Anyone else HATE rap music?

[Christine]

Does the rappers use the "ho" word in their songs to exploit a specific group of woman like Imus did?

No, I don't believe that the artists target a specific group of women. However, as I was trying to say on another thread, once you start making it acceptable to call ANY woman a 'ho' and you start flinging the "N" word around, it all starts permeating everyone's language and it's easier to say.

There is no way in the world I would ever stick up/defend Don Imus, but something tells me that 10 years ago, he would have NEVER, EVER used those type of words in his racial slurring. Maybe something else? But the gangsta hip-hop that is out there today is making it increasingly acceptable to use these terms. Except when the "wrong" person uses the term. Then, suddenly, it is NOT acceptable (not that it ever was in anyone's case).

And really, I won't just target gangsta hip hop. On Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B CD, she calls her own SELF a "HO" on the first track. On another song in her lastest CD she talks about "actin' stank." My feeling is, if you are going to call yourself these names and talk about yourself this way, don't be shocked or mad, when someone else calls you that. I'm sure Gwen would be fairly ticked if someone got on the media and called her a bleached blonde "stank ho." (The words in quotes are words she's has used on her own CDs). While that hypothetical person would be wrong to do so, I almost feel like she invited it.

Please don't confuse this example with what happened with Imus and the Rutgers team. They didn't deserve that remark and didn't invite it. My point is that mainstream music is using these terms and making them "okay" and they are not. I just happen to to think that hip-hop is the worst offender of this.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

No, I don't believe that the artists target a specific group of women. However, as I was trying to say on another thread, once you start making it acceptable to call ANY woman a 'ho' and you start flinging the "N" word around, it all starts permeating everyone's language and it's easier to say.

There is no way in the world I would ever stick up/defend Don Imus, but something tells me that 10 years ago, he would have NEVER, EVER used those type of words in his racial slurring. Maybe something else? But the gangsta hip-hop that is out there today is making it increasingly acceptable to use these terms. Except when the "wrong" person uses the term. Then, suddenly, it is NOT acceptable (not that it ever was in anyone's case).

And really, I won't just target gangsta hip hop. On Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B CD, she calls her own SELF a "HO" on the first track. On another song in her lastest CD she talks about "actin' stank." My feeling is, if you are going to call yourself these names and talk about yourself this way, don't be shocked or mad, when someone else calls you that. I'm sure Gwen would be fairly ticked if someone got on the media and called her a bleached blonde "stank ho." (The words in quotes are words she's has used on her own CDs). While that hypothetical person would be wrong to do so, I almost feel like she invited it.

Please don't confuse this example with what happened with Imus and the Rutgers team. They didn't deserve that remark and didn't invite it. My point is that mainstream music is using these terms and making them "okay" and they are not. I just happen to to think that hip-hop is the worst offender of this.

 

[Cindy B]

I'm not really a big fan of commercialized rap, but there are some really amazing, intelligent, talented hip hop artists out there, and it makes me sad that their positive messages get ignored because of the glamorization of some of the negative messages in rap music.

ITA! I hate the negative messages especially for women in rap music. There are talented artists that really want to perform there craft.

If you think of the evolution of rap music, rap then was different. I remember hearing Grandmaster Flash and Fab Five Freddy in my small rural town (all Caucasian) and it was amazing.. it was different and so exciting.

 

[cinmell]

I hate, hate, hate rap music!

 

[Fitswimmer]

Does the rappers use the "ho" word in their songs to exploit a specific group of woman like Imus did?

I really don't understand why that makes a difference. Calling a specific group of women "hos" or calling all women "hos" seems equally wrong in my mind.

As for feeling morally superior-I've heard a lot of people act is if they are intellectually superior because they hate country or disco. My iPod has just about every genre of music available on it: classical, country, rap, hip hop, pop, classic rock, metal, folk...I can find something I like in ALL of them depending on what mood I'm in.

Open yourself up and listen to something that you NEVER thought you'd like. You might surprise yourself.

