America's fascination with everything ghetto and gangsta

MALCOLM X director SPIKE LEE has blasted hip-hop culture for making pimps and strippers role models to young African-Americans.
The film-maker, 48, made the comments during a questions and answer session with students from the University of Mississippi last night (09FEB06).
Lee said, "When I was growing up, I didn't know any guys who wanted to be a pimp. I didn't know any girls who wanted to be a stripper.
"We looked up to those who were smart. These days if you speak one sentence without being profane, then you're not black. If you're not in the corner smoking a joint, drinking a 40, holding your privates, you're not ghetto, you're not from the streets, you're not gangsta.
"Thinking like that, that's genocide. The infatuation with being a gangsta is madness."


Spike Lee has always been a very vocal person and never shy about expressing what he feels. He creates works of art that get you talking and discussing issues even if you don't agree with his point of view. he gets you talking about them.
I try to accomplish the same with this blog. I just told someone in an email a few minutes ago
Even if you don't agree if what I wrote gets you talking and opens up discussion on the topic or issue at hand than I feel I have done my job for that day.

Now that said, I do believe their is too much of an fascination with pimps, hustlers, gangsters etc, but where I would differ from Mr. Lee is hip-hop did not create this attitude it was around way before hip-hop began and will be around far after the hip-hop era ceases to exist.

Sure when we were growing up no one was walking around saying they wanted to be a pimp or a stripper but lets not pretend movies like Superfly and The Mack didn't exist and weren't very popular in that generation. Not to mention often imitated in many of today music videos and movies.

And I know everyone I knew couldn't get enough of movies about characters like Jesse James, Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Frank Nitty, Billy The Kid, just to name a few. We all wanted to be the gangster or the bad guy in those flicks and America has always had loved for the Gangster or bad boy, no matter the color or culture. The problem is ghetto has become the modern day gangster and kids in Surburbia, USA are emulating everything they see, they are eating it up and cant get enough.
(Side note: any artist that sell more than a few 100,000 is selling to suburbia ie: those outside of our community. Our music, movies, television shows and music videos are the windows that Amerikkka is lookin at out community thru- Just thought I would throw that out there!!!)
Now I do think there is far too much of that in our music, movies and videos but I do think that flicks like Hustle & Flow are relevant. The only problem for every Hustle & Flow there is too much garbage and cheap imitations without the same creativity or talent pushed for profit and the same goes for the music we hear on all the stations where hip-hop lives.
The only difference is we had more or a variety back then. Let's not front like we wasn't rollin' with NWA (F*ck Tha Police) but we was also getting knowledge from Public Enemy (Fight The Power) at the same time. Actually those 2 records played right after each other at many partys and clubs.

With that being said there are far too many step n fetch it buffoons in today's (c)rap music than street griots and those tryna educate us. I feel a joint where there artist paints a picture or urban reality but then shows you the consequences of your actions at the and of the movie or song. I do think there is hope with the Kanye Wests, Lauren Hills and Commons out there.

Its the non stop glorification of gangsterism and ghettoism that Hollywood and corporate America that owns all of our record companies push to make all the money they can and try to keep us ignorant at the time as long as it stays on our side of the tracks. The problem is we don't only except it and embrace it we beg for more.

There is no way to listen and watch the negativity in your music, movies and video games all day/ every day and not react in a certain way. If you listen to Blues or one of those somebody done somebody wrong songs of in country music all day you will become depressed at some point. If you listen to Gospel music all day you will feel uplifted. If you listen to those good ole fashion club songs you wanna party. So what do you think listening to negativity all day does to you? We need to realize what are influenced but what let or take in. What we put in is what comes out.
Bottom Line we need more balance, to say the least. We need to turn off the radio and television for awhile and pick up a few books.

That concludes this rant
holla back and let a brother know what you think
remember whether you agree or not if its gets you talking I have done my job
so holla back your feedback drives me to keep doin this!