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I am a white man, but having had many black friends throughout my life, I have noticed a problem that many black people seem to face that is rarely discussed. We all know that black people face oppression and prejudice from certain white people, but it is also undeniable that the way many black people portray themselves in popular culture (music, film, etc.) has had a negative effect on poor inner city black people in recent years. As hip hop (not all-hip hop) culture has continued to glorify street crime, promote promiscuity, promote self-promotion, and to place excessive value on material wealth, poor inner-city black people have found themselves moving backwards on the social ladder rather than forward. However, when any black person dares to call out hip hop culture for its’ negative message, they are immediately called an “Uncle Tom.” Bill Cosby, one of the great men of our time, has been one of the few black men to dare speak about this, and even he has been called an Uncle Tom. Do you think any other prominent black people will join Mr. Cosby in calling out hip hop culture, or will hip hop continue on its’ path to becoming black people’s new worst enemy.
I love hip-hop music, but I a smart enough to know that what you see in videos is just a facade. They often rent vehicles and women for the day to put in the video. Those nice houses you see them in they struggle to make the payments on when they could have bought it cash before blowing the money on other stuff. Since they never tell kids to do well in school, most black males tend to look at rappers’ lifestyles and want to have it. They sit there and ignore school because you don’t need good grades to be a rapper.
I am so fed up with it that I almost wish that they would ban it. Someone, anyone. It is destroying an already hurting black culture. I said this to someone before and they told me that I didn’t like black people. I have always loved my people which is why I hate to see them in the state they are in.
There is so much wrong with a kid valuing a Hummer with rims more than an education.
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I’m sorry but I have a problem with this. First of all, the dude who said most black males want the lifestyle they see in videos is way off base. I’m white and I know this is a gross generalization. Also, Bill Cosby was called an Uncle Tom because he simply ranted to people who already know what the problems are. He provided no solutions. He is a Uncle Tom because he’s not action oriented. People like Oprah Winfrey and the BET lady are. I don’t think Hip Hop is the problem holding the poor black community back. This was demonstrated by the slow governmental action during the Katrina disaster. The problems are systemic, not about a genre of music. Trust me, Hip Hop culture has more influence in the young white community than it does in the black community.
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Most black people are hard working everyday people who want the same as everyone. A decent life and a better one for their children. The rub is that the stereotype is almost impossible to break while you have negative actions practiced almost excursively by blacks. Hip Hop/portraying violence, drugs, abuse of women and even the role models themselves are lowlife criminals. Drive bys and single parent homes have become their claim to fame. Bill Cosby is right but the message is being ignored. Sad really.
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