Reply #232: sorry...i read that post again

[noiretextatique]

thankfully, i was too old when rap exploded, and already a die-hard fan of jazz and r&b. when i was young, my parents and i listened to the same music. i don't think there was anything (besides perhaps the last poets) that i liked that my parents would absolutely hate.

rap changed all of that. i never allowed my nieces and nephews to listen to it in my house because the constant beats were so annoying to me, and because i wanted them to listen to something other than rap.

i remember the very early days of rap with groups like the sugar hill gang, grandmaster flash, and kool moe dee. when i see those old videos now, they seem so innocent and mild compared to what's happened since.

the gangsta/thug hyper-masculine influence is truly foul, including its reverence of violence, money, profanity, homophobia, and misogyny, if i hear a particularly foul song when i am out at a club, i tell the dj or manager how offensive the song is to women (usually)or gay people.

i am encouraged by some recent developments in the world of hip hop, including the emergence of openly gay hiphoppers, rappers who are challenging the hyper-masculine worldview, the increasing power of women in the business.

your comment was right on to the poster re: "politically correct speech", btw...that comment was disgusting.