Do you think hip hop reinforces negative stereotypes on the black community?

Question

when it began in the 70's, I wouldn't have thought so, but now-a-days, why do we find more negative messages than positive ones?
How can we (i'm black) expect white America to respect us if we don't even respect ourselves?
What do you guys think?

Answer 1

I agree with you, the hip hop music of these days is redundant garbage. But anyone who looks at a video or listens to the radio and thinks that is how all black people are, is just ignorant and silly.
I find it funny how people can say rap or hip hop is a black thing...I guess nobody else has ever taken a pen, put it on some paper and made the words they write rhyme because that's all rap is lol.
If there was no such thing as hip hop, people would still discriminate against blacks and would find something else to stereotype about us.

Answer 2

The bastard element of Hip Hop Culture, Rap is the reason Hip Hop gets a bad rap. For the most part, a rapper/emcee is the mouthpiece for Hip Hop even though there is more to it then rapping.

Rappers are the main group of individuals that sold out to the industry. What started as a new art-form, culture, and maybe a way of life eventually became a business. Once corporate america found a way to make money off rap music, they also re-wrote the rules on what a rapper should be and sound like. Hence you have guys that will rhyme about gangster life or killing even though they never did any of that. True criminals keep that stuff to themselves. Since sex sells more then consciuosness, Lil Kim or Foxxy Brown are mega stars. Why do you think Queen Latifah became a great actress? She was too positive and therefore not a money maker. As an alternative, convince her she can act to keep her out of the game. The same thing happened to the Fresh Prince, oh my bad Will Smith.

As far as expecting white america to respect us, good luck with that. Who are they to diserve your respect anyway?White America only respects one thing; Money! They only respect us when/if they can profit from us. As a matter of fact I have the highest respect for myself. I have an education, great paying job, house, cars, etc...by me having all of this I am viewed as a threat and less of an asset to society. Why is that? This is the plan that was laid out for me according to the rules they wrote.

Finally, I don't know what type of rap you are listening to, but there is still plenty of positive as well as really good rap music out there. Do yourself a favor, stop watching videos and listening to the radio. These are all false images of who we really are.

Listen to artists such as:
KRS-One
Little Brother
Masta Ace
Dialated Peoples
De La Soul
Nas
Planet Asia
Murs
Justus League
Gang Starr
J Dilla
Common
Mos Def
Talib Kwelli
The Roots
Wu Tang

If you have to, back track to the artist from 70, 80 and 90 up to about 1996. After 96, the quality began to slip and corporate america found its financial niche in the music.

Answer 3

yes and no, hostel did turn killing into a sport for white people and music alone can't make someone negative. it has more to do with a lack of positive role models than hip hop-hip. hop does play a role b/c they aren't many positive artists and the few who are don't get much exposure. basically the hip-hop culture isn't solely to blame but it's plays a big part, what it also does is give a negative impression of black people to other ethnic groups, some white people never even meet black people

Answer 4

Greetings all!

First off, respect is something we should give to each other as member sof a HUMAN FAMILY, all striving for our different interpretations of what peace and happiness is. We should realize that these differences will always exists and therefore we should not decide to not respect someone no matter how ignorant some of their practices may be.

I mean, people of all races do things that we don't understand.

With that being said, MAINSTREAM hip hop has a massive negative effect on ALL people. But is it the artist or the media outlets that are really the problem. The "artists" don't have millions of dollars to promote these forms of ignorance. These artists don't own BET and MTV. There's just dancing to whatever tune the huge corporation tell them to, or sell out as people commonly say.

Just a few thoughts.

Peace.

Answer 5

I wouldn't say that hip hop is strictly limited to the black community as there are also some white rappers and singers of hip hop as well.And they also fall into the same issue.Like personally Fergie trying to go hip hop and singing about nothing but herself and how she lives the high life and so on...And then there's the black aspect of hip hop where its always about sex,drugs,money,cars,gold teeth,and gang banging.
You'd think that with all the experience these people have with the downside of life,they'd be more positive an influence because they've been there and done that.Instead most of them condone lewd,crude,and rude behavior.You'd think they'd have more to offer and teach not preach but actually teach us.That includes both black and white hip hoppers.
Personally I don't care how many hoochies so and so has banged or how much drinky drink they sip on or how high they've been or are.And goddess knows I don't care if Fergie thinks she's so hot that men fall all over themselves and I don't care how rich she is although I am glad to know she can spell big words like GLAMOROUS.
I wish they'd be more creative and more involved with the effect they have on people without being conceited.And I wish they'd stop encouraging our youth to go smoke out,drink some alcohol,go have sex etc.
I don't want my son or daughter think its okay to do these things just because thats what these folks do...But sadly monkey see monkey do...

Just My Thoughts,
M.G

Answer 6

For the uneducated ignorant person who doesn't know how to get to individually get to know people, then sure I guess hip hop reinforces negative stereotypes. However, I don't think what hip hop artists portray should affect anyone's opinion of individual blacks. There are plenty of white celebrities who have some pretty screwed up lives, but I don't judge all whites based on the stereotypes they reinforce.

I think everyone just needs to learn that stereotypes are not true for all people. You shouldn't lose respect for someone because of some stupid celebrity who they have zero control over. People should actually try to get to know each other rather than just constantly listening to the media.

Answer 7

Sadly, yes.

However, if you live in or are from 'the hood', the culture is not entirely foreign.

Well, maybe the videos with 100s of people around a pool at a mansion is. But, the overall culture is not entirely foreign and the messages are largely negative. Sometimes there are neutral messages, like in most music.

But, true reality is often suspended for young people that watch the videos.

The videos portray extravagant lifestyles with no one working particularly hard. That is hard to achieve legally. Even if you are a rapper or athlete, hard work is required to attain such standards of living.

So, I would agree, it is mostly negative. Which is regrettable.

Answer 8

I'm not so sure it's the music that is instilling stereotypes into people. I'm sure you are proud of who you are and so are all the hip-hop artists out there. They to me {and keep in mind this is just my opinion} are saying F**k you this is who I am if you don't like it deal. They are trying to show people that they made it. That they can afford to have all the b**ches that they have, all the cars, what have you. When they rap about the negative things I think they are trying to make people aware of how life is really for them. I don't know though. It's the same thing as country or rock being stereotypical. In all retrospect I guess they are just poking fun of all the idiots who actually still stereotype.

Answer 9

Yes, I think it does. The media pushes that image of black people really hard because it makes money. So now you have folks that don't know any black people who are racist because of what they hear on the radio. It you listen to a radio station for an hour, you will probably hear songs about killing, selling drugs, and about black women shaking their asses and its being glorified as a good thing. I've been overseas and foreign men have some really bad views of black women, because they only think they know about us is what they hear in music.

Answer 10

Long before Hip Hop was on the scene there were stereotypes on the black community.
Without hiphop blacks would still get critisized, stereotyped, discriminated against.
Hip Hop doesn't help or hurt the black community in the way they're viewed.