Big Pimpin’, Spendin’ Cheese: How Rappers Like Jay-Z Help Keep You in Poverty

[Serious]

All these things that people say are endemic to hip hop existed before hip hop, and consumers gravitate towards what they want to hear. Is it programming or promoting something to you or giving you something that you can relate to or aspire to or to take your mind off things.... It's all those things, but people will make bad decisions regardless of what type of music they listen to. The people who don't make bad decisions are capable of enjoying music without following it literally or they just listen to different artists period. I don't think hip hop is mostly a bad influence if you're a listener unable to take the good with the bad and appreciate art for what it is, and discern the right messages. Suburbanite black kids listen to the same music, but aside from some posers, don't get involved in the same problems. It's because of what they're around. The person who listened to a rap song and did something stupid would've been persuaded by something else sooner or later. But articles like these also fail to recognize that much of hip hop's influence is in what the artists represent which may entirely different from what their raps may say. What is funny though is that writers have figured out over the last 8 months that if you name drop Jay-Z in a title you can go on whatever tangent or critique you want and it'll get you views regardless of the merit. It reminds of that New Yorker review where the guy said the problem with MCHG was that Jay-Z should've been more offensive to white people and for the Picasso Baby performance he should've put on a black hoody and went around the crowd scaring white people with a fake gun so they could know how it feels to be racially profiled

I'd like to read how they calculate this

Word, seems like they don't know about the black market, swap meets or deeray's

 

[Kritic]

Blame other brehs for your shortcomings brehs...


OP is an idiot for standing behind that article. Nothing further.

he has a known pattern of blaming black ppl for black pll's problems. he believes these problems ar created by black ppl and only black ppl can fix them and white ppl shouldn't be held accountable.

whenever white ppl are shed in bad light he acts like he hasn't seen the threads. or when he posts them he doesn't comment.

 

[Wargames]

"True this, the streets school us to spend our money foolish. Bond with jewelers and, watch for intruders." - Jay-Z Can I Live

But really its a lot deeper than that, the reason African Americans aren't economically competitive can be traced back to slavery and jim crow. Add to that the African Americans don't circulate or 1 Trillion in disposable income (aka purchasing power) within our own communities and the problem becomes even more apparent. Jay-Z plays his part in this promoting brands that have no intrinsic value (and thus aren't likely to appreciate in value) to the sheeple who follow him, but don't mistake a symptom for the cause brehs.

There is also a disconnect in values as well. A lot of the most financially sound members of our community rarely try to start their own business, whereas some of the least financially stable members of the community will usually be the ones who have the most entrepreneurial spirit.

 

[theworldismine13]

he has a known pattern of blaming black ppl for black pll's problems. he believes these problems ar created by black ppl and only black ppl can fix them and white ppl shouldn't be held accountable.

whenever white ppl are shed in bad light he acts like he hasn't seen the threads. or when he posts them he doesn't comment.

I wouldn't put it that way but there is a lot of truth to that, I believe black people are fully capable of solving our problems without white people and we need to discuss our culture and what we do, why we do it and what we will do in the future

I'm not concerned about what white people do, I think we should always fight for individual rights and economic rights but white people have the right to be racist and they are more than welcome to continue being racist, I think we need to go ahead and do what we need to do

 

[newarkhiphop]

I will articulate better later, but I agree completely with OP

HipHop is the MOST powerful form of music in the world, if unity, financial responsibility & empowerment were the material on the same great beats and lyrical word play...

The urban community would change over night.

how is hiphop the most powerful form of music in the world

 

[Field Marshall Bradley]

nikkas gotta be the only group of people that rely on entertainers and athletes for their liberation...

nikkas got the gall to blame their financial situation and lust of materialism on jigga man......Hell, he's a victim himself....

 

[Danie84]

Any fool who try to live through the guise of Lord Camel should be broke

 

[teacher]

Jay-Z has always been a shallow substanceless rapper. It's not his fault but he is part of the problem....FWIW I do enjoy his music for the most part

 

[theworldismine13]

did jay-z really create the consumerism campaign in hip hop, or was it really the rich cac companies bruh. jay z has no power.

It's both, consumerism is a part of American culture, but we as black people have to take control of our culture, if you wait for other people to do things we will be waiting for a long time

 

[Bolzmark]

This issue is just like the "hip hop promotes violence" issue. It totally ignores personal responsibility. What you gonna say when they ask why you broke and living on the street? "Jay-Z made me do it"? If our community is not intelligent enough to understand that you cannot do the same things that a guy worth $500 million can do then we have a very serious problem. Also, the "keeping up with the Jones's" mentality was out way before hip hop. We live in a capitalistic society. Spending money is the American way. Having nice possessions is the AMERICAN dream, not just hip hops.

 

[Mr. Somebody]

It's both, consumerism is a part of American culture, but we as black people have to take control of our culture, if you wait for other people to do things we will be waiting for a long time

What is black culture?

 

[theworldismine13]

What is black culture?

The common traits and habits of people that identify themselves as black and/or African American

 

[theworldismine13]

This sounds like something Agent Dr. Boyce Watkins would write, he's on a quest to systemically destroy Jay Z; yet he will not check these cacs....wonder why

Cuz if you are black it follows that you think black people are special and therefore you would focus particularly on them, white people can go ahead and do whatever they want to do

This whole notion that the future of black people depends on white people needs to stop

 

[Mr. Somebody]

The common traits and habits of people that identify themselves as black and/or African American

Do you think black people in America have control over any aspects of their culture.

 

[theworldismine13]

Do you think black people in America have control over any aspects of their culture.

Not fully, but we have to take control of it, and the first step in taking control is taking responsibility for it