 

[Acklander]

Though there are a few songs I like, for the most part I'm not a fan of rap music, but then again, I don't have to be. I'm not so closed minded to assume that everyone has to like the same type of music that I do. That being said I don't think music (rap or any other kind of music) causes low self esteem, crime, violence, drug use, etc.... It's just music. I wouldn't erase rap songs of my son's Ipod just because I didn't like that lyrics. I don't give music that much power. I would say family and friends have much more influence on someones behavior than what type of music you listen to.
As far as the whole Imus thing - I never listened to him before and don't plan on listening to him in the future. I just don't find him all that interesting. I don't believe in censorship. I can understand if they dropped his program because of the advertisers bailing - that's just business; but because of content? that's wrong.

 

[Charade]

IMO, there should be a "c" added to the name.

 

[inaminute]

I could take it or leave it. I hate the real obnoxious stuff, though, but that goes for any type of music. It just leaves me feeling slimy.

DH can't stand it. If more than one rap song is played when we're out somewhere, he'll simply get up and leave.

 

[Christine]

Though there are a few songs I like, for the most part I'm not a fan of rap music, but then again, I don't have to be. I'm not so closed minded to assume that everyone has to like the same type of music that I do. That being said I don't think music (rap or any other kind of music) causes low self esteem, crime, violence, drug use, etc.... It's just music. I wouldn't erase rap songs of my son's Ipod just because I didn't like that lyrics. I don't give music that much power. I would say family and friends have much more influence on someones behavior than what type of music you listen to.
As far as the whole Imus thing - I never listened to him before and don't plan on listening to him in the future. I just don't find him all that interesting. I don't believe in censorship. I can understand if they dropped his program because of the advertisers bailing - that's just business; but because of content? that's wrong.

I also don't believe that any kind of music "causes" behavior. I've never believe that crap that certain types of metal caused kids to shoot up kids at their school, or that the songs "glorified suicide" as has been mentioned.

I don't think rap music makes women act like "hos" or anything else. No song is going to make you do that. However, it is the easy-breezy use of the word "ho", "N", "sounds like witch" and the CONSTANT use of these through the songs that make the young kids adopt this language. And believe me, they do. While they may not use it in front of their parents, I've heard them all talking like that in a group. And I guess, so what, teens will be teens and it has ALWAYS been this way.

The problem is that now these terms are no longer acceptable to the same people who are putting them out there on the street. For a young person, I think the double-standard can be confusing. I've had to explain it a number of times to my children. I know better and Don Imus knows better, but some kids might not. When you allow a constant stream of language like this to be played over and over again, it will have some repercussions.

I am not a fan of censorship and I think everyone should have control over what they want to listen to. I don't think it should be banned or not played. However, when you start using these words and making what was once "bad language" to be mainstream, EVERYONE starts using them again. You have to be prepared for the results of this. You can't have it all.

 

[Tybug]

I like something in all genres. I don't rule something out just because it's rap, hip hop or even country or whatever.

That said(and this has 'nothing' to do with Imus)... if a group wants to call themselves derogotory names in their music(and this applies to everyone, not just rap) then I feel they have accepted those terms and must be okay with hearing them in general society.

Bottom line, you don't want to hear the N word or equally bad in my book... redneck... don't call yourself that. It's that simple.

 

[JoyG]

And really, I won't just target gangsta hip hop. On Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B CD, she calls her own SELF a "HO" on the first track. On another song in her lastest CD she talks about "actin' stank." My feeling is, if you are going to call yourself these names and talk about yourself this way, don't be shocked or mad, when someone else calls you that. I'm sure Gwen would be fairly ticked if someone got on the media and called her a bleached blonde "stank ho." (The words in quotes are words she's has used on her own CDs). While that hypothetical person would be wrong to do so, I almost feel like she invited it.
.

I see where you're going, but I just don't agree with you.

Rosie calls herself fat on the View all the time, so that makes it ok for Donald Trump to do it? I don't think so.

There is a difference.

 

[JoyG]

Bottom line, you don't want to hear the N word or equally bad in my book... redneck... don't call yourself that. It's that simple.

So people should be allowed to refer to their local hockey team as "rednecks" because Jeff Foxworthy uses the term publically? That makes no sense. One has nothing to do with the other.

The girls basketball team...which consisted of white and black students...had nothing to do with with the lyrics of some gangsta rapper's song.

