NAS and Nick Cannon in Blackface - The Future of Hip Hop PSA

[Disclaimer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgRAgJI7aoc&feature=player_embedded

I guess it's not racist if they do it, but how does it make ya'll feel?

I actually like some hip hop/rap (I like everything except country and there's even a few of those I like).

I'm kind of feeling the message they're trying to put out. Hip Hop (of recent) has turned into a bunch of "lay down poppy dance tracks with no intelligence behind it" - just cranking out hits for the record execs. I could see why they feel the culture has been diluted.

Thoughts?

Edited August 7, 2009 by JRMMiii

[dmagicglock]

my wife just told me Nas and Kelis are filing for divorce...

Behind every hot R&B artist is a rap artist who's tired of her milkshakes.

[jbot]

those bitches give watermelon a bad name

[ChickOn2]

[dmagicglock]

[CleaveTheGreat]

I tried not to laugh too much at that haha. But I think they have a good point, most rap/hip hop today seems to be a lot like pop music...a catchy beat and hook but no substance. Kind of a shame given the way hip hop started.

[InyaAzz]

I pee'd my pants a little. Rep for you.

[InyaAzz]

Massa ...is coming. Bitches!!!

That's my new slogan.

By the way...WTF is Nick Cannon doing in this shit? Shouldn't he be breaking Mariah's mulatto ass off sumthin fierce?

[Aerik]

I agree. There used to be at least some form of struggle poetry to it- the old rappers were just talking about life. Now it's been boiled down to a crap formula. Like everything else.

[KruelHouse]

Sorry... This is going to be LONG!

I honestly dig the message (wrote a lengthy blog about that topic a few yrs back, but never uploaded it), however I LOATHE it's delivery.

The problem with blackface, regardless of the message, is that it's BLACKFACE! True it carries a certain "shock-quality", however I'm not a fan of utilizing an entertainment genre that exploited, oppressed, and belittled my ancestor's culture and way of life in order to convey a message.

Yeah, you can argue that I'm taking this too seriously (as it was meant in jest). You can also argue that the bullshit that's in heavy rotation on the radio is hot garbage. Hell, I'll second that! I'm so sick of Stanky Legs, Ice Cream Paint, and ANYTHING with Soulja Boy. Hell, after he made that IGNANT (that's right, when it's that dumb, it's no longer ignorant, but IGNANT) comment about giving "props" to slave owners, I decided that he, his parents, teachers, and church officials all need to be given a good flogging with a sand-filled hose until they no longer feel the pain from the lead pipe that they were previously attacked with.

My bad, I got off track thinking about beating some sense into Soulja Boy... Yeah, I may be taking this too seriously, but I'm not a big fan of blackface parodies. Especially when in some cases, the general audience isn't "swift" enough to connect with the message. Now we have gratuitous blackface in circulation.

I did kinda laugh at the "ice" substitution for watermelon seeds.

[KruelHouse]

I wanted to give you rep for this pic, but I was told that I have to spread it around first... I really need a copy of this on my cellphone, so that whenever someone does sum "dumb-isht", I can kindly show them the pic and walk away.

[KTMRIDER]

I pee'd my pants a little. Rep for you.

Udel.... You don't have a scowl on your face like that when you ride do ya?

[shittygsxr]

Is Nick Cannon really someone who should speak on the topic?? Hip Hop has been complete garbage for a long while. I would never go as far as to call "hip-hop" a culture. Walking around like you have a knee injury while your pants are hanging below your ass cheeks, and talking like you are a fucking retard is not a culture.

These problems are not only plaguing the black culture but many Americans as families lack the support structure of two parents. Kids look for role models that they can easily relate too for guidance.

Aaron Mcgruder is the man. He deserves some kind of award, his messages are 1000000x times more powerful and without resorting to the levels of Nas and Nick Cannon

[ChickOn2]

I pee'd my pants a little. Rep for you.

I would love to know what occasion that photo actually came from... it is hella intimidating!

Sorry about your pants.

[dmagicglock]

I would love to know what occasion that photo actually came from... it is hella intimidating!

Sorry about your pants.

Acorn rally

[InyaAzz]

I agree. There used to be at least some form of struggle poetry to it- the old rappers were just talking about life. Now it's been boiled down to a crap formula. Like everything else.

Rep for you

Sorry... This is going to be LONG!

