i meant, that the guy was truly wasting his mind by what he is doing. he could do so much better, don't you think? or, am i not allowed to say that?
i also meant that that particular slogan came form an era that was trying to uplift their people, and they had much hopes for the future, and the current generation is really disappointing. look what rap has done to popular music,, it's taken over and ruined it. (partially the fault of greedy record execs too, which is another story..) not that popular music was always the most wholesome stuff.. and not that it should be.. but this stuff is just truly gross, and judging by this and the kind of behavior we are seeing from a large part of the latest (couple of) generation(s).. (drugs, high crime, vagrancy, etc..) .. it's just sad, because things could have been so different.. and i bet the original people who fought so hard for dignity and civil rights must be turning over in their graves a thousand times over... and probably a little embarassed at what many of their descendants have become, too.
bill cosby is the only well-known black celebrity who has publicly spoken about what i'm talking about.. anyone else who also agrees has not had the guts to do so. what he said took a lot of courage, considering he was inviting the wrath of these lawless thugs and 'gangstas'.. who are considered idols and heroes for millions of young black (and white, and hispanic, and asian, etc. etc. etc. ) kids.
other people might not have a problem with that,, but i do!
it's even more sad because blacks have contributed so much to the amazing history of music (especially here in america) that has been a melting pot of so many influences. it was a give & take thing where they borrowed styles and instruments that were brought over by appalachian people, then you have the blues (the real blues, not the new stuff!).. and then the whites borrowed some of their sass and jazzy rhythms and out of that developed rock & roll... then you have the incredible legacy of the 50's and 60's.. motown, early R&B.. etc. etc....... and funk in the 70's.. and it's all just come down to this....????? of course i'm of the opinion that popular music of EVERY form has been in a state of decay for the past decade or 2.. it's just not what it once was. but this rap stuff, (see lyrics in earlier post)... is truly the worst of the worst. and it seems most people don't even bother to sing anymore.. or play instruments! (i'm talking about commercial popular music here... not the more obscure stuff.)
someone made an excellent point earlier.. about how a lot of rap is self-expression, of course.. but so much of it is wallowing in your own bad environment, glorifying it, glorifying violence, glorifying being a tough bad-ass, glorifying cheap sex, glorifying killing cops, glorifying treating women like objects (which apparently many of he women don't mind?).. glorifying greed and selfish materialism. i guess that comes from an attitude of 'if you can't beat 'em join 'em'.. but of course they want their millions from selling drugs and criminal activity, not had work. and they glorify all that too. but they could be bettering themselves and trying to get out of this lifestyle, but they aren't. why should they, when they get the '







', they get their millions, and their mansions and limos, etc. etc.....??
obviously this is a human problem among males of all types, across the board. but the point here is that it is particularly rampant among young black culture and their 'music'.
can you see at all what i'm saying? thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt and asking me to clarify what i meant... instead of killing the messenger.