hip hop as hate speak

[Suesumba]

an activist will be bringing an action against hip hop lyrics to the ontario human rights (via hmv). the claim is that hip hop lyrics are leading to poisoned atmosphere towards women. agree or disagree?

i was trying to find this on the net, but failed. it was on the news this morning.

[tsophra]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

bway..I remember when that group came out with the song..women ain't nothing but******* and **** sisters were really upset. Now we embrace it. Heck yeh its damaging. The sad thing is these artists are just money making machines (albeit dumb ones)

[Grayskull]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

what's damaging, what's poison, is that these are the only representations of hip hop and in general, of black culture that gets exposure on our airwaves. Why is it that the positive songs and artists don't get as much play? the ones who are talented and can write deep thought provoking lyrics? Why is it that when you but it on BET all you see is imagery of black people doing stereotypical things. That's is what the question should be. Why are the perpetuating that image for us? And why are we so willing to accept that? It isn't only poison to our women, but to our men and our children as well.

It's funny I heard a debate the other day about reggae, right now there seems to be a desire for more consciousness in lyrics and even the riddims, more reggae less dancehall, that is a positive in my opinion (though I have my love of dancehall) but in the debate people were complaining that there isn't one big dancehall tune mashing up the place, that the community wants to 'go to church instead of the dancehall, but on the flip side of the argument they stated that it was nice to have a distinctly black form of music take on a more positive direction, I think right now reggae music is our sanctuary from what rap has gotten to be - in it's popular form that is.

[bigbooie]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

BEt doing more damage than good for the black culture. Dem only have light skin,white or puerto rican type women on ther videos. They showing the yutes unrealistic things to hunger after. They don't realize that its only a few people who manage to attain dem tings deh.

[niceniss]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

Originally posted by BIGGAHVIEW.:
[qb] BEt doing more damage than good for the black culture. Dem only have light skin,white or puerto rican type women on ther videos. They showing the yutes unrealistic things to hunger after. They don't realize that its only a few people who manage to attain dem tings deh. [/qb]

actually I see the opposite. curvaceous black women in the videos and I think through all the b*itches and ho speak, the irony is that it atleast made black women look sexual. the exact opposite of what mainstream white media has done. made black women look like sexless, obnoxious, loud, abrasive mamas.

[Grayskull]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

Originally posted by Donnika:
[qb]

Originally posted by BIGGAHVIEW.:
[qb] BEt doing more damage than good for the black culture. Dem only have light skin,white or puerto rican type women on ther videos. They showing the yutes unrealistic things to hunger after. They don't realize that its only a few people who manage to attain dem tings deh. [/qb]

actually I see the opposite. curvaceous black women in the videos and I think through all the b*itches and ho speak, the irony is that it atleast made black women look sexual. the exact opposite of what mainstream white media has done. made black women look like sexless, obnoxious, loud, abrasive mamas. [/qb]

That is an interesting take. because it is now 'fashionable' to have curves rather than straight edges, but again the videos do show a lot of bad imagery, they are basically commercials for shallowness and material worship

[rudemonk]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

in my opinion the depiction in many videos is a mixed message. while it has increased the scope and impression of sexuality and affected some paradigms in a good way, it does in many ways dramatically objectify something that should see more reverance, in my mind anyway.

[Reggae plus]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

ALL videos are bad...for music.

[Grayskull]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

Originally posted by ReggaePlus:
[qb] ALL videos are bad...for music. [/qb]

How so?
a video is just a commercial for the song, to keep things going an artist has to make money, best way to make money is exposre so more people know about and want your product, if good artists make a good living, (and they keep their integrity) we get more good music. theoretically i think it's good for music, sadly, in practice it hasn't been. but to be fair, neither has radio.

[mountaingal]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

videos are a mixed blessing. Take Kanye West.

I used to dislike Golddigger (for nuff reasons, including that it betrayed the spirit of the original Ray Charles song that was being sampled.) But the video turned me around.

I used to like Diamonds because it had a sneaky, driving beat. Then I saw the video with the artificially enhanced pupils in the children's eyes, thought it was just schmaltzy, manipulating crap, and just loosed affa di song.

[Guest]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

Toronto woman files human rights complaint against HMV

Wednesday, October 5th, 2005
By: Wire Services


TORONTO — An anti-violence activist wants human rights officials to rap a large music chain for selling "gangsta" tunes she alleges promote hatred against women.

Valerie Smith says she filed an Ontario Human Rights Commission complaint against HMV Canada on Sept. 15.

She cited HMV’s sale of CDs by rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Jay-Z and Webbie.

"These men routinely refer to women in their lyrics as *****es and whores, often accompanied by violence or threats of violence," Smith writes in her complaint.

"The abusive language of 'hate rap' — rap/hip hop music that denigrates women — has crossed over into the mainstream of North America society and is poisoning attitudes towards women," she charges.

[Suesumba]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

thanks for posting the link BlackStar

[Reggae plus]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

Originally posted by Grayskull:
[qb]

Originally posted by ReggaePlus:
[qb] ALL videos are bad...for music. [/qb]

How so?
a video is just a commercial for the song, to keep things going an artist has to make money, best way to make money is exposre so more people know about and want your product, if good artists make a good living, (and they keep their integrity) we get more good music. theoretically i think it's good for music, sadly, in practice it hasn't been. but to be fair, neither has radio. [/qb]

Videos have [more than anything else] killed the quality of MUSIC. If it ain't for the eyes...it ain't for the ears and THAT is pure unadulterated BS. No talent bums 'grace' the screens with their videos and the talented people who can actually play/write/sing sit at home and wonder why they can't get a sniff.

If I had my way I would outlaw the damm things...but I don't and EVERY genre of music continues it's ongoing FLUSH down the toilet.

NOBODY wins.

[Tigrrr]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

I agree with R+ because many stars like Aretha, Marvin Gaye, Smokey, et al who could sing and could write lyrics, but who couldn't dance fi ish would probably not survive the video age.

Mi remember when Barry White first hit di scene. We were all swooning over his voice and buying up his 45s and LPs. Then he appeared on Soul Train and we were like a who dis? Fortunately, by then we were already fans of his music.

And without video, when these stars went on concert!!! You broke your neck to see them.

Today a few "neosoul" artists are allowed to slip through, but not many, and not for long.

Without video, Ciara, Rianna (sp?), and maybe even Janet Jackson, would not sell songs based on their voices alone.

[Tigrrr]

Re: hip hop as hate speak

Another thing...

"Black women looking sexual..."

Videos have not helped Black women to be respected, even for our natural sensuality. However videos have helped us look "sexual" much as a whore in the red light district looks "sexual". This is not a good thing.

I am all for the appreciation of Black butt size, Black curves, Black facial features, Black hair... but not if these qualities are marketed as "sex" instead of "beauty".