My view on the new generation of Hip-Hop

Shelton Brown


Hip-Hop. One of today’s most talked about genre of music. Wait a minute, the way people talk about it seems like its not just a genre. It is now somewhat of a crisis, a different world, and to some people, everything. If it is important, then why would people to attack Hip-Hop and blame everything that is going on in the world on its new generation. Its new generation of rappers have been under heavy criticism by observers and listeners in America. My position on the issue is simply this: leave them alone. You don’t know everything behind these rappers’ actions and what they say in their songs.
Hip Hop’s new generation of flaunting riches, misogyny, and violent experiences have create negative talk amongst various people. Some people say that is the cause of crime and negative things or actions that other people do that have nothing to do with Hip-Hop. For instance, last year, former shock jockey, Don Imus, referred to the women’s basketball team at Rutgers University as a group of “nappy headed hoes”. Now when asked to talk about Hip-Hop, Don Imus couldn’t really give a detailed explanation about his knowledge of Hip-Hop because he didn’t listen to Hip-Hop or paid any attention to Hip-Hop. However, people still believe that Hip-Hop influenced Imus’s reasons behind what he said.
Jay-Z stated in one of his songs off his latest album, American Gangster, “Ignorant S***”, “I missed the part where it stopped being about Imus, What do my lyrics got to do with this s***?” Jay-Z is simply saying that he doesn’t understand why people aren’t blaming and ridiculing Don Imus? Instead, people direct the blame and their hate towards Hip-Hop.
Lately, listeners and observers can listen to most songs and find violent lyrics in there. They are usually talking about shooting, killing, stabbing, or robbing someone. What these listeners and observers don’t know is that some of these rappers rap about these things because that is what they were exposed to when they were younger. In an interview in Stop Smiling Magazine 33, rapper Jay-Z was asked a question, “ Do you think violent films or songs have an affect on teens?” His response was, “The world wants to think that that people are drawn to violence, but when you live in the ghetto you see violence all the time, so that's not the real excitement. If they want to see violence, all they have to do is go home. A lot of kids have never been out of their own neighborhoods, so they go to see movies where guys have big houses and is traveling around the world.” It seems to me that Jay-Z feels that some of these rappers only talk about violent actions because that is basically what they were exposed to earlier on.
Also, some people are not pleased with the constant talk from rappers about how much money they have and their riches. For some of these rappers who grew up in terrible neighborhoods and being poor, these are rewards for them. If I grew up with no money and I wasn‘t clothed well, when I would obtain these things, I’m not going to still dress poor and not buy things that I can afford. Now with the whole term “Making it rain” , which originated from a song by Fat Joe and Lil’ Wayne, I feel that the people with the money have their own prerogative. If they want to throw money in the air, then they can because it is there money.
Furthermore, people are saying that misogyny all came from Hip-Hop. Now, the world had actresses and porn stars already nude and on cable stations like HBO and Cinemax but as soon as rappers started putting attractive females in skimpy outfits in their videos, Hip-Hop gets all the blame. No one is sticking a gun to these females’ heads and saying “shake your behinds in so and so’s video”. Nobody is forcing them to do it so don’t blame male rappers for misogyny. What people don’t know is many of these video girls beg to be in these rappers videos for their claim to fame. If people would stop judging a book by its cover, maybe the situation could be different. Needless to say, Hip-Hop is not the source of all evil in the world and the issues of the world are not inspired by it. What are they going to blame Hip-Hop for next, why women get breast augmentations, the War on Iraq, or the retentions of children? If people don’t really look into a matter and only judge what they see and hear, they will forever be lost and ignorant. Jay-Z once stated in one of his songs, “So don't believe everything your earlobe captures, Its mostly backwards, Unless it happens to be as accurate as me, And everything said in song you happen to see, Then actually, believe half of what you see…” What he is saying is don’t judge just a genre of music on everything that is wrong with the world just because of what people say in their songs.

My thoughts on Cornell West's Views in an interview

Shelton Brown’s Thoughts on Cornell West’s Views


In an interview with Tavis Smiley, acclaimed orator, Cornell West, pontificates on the fact that successful people and people that desire to become successful only want the success of material things. A poor Black boy from the ghetto may only want the success of having a mansion, foreign cars, or a surplus amount of money. People that desire success forget the importance of the struggle it takes to become successful and giving back to your community or to become who are less fortunate than you are.
West goes on to later say that greatness is when a successful person gives back. They begin philanthropy and learn the importance and value of their success. They begin to look past all of their riches and use them to benefit others who struggle to get where they are. And they also understand the struggle behind becoming successful and can relate to what other people are going through.
Furthermore, he believes that people who have greatness are not mediocre. They don’t settle for anything less than their best. People, who become successful through things that are not necessarily the best way, settle for mediocrity. An African-American boy or girl in a bad neighborhood are intelligent and have a strong possibility of becoming a successful doctor or lawyer, a profession that involves giving back. But instead, listens to what others say and let them influence the decision of becoming something less than their best like an athlete or an actress. I feel that you can miss the opportunity to affect someone’s life if you listen to what others might say about your decisions. If I am on the verge of dying and need emergency surgery, I would more appreciate the doctor than Eli Manning winning the Super Bowl because he didn’t have an effect on my life.
Hence, these are my thoughts and feelings on what the great Cornell West’s views were on successful people and people who have greatness.

Response to Carl Sharif's "Downtown Newark"

Shelton Brown
Analysis



In a recent editorial in The Star Ledger, writer Carl Sharif discusses the future changes that Newark is planned to go through. In his editorial, he lists the advantages and disadvantages of these changes. His main message was to make sure that indigenous Newark people will benefit from these changes. Personally, I agree with him. I’m one of those indigenous Newark people and I feel that I should be able to benefit from these new changes that are being done to my city. When I am old enough to work, I would like a job in one of these businesses that will be coming to Newark.
In addition, not only me, but other people that have been born and raised in Newark without a job. These changes should provide more jobs for the unemployed. Also, sense they will be designing new neighborhoods to live in. All social classes should be able to benefit from it. Even if it is more upscale than other neighborhoods, people who are not as wealthy as upper classes are work just as hard as them and deserve to lie down in a decent and safe environment.
Needless to say, these new changes that are happening to Newark should be beneficial to all people, from poor to rich.