I honestly dig the message (wrote a lengthy blog about that topic a few yrs back, but never uploaded it), however I LOATHE it's delivery.

The problem with blackface, regardless of the message, is that it's BLACKFACE! True it carries a certain "shock-quality", however I'm not a fan of utilizing an entertainment genre that exploited, oppressed, and belittled my ancestor's culture and way of life in order to convey a message.

Yeah, you can argue that I'm taking this too seriously (as it was meant in jest). You can also argue that the bullshit that's in heavy rotation on the radio is hot garbage. Hell, I'll second that! I'm so sick of Stanky Legs, Ice Cream Paint, and ANYTHING with Soulja Boy. Hell, after he made that IGNANT (that's right, when it's that dumb, it's no longer ignorant, but IGNANT) comment about giving "props" to slave owners, I decided that he, his parents, teachers, and church officials all need to be given a good flogging with a sand-filled hose until they no longer feel the pain from the lead pipe that they were previously attacked with.

My bad, I got off track thinking about beating some sense into Soulja Boy... Yeah, I may be taking this too seriously, but I'm not a big fan of blackface parodies. Especially when in some cases, the general audience isn't "swift" enough to connect with the message. Now we have gratuitous blackface in circulation.

I did kinda laugh at the "ice" substitution for watermelon seeds.

Rep for you

Udel.... You don't have a scowl on your face like that when you ride do ya?

Only when UP refuses to stop at KFC

Is Nick Cannon really someone who should speak on the topic?? Hip Hop has been complete garbage for a long while. I would never go as far as to call "hip-hop" a culture. Walking around like you have a knee injury while your pants are hanging below your ass cheeks, and talking like you are a fucking retard is not a culture.

These problems are not only plaguing the black culture but many Americans as families lack the support structure of two parents. Kids look for role models that they can easily relate too for guidance.

Aaron Mcgruder is the man. He deserves some kind of award, his messages are 1000000x times more powerful and without resorting to the levels of Nas and Nick Cannon

The ignorant 'sagging' and 'retard speak' is hardly hip hop. It's coonery. If you want to look for examples of hip hop, look to Common, or De La Soul, OutKast, Pharrell, etc. The other idiots like Lil Wayne, Souljah Boy, etc are just idiots making money trying to draw attention to themselves. They are hardly hip hop....just making money while raping it.

Aaron McGruder is indeed the man. Someone needs to bankroll his own channel on cable/sat.

Rep for you

[ChickOn2]

The ignorant 'sagging' and 'retard speak' is hardly hip hop. It's coonery. If you want to look for examples of hip hop, look to Common, or De La Soul, OutKast, Pharrell, etc. The other idiots like Lil Wayne, Souljah Boy, etc are just idiots making money trying to draw attention to themselves. They are hardly hip hop....just making money while raping it.

Aaron McGruder is indeed the man. Someone needs to bankroll his own channel on cable/sat.

Rep for YOU

Hip hop has sucked the willy for a long time now. I heart Aaron McGruder. I am forever a fan, expecially after the 'BET" episode of Boondocks!!

[Aerik]

Sorry... This is going to be LONG!

I honestly dig the message (wrote a lengthy blog about that topic a few yrs back, but never uploaded it), however I LOATHE it's delivery.

The problem with blackface, regardless of the message, is that it's BLACKFACE! True it carries a certain "shock-quality", however I'm not a fan of utilizing an entertainment genre that exploited, oppressed, and belittled my ancestor's culture and way of life in order to convey a message.

Yeah, you can argue that I'm taking this too seriously (as it was meant in jest). You can also argue that the bullshit that's in heavy rotation on the radio is hot garbage. Hell, I'll second that! I'm so sick of Stanky Legs, Ice Cream Paint, and ANYTHING with Soulja Boy. Hell, after he made that IGNANT (that's right, when it's that dumb, it's no longer ignorant, but IGNANT) comment about giving "props" to slave owners, I decided that he, his parents, teachers, and church officials all need to be given a good flogging with a sand-filled hose until they no longer feel the pain from the lead pipe that they were previously attacked with.

My bad, I got off track thinking about beating some sense into Soulja Boy... Yeah, I may be taking this too seriously, but I'm not a big fan of blackface parodies. Especially when in some cases, the general audience isn't "swift" enough to connect with the message. Now we have gratuitous blackface in circulation.