 

[Christine]

I see where you're going, but I just don't agree with you.

Rosie calls herself fat on the View all the time, so that makes it ok for Donald Trump to do it? I don't think so.

There is a difference.

I don't think it's okay at all. I'm just saying that when it becomes part of your "schtick" to denigrate yourself or other people over and over again (as some of the song lyrics do), you cannot be shocked when it comes back at you.

 

[cybrkitn]

Me! Some old school rap like a few songs from Run DMC are ok. But I can't stand this new rap, in which I've heard it called "Gansta rap". It's very degrading and violent. No wonder why most of the kids today are screwed up And if you look at it, most of the rappers wind up in jail and/or court b/c of a gang related issue, a different violent matter and even drug related issues. Pathetic.

 

[ChrisFL]

I grew up in Pine Hills near Orlando and that is a primarily black, lower income community.

Most everyone I went to school with listened to rap music, and I began to listen to it back in the early 90's. Of course this is when gangsta rap started, but there was a LOT of other really good rap music and it didn't have derogatory statements. The problem is mainstream music now that's played on the radio is 90% recycled crap.

The good groups out there aren't getting the publicity or the airtime that they used to. But it's difficult for people in their 30-40's who never listened to rap music to understand that many, MANY rap artists were poor and from places where the words used are the same ones they use in their songs. They aren't doing it for shock value, they're doing it because they grew up with that talk.

Some rappers rap about drug deals, because that's the world they grew up in. Others didn't grow up like that and rap about much different things. The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, Will Smith are just a few artists who never degrade women or talk about drugs.

But it bothers me to no end that people consider an entire genre with 30 years of history and worldwide appeal (Yes, it's not just popular in the U.S. but in many, many countries around the world) to be entirely crap.

I don't listen to country music, but Im sure that if I spent enough time I could find some that I like and I won't call the entire genre worthless.

 

[ChrisFL]

Me! Some old school rap like a few songs from Run DMC are ok. But I can't stand this new rap, in which I've heard it called "Gansta rap". It's very degrading and violent. No wonder why most of the kids today are screwed up And if you look at it, most of the rappers wind up in jail and/or court b/c of a gang related issue, a different violent matter and even drug related issues. Pathetic.

Gangsta Rap isn't new, it started in the early 90's...and it's much less prominent today than it was back then.

 

[jillyjoey]

Me! Some old school rap like a few songs from Run DMC are ok. But I can't stand this new rap, in which I've heard it called "Gansta rap". It's very degrading and violent. No wonder why most of the kids today are screwed up And if you look at it, most of the rappers wind up in jail and/or court b/c of a gang related issue, a different violent matter and even drug related issues. Pathetic.

I totally agree with you. What's pathetic is that most of these rappers - WERE IN PRISON before making it big and tbey continue to glorify that lifestyle. For example, watch an episode of MTV Cribs and you will see that every rapper has posters of Scarface all over the place -- I'm sorry I liked the movie but it was that a movie -- Tony Montana is not a character to be idolized.

Rap music should have been censored and these thugs run out of business with their songs that glorify the killing of police officers. If anyone supports that type of music -- I feel sorry for them and so should the rest of this country.

Furthermore, I totally agree that if people want the n- word not used -- stop using it themselves. I'm Italian and you don't hear me calling other Italians WOP or other disrespectful ephithets.

 

[pearlieq]

I'm sorry I liked the movie but it was that a movie -- Tony Montana is not a character to be idolized.

Rap music should have been censored and these thugs run out of business with their songs that glorify the killing of police officers. If anyone supports that type of music -- I feel sorry for them and so should the rest of this country.

So wait, "Scarface" is acceptable because you liked it and because it's just a movie?

But rap music should be censored?

Again, how do you claim moral superiority? How is Scarface any more wholesome and pure than "Cop Killer"?

This is why I'm glad our rights are constitutionally affirmed and not left up to one person to determine.

 

[Disney Doll]

I don't care for rap music but then again, I am an old fossil.

 

[FINFAN]

Hate it...and I also hate the fact that is it the ONLY music style that DD's HS plays at all the formal dances. Seriuosly...it stinks.
My kids can't stand it either.


Pam