Blacks, Rap and an Obvious Slant on SetGo

[Deepundercover]

Chimpy writes setgo.com: I'm noticing a lot of negative undertones in your re-cap of the Metro party. Not negative, like the experience people had with getting in, but making claims like "white men having trouble getting into a black party" and blaming rap for disrespect, violence and more. I'm not digging it.

I'm white and feel that you're aiding the divide between black and white culture by making statements like this or printing unfounded stereotypes on your site.

All forms of entertainment and cultures feature questionable lyrics, inferences and themes. In music, classical, opera, rock, rap, country....have their share of seriously offensive references and suggestions, as well as grotesque details and life stories. Same in theater, art and poetry.

What's your point? Blacks are more likely to kill and be killed because of rap music? Whooof. Clue check at the door please.

Here's a guy in LA who went on a shooting spree yesterday: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...s%2Dcalifornia He was white, didn't say if he listened to rap music or not.

Ya think members of Al Queda are pumpin' Biggy in a walkman while they put on their death vests and drive into complexes to kill thousands of people? How about the Hinkley and his attempt to kill Reagan. Was that stemmed from a recent Fat Boys subliminal suggestion? And why do you assume, because there are black people at an event, that they are rap fans? He's black, he must like rap? That's pretty funny to me. Oh look, there's a white guy, lets all sing some Country music at him, he'll like that.

If a person kills, committs bad crimes, etc., music or art of any kind, didn't make him do it. He had problems brewing way before any CD he played. He had bad parenting, he had pyschological issues, etc. But the music didn't make him do it.

Don't speak for all of us about how WE feel about black parties and rap music. Personally, I'm not a big fan of modern rap, but I don't think it should be censored, regulated or removed from society. There's room for all forms of entertainment in the USA. Don't buy the albums if you don't like it.

[Zebra]

Luke - Nobody here cares...

[opflix]

here we go again...

[SpaceAce]

If you think immersion in a medium that advocates violence, hatred and (ESPECIALLY) disrespect for women doesn't have an effect on people, you're blind (yes, I realize you were just posting something from SetGo and yes, I realize not every single rap song is like that).

Do you really think it's a coincidence that racists raise racist children, doctors raise more doctors and things like military service run in families? Environment isn't everything but when you grow up surrounded by certain attitudes, you absorb them and they become your own.

All music has fringe segments but I can't think of any other music (besides maybe extremely violent metal which is not nearly as popular as rap) that has such a consistent theme of overt nastiness. Also, with Rock and Roll and other forms of popular music, there was a tempring factor; parents hated it. With rap, everyone is listening from 40+ year-old fathers right down to their 9-year-old children. Kids like to rebel, but they still pick up things from their folks and if your father (or mother) legitimizes some of the less wholesome aspects of music and popular culture then you are all the more likely to pick it up.

Dear readers: don't bother flaming me with comments about how music doesn't make anyone do anything and cartoons are violent, too and blah, blah, blah. I am not saying a rap song will make someone go out and abuse women or do a drive-by. I am just making the case that you are shaped by the culture around you and a culture of anger or disrespect will produce more angry, disrespectful people.

SpaceAce