What I think they're trying to say by using blackface is a worth saying: Hip-hop, as given to us now, promoted by the major labels for it's 'club-friendly' money-making potential, has become the new minstrel show. However, in a bizarre twist, now it's not white folks in blackface portraying horrible caricatures of black culture-- it's us.

To any black person who examines modern hip-hop objectively, it should be hideously offensive for this reason-- it effectively takes the most ignorant, uneducated among us, and not only puts them on tv and radio, but portrays them as some kind of ideal toward which we should be striving.

It encourages us to focus on 'looking rich' and getting laid, on trying to earn a quick buck hustlin rather than on any long-term goals which might better serve the black community and the country at large. It gives the idea that spinnin rims are more important than a college education (and, to be honest, a good set of spinners actually cost about as much as two years at Columbus State). It encourages us to fight amongst ourselves, when we could actually get some shit done if we'd quit robbing each other.

Rather than giving observations or insights into the experience of black poverty in America, as one could argue that older hip-hop did, new hip-hop actually glorifies it, treats it like a goal to be achieved rather than something to be overcome.

After some more consideration, I think the video was pretty much on point.

[jbot]

 

....don't hit me

Edited December 23, 2021 by jbot

[InyaAzz]

The real question here is.....

Why was Justin searching YouTube for blackface videos?

[Disclaimer]

It's funny how we have blackface, and yellowface, and I'm sure there are other '-faces', but no whiteface.

We call that the money shot.

[shittygsxr]

It's funny how we have blackface, and yellowface, and I'm sure there are other '-faces', but no whiteface.

We call that the money shot.

Hell yeah playa that is because they gots the dope and ice but we got the stocks and bonds!!! IRA 4 life!!! what what!!

[magley64]

isn't this what the original rappers were hoping for? to become mainstream?

the garbage that gets produced as a result is just the price you pay for being a mainstream genre...period.

[KruelHouse]

isn't this what the original rappers were hoping for? to become mainstream?

the garbage that gets produced as a result is just the price you pay for being a mainstream genre...period.

To a degree. Original artists were hoping for the music, artform, and culture of hip-hop to become mainstream... However, I'm not quite sure that anyone saw this crap coming. I think that Inya said it best when he referenced real hip hop artists (Common, De La, MOS DEF, Talib, Tribe, and many that came before them) as originators, while the rest Soulja Boy and the like are simply raping the genre for cash. Speaking of which, give that track "The Rape Over" by Mos Def a listen, and you'll see exactly what's going on.

I think that the reason why no one really saw this coming is that back when hip hop originated, most of the "suckas" who weren't coming with the "real" were quickly dismissed (battling in a cypher, at a party, on stage etc.), and taken out of the game until their skills were up to par. Some became "one hit wonders" (Vanilla Ice/MC Hammer, etc.). That way, should "wackness" ever make it to the mainstream, it didn't really perpetuate itself. Now labels are signing this garbage (because its catchy/infectious), so more garbage is being made.

Fortunately for true hip-hop fans, this is nothing more than a storm that we must weather, and it too shall pass. We've seen rap (a part of hip-hop) go from hardcore, to gangsta, to heavily materialistic... This is just another phase. But until it ends, I'll be bumping some Chili Peppers

[InyaAzz]

To a degree. Original artists were hoping for the music, artform, and culture of hip-hop to become mainstream... However, I'm not quite sure that anyone saw this crap coming. I think that Inya said it best when he referenced real hip hop artists (Common, De La, MOS DEF, Talib, Tribe, and many that came before them) as originators, while the rest Soulja Boy and the like are simply raping the genre for cash. Speaking of which, give that track "The Rape Over" by Mos Def a listen, and you'll see exactly what's going on.

I think that the reason why no one really saw this coming is that back when hip hop originated, most of the "suckas" who weren't coming with the "real" were quickly dismissed (battling in a cypher, at a party, on stage etc.), and taken out of the game until their skills were up to par. Some became "one hit wonders" (Vanilla Ice/MC Hammer, etc.). That way, should "wackness" ever make it to the mainstream, it didn't really perpetuate itself. Now labels are signing this garbage (because its catchy/infectious), so more garbage is being made.

Fortunately for true hip-hop fans, this is nothing more than a storm that we must weather, and it too shall pass. We've seen rap (a part of hip-hop) go from hardcore, to gangsta, to heavily materialistic... This is just another phase. But until it ends, I'll be bumping some Chili Peppers

+99999

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