parents, just Manson…
Judas Priest was blamed for teens committing suicide in the 80’s…
Rock is blamed a lot, but right now a lot of white kids are listening to rap not heavy metal…
I agree with what Clark Kent said to an extent… but one can’t say that hip-hop has no effect on some of the problems…
examples…
Carmello Anthony wouldn’t appear on a DVD with Baltimore Police Department because he didn’t want to be labeled a “Snitch”
“Tank” Johnson had an arsenal in his house in the ‘burbs as if he was going on a covert mission to Iraq or planning a Coup of the government…
“Pacman” Jones was “Making it Rain” in the club…
Those three things in my opinion are direct reflections of todays “Hip-Hop Culture” rather one likes it or wants to believe it or not…
Yes, there are bigger problems in the world that people should focus on, but if they were discussing athletes getting locked up then this cat made a great point…
You are always to be blamed for what you do, but there are always underlying factors…
If you haven’t eaten in three days so you steal some food and get caught… Yeah you did it due to hunger, but you still made the concious decision to steal, therefore you are still to blame for your actions…
If we as a nation began correcting some of the other problems in the world, would hip-hop begin to make a shift in what it is saying? No… not until the money stops or people get tired of it and want to hear something better…
Eventually this “gangsta” rap that is popular will run its course, but until it does it is going to continue to be produced… and then continue to be blamed for certain problems…
but look at the bright side… There is no such thing a bad publicity right?
July 5th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Ladies and Gentlemen its called “Coincidence”….Close to 80% of all black athletes come from the same cities and hoods that these rappers come from…Thats the only reason why athletes want to portray rappers…because Sports and Rap are one word…HUSTLE…Rappers get millions ro rhyme words and Athletes get Millions to play games….
Im a hardcore rap fan and for some of you to say that the violence that is out there and the reason why some communities are the way they are isnt because of rap you are lying to yourself….
FASHION,SLANG,ENTERTAINMENT,…all that is surronded around rap Why do you wear what you wear? Why do you greet the way you greet?…Now a hater will say “No i dress and talk this way because this is how I am”…BULLSHIT!!…All you fuckers want to be cool…And at the end of the day you got ya swagger from somewhere…I refuse to believe it was from CNBC or the Wall Street Journal Either…
Havent yall ever heard of the saying “People fear and hate what they dont understand”..White people (Not crackers dumb dumb) dont kno the lingo they dont kno the swag, they dont kno the bounce they dont kno the culture so they take the lyrics and visuals for its literal meaning…So until a new rapper comes thats able to convey our culture in a respectable light expect this hate on rap for a minute…
WHY DO YALL THINK JAY AND BIG AND PAC GET SOME MUCH LOVE ON THIS SITE AND PEOPLE WANT RAP TO GO BACK TO THEIR MOVEMENTS??..They were able to cater to their people while explaining why they are the way they are to white people…nowadays rappers just get high and rap whats in front of their face…
Just get tough skin REALTALKNY yall know damn well rap aint going anywhere and neither is the people that hate it…all that needs to change is our spokesmen in rap thats all….RAP LORDS WILL BLESS US ONE DAY….LOL
1 LOVE….
(BTW we aint making it better call black people crackers either, frontin ass black people some of yall are…acting like some of all closest people aint white…get that hate out ya blood its hurting us…SHOULD SHOW IGNORANCE WHEN IGNORANCE IS SHOWED UPON YOU….
July 5th, 2007 at 10:07 am
nba tv ratings are declining b/c it’s not that interesting… hip hop does have an influence on athlete’s because you can see it in their tatoos and other stuff. but u can’t blame hip hop on every thing. a lot of the blame goes on the individual. I listen to hip hop but that doesn’t stop me from reading a book or doing well in school. my parents thought hip hop was going to mess up my grades but it didn’t. but some of those songs make u wanna kick some a$$. (e.g.) Get rich or Die trying. DON’T LET THE MUSIC, CLOTHES, OR CULTURE DEFINE YOU.
ps Jason Whitlock doesn’t matter. I would listen to Steven A. Smith because he speaks the truth.
July 5th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
You cannot blame hip hop for the actions of rich grown men acting irresponsibly because they have money and they think they are above the law. Statistically, hip hop music/clothing is being consumed by other races more than african americans, but these other races do not have the level of crime, poverty, murders, single parent homes or men incarcerated in their communities compared to african american communities.
The problem is that majority of our youth want to be rappers, basketball players, football players or some type of entertainer as a profession. If they can’t do that, then they end up turning to selling drugs and crime. If you look at the richest african americans in the U.S., majority of them made their money from some level of entertainment. Some have ventured off into other areas, but they would have never been able to without the money they made from entertainment. These entertainers are who our youth are looking up to when they should be looking up to their mothers, fathers, teachers and mentors.
A very small percentage of our youth want to be doctors, lawyers, accountants or teachers. We have to get our youth interested in other things outside of the world of entertaiment where only a small percentage can make it.
July 5th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Thanks @ #43 aka 2cents.