Quote:
Originally Posted by TheLegacy
the point is not racism, the article suggests that a good majority of white youth listen to rap. My suggestion is not that either race (or any race) has more troubles than another, but that making a fashion statement from the struggles of one is simply not cool. Here you have white youths who grew up in a suburb attempting to overcome either their boredom or 'uncoolness' by taking on the habits and dress of a community that is making their own statement.
My feelings are that rap itself is not dying, but that it has become so over-saturated with copycats driven by record exec's that it has lost its entire meaning and soul. Yes it appears to have dropped 21% in one year, a huge decrease. But the idea of an individual or community needing to sing and vent the difficulties it faces in this world will never die. Whether it be in the back of a bus, the hills of the capital in Washington or the CD - blacks or any community will find a venue to vent and speak of the difficulties they face. That will never die.
What I hope does is the those with a lack of imagination that they have to imitate someone else just to get noticed or find approval in whoever they want to impress. I can only hope that just being yourself is good enough for any youth to strive for.
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I understand why you have this view but I see it a little different.
Whites are not trying to emulate Blacks; they are emulating a musical culture that orginated in Black society.
Hip-hop culture is only a segment of black society and it's a segment that blacks are not born to emulate but one of thier chosing.
(ie... Obama and Colon Powell don't have "bling" or "Grills")
Whites also have the freedom to chose this segment to emulate.
People who like punk-rock dress a certain way regardless of their race.
The dress and behavior is part of the culture. The same applies to rap/hip-hop.
What's unfair about claiming "they want to be black" is that the claim is made if "they" emulate 50 cent but not if they emulate Bill Cosby, or Prince, or Michael Jordan!
This thread touches on something that is really silly in america --
where if I buy a BMW then I'm "trying to be White" and if you buy a Cadillac then you are "trying to be Black". And the silliness is not with me and you for the cars we chose but it lies with the people who insist on making a racial issue out of it.
people are just trying to have a good time in their life and they have choices.
They can chose path "A" or path "B" or "C"...etc...That's FREEDOM!!!
Too bad some people don't want others to have that freedom and try to criticise them into chosing path "A" or suffer bannishment from "OUR" society.