Rap is the culprit in killing of black men

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While I don't believe gangsta rap is directly responsible for inner city violence, the lifestyle it represents is certainly not something to emulate or admire...




Rap is the culprit in killing of black men
Gregory Kane

January 6, 2007

The 800-pound gorilla is back, and as usual folks are pretending the critter ain't in the room.

We'll call this particular 800-pound gorilla Joey, in tribute to that 1940s film about the giant ape called Mighty Joe Young. I think it's time Joey got his props. I think it's time we acknowledge Joey.

Joey, meet the guys.

Guys, shake hands with Joey.

"The guys" in this case are those Baltimoreans who, for the past week, have expressed angst and dismay about the appalling way some young black men in this city, addicted to the thug life, dispatch each other with such chilling ease. Of Baltimore's nearly 300 homicide victims each year, the overwhelming majority of victims and killers are young black men.

Everybody and everything has been mentioned as enablers to Bodymore, Murderland's culture of death: lack of jobs, lack of recreational facilities, lack of music and art programs in schools, lack of mentors. Everybody's been mentioned, that is, except Joey, who's standing in the middle of the room with a Bloods bandana on his head, a Crips scarf tied around his neck, "grillz" on his teeth and holding a Glock in his hand.

Oh, and Joey's holding a copy of The Source magazine in the other hand with a picture of rapper The Game on the cover. Get where I'm going here?

Joey represents the entertainment industry and, to a lesser extent, my profession, which some folks call "the media." If I may be permitted to use a Bill Cosbyism, the entertainment industry and the media aren't holding up our end of the bargain when it comes to reducing violence. We just don't get the link between rap music and the carnage that's going on not only on Baltimore's streets, but America's streets.

Full story...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.kane06jan06,0,3412388.column

[erpowers]

1. Wrong

People can call me naive or crazy, but I think the author of that piece is wrong. First, nobody knows that all the young black men who are dying are killing are all listening to rape music. We can assume that but we do not know that.

The real problem in the fact that many of these kids grow up in provetry and do not see much of a way out of their communities. When asked many kids who join gangs do not cite rape music as the reason for joining a gang. Many of them say that wanted a family and a place to fit in. The gang made them feel that they were not alone. In addition, even some kids who join gangs and supposedly listen to rape music think about leaving the gangs, but die before they can get out. There are many young men black and white who listen to rape music, but do not live in poverty and do not perform violent acts. Conversely, there are a number of white and black kids who do not listen to rape music, but do perform violent acts.

I believe there have been a number of stories that have show that when money is put into schools and kids are given more recretional and academic opportunities the kids begin to behave better and attain better grades. Also, there has been at least one story which reported that when the food of a group of troubled students was changed the students behaved better. I think people should really look into giving kids better food during their lunch time. I think that would ease some of the problems.

[cosmik debris]

2. I'm old enough to remember when

Teen pregnancy was blamed on Rock & Roll Dancing. Now, in hind sight, we can see that teen pregnancy is caused by SEX!!!

Everybody seems to want to blame what they hate. It defies logic.

[ixion]

3. okay, once again: music does not kill people... people kill people

music doesn't make you take drugs or murder or have sex or commit suicide. music is just music.

[earthside]

4. Gregory Kane is Correct

I often lament this point with my teenage children: two or three mega-transnational corporations are ruining music and entertainment in modern America.

This is anecdotal, but many of the young folks I come in contact with know that a lot of the music they are presented with is pretty lame and very commercial. The more educated and curious teenagers (who listen to older tunes) admit that there was more creativity and energy in the rock-n-roll that came out of the 60s and 70s.

I have suspected for a long time that current pop music and 'hip-hop/rap' is now by and large the domain of marketers making decisions in corporate suites in New York, Tokyo, and LA. And ... these amoral profit-mongers will sell violence if they can make money. Period.

Now, surely poverty impacts greatly drop-out rates and crime -- but popular culture is also certainly not without influence. The desensitization to violence comes from its glorification in music, movies and video games ... Bush propaganda. Who can deny that? It is the same theory that gets people to buy one brand on toothpast over another -- advertising works.

So, I agree that it is time to take on the entertainment transnational corporations that could care less about black-on-black violence or white-on-white violence as long as they can make a ton of money.