H/I/P-H/O/P

For a while now the battle to determine whether hip hop is to blame for many of our societal problems has been a sustained one. People don't know where to throw the blame, and for a while I could never bring myself to make a decision in the case of Hip Hop vs. America.
To its defense hip hop claims that parents should be to blame. They "claim" to believe that the parents have the final input on what their children interpret from these videos and rap lyrics. Rapper T.I even goes as far to say "parents need to stop trying to depend on rappers to raise their children." he also says that he and fellow rappers are only trying to make music that people with their backgrounds similar to theirs can relate to. Another famous rapper Nelly says that hip hop is being made the scapegoat and taking the blame for our societal problems, and that the blame is being placed on the individual artists when the people over the record labels are the ones sponsoring it. at one point in the interview he says " Do you think the people over these record labels give a damn about the well-being of our communities?" he goes on to say that America is only concerned about its financial state, and if naked women, bitches, niggas, and hoes are going to make a million dollars then that's what's going to be on the tube. Nelly's part in the debate partially sums up my position in this crucial conflict. It’s not hip hop OR America themselves that we should blame. It’s the combination of the two.
As far as the artists are concerned they are aware of the power they poses. They know just how much intangible control celebrities have in America. A kid would much rather take the advice of their hip hop role model than their old-fashion parents. This is evident because rappers always rap about how previous rappers influenced them "on the block", and the fact that T.I said himself that they rap about these things because they can relate puts extra emphasis on the fact that they know exactly the impressions they are giving. It also means they support the notion that life is about: money, cars, clothes, and hoes.
When it comes to America's contribution to the poisoning of young minds through hip hop surprisingly it is seen as the victim. I really don't see how people over look hip hop videos as the commercials they are. In every video they glorify materials and play on peoples insecurities in order to get them to follow the hype. Our generation as a whole has a false sense of what success really is. We cannot see past all the shinny cars and jewels. Also, hip hop could not be as big as it has become without the cooperation of white-collar America that spend billions to produce these images we see on TV. They would not spend this kind of money if it wasn't certain they were going to make it back times twenty. This very interview is a perfect example of how the corporate world ducks its head in the mist of these conflicts. BET is one of the most popular stations in the black community, and more than 70% of their broadcasts are hip hop videos. As a matter of fact they may be the biggest distributor of hip hop music in the country, but when the battle is in place BET makes sure its ethics aren't called to the stand simply by becoming the stand. By taking this approach they are seen as a part of the solution. They bring who they "claim" are the opposing sides of the argument to the table. In the process they: are seen as the peace-maker, hide their hands in a battle they continue to stir, and they also make a lot of money at the same time.
Today’s hip hop culture is taking a toll on us. Its causes a major division in our community, but who is to blame? America is trying to say it’s the hip hop community itself but I beg to differ. Although the hip hop community deserves its share of the blame it couldn’t excel in its destruction without the support of white-collar America.

S/t/e/r/e/o/t/y/p/e/s/-R/a/c/i/s/m

Stereotyping is by far one of the most common denominators when it comes to societal relationships. However, its symptoms go so unnoticed because stereotypes are embraced by our society. Now, there are some that agree that stereotyping is a defense mechanism and is a needed characteristic, i agree with this to a certain extent. It is essential to be judgmental when it comes to people's actions and your dealings with them because people's actions are pretty much who they are. If a person is involved in illegal activities or immoral issues of some kind, then, it is ok to make the judgment that this person is not the kind of person I want to be around. Intuition is a key power in this world we live in, and it is important that you are able to recognize flaw, fake, and deceitful attitudes as soon as possible. The book, "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School," speaks thoroughly about the importance of being able to read people and act accordingly. They stressed that what they don't teach you at Harvard is what they can't teach you, and that is common sense and the ability to use your intuition. On the other hand, to judge a person merely off of his/her appearance is absolutely insane. It also causes social divide.

I was in the mall just a couple of weeks ago when I was the victim of a stereotypical mind. I was approaching this white lady and her kid. I wasn't actually approaching them but I was about to walk pass them. Once the lady spotted me she grabbed the kid firmly saying "stay close to me." I was so hurt by her reactions towards seeing me. You see, I don’t consider myself the average young black male. Especially coming from the type of environment I came from. I am an extremely caring person that dreams of the days when we truly see each other as one. I even have a clothing line and it focuses on self-development and self-knowledge as a way to unify our nation by helping us to see ourselves in each other. Like I said before I am a loving and caring individual. However, at that moment i was seen as a black dude with dread ready to prey on an innocent mother and her child.

Although, it was her actions that made an impact on me, I didn't blame her at all for my disappointment. Poor lady was only looking out for the well-being of her child, and if the media is always saying "be on the lookout for young black men", then, that’s exactly what’s she's going to do. From watching the tube she knows that blacks are responsible for 52% of the Nations homicides. So when she sees a black man, especially a young black man with my features, she is immediately nervous and wonders what I might do to her and her child. what she doesn't seem to realize is that people are individuals and it’s not the color of the skin and they way people look that makes them who they are. It’s the life they have lead and the things they've been exposed to that determines there values.

Stereotypes make our country a paranoid place to live. They keep a cloud of suspicion over us, and instead of collaborating with people that look different or have different backgrounds we keep our distance from them. By being restricted to only dealing with certain looks, blood types, and whatever else that separates the masses other than their heart we miss out on the chemistry developed by the mixture of different ideas and cultures. Hopefully, with the help of Historie Clothing Group and The Rebuild Foundation we can close the gap brought on by racism and stereotypes and move on to a time where we actually are our brother’s keeper.