I don't know how many of you caught BET's 106 and Park on this past Thursday when rapper and producer David Banner dropped by to release his new video for the song "Swag"; but he had a lot to say about the state of the black culture, hip hop music, rappers and current world issues. Check out the interview:
As we watched Banner’s statements, the screen froze, then went black, as if there was an outage at the BET network. When the show resumed, without Banner, there was no mention of the outage (which most major networks would at least briefly mention or apologize). Many viewers took to Twitter and Facebook to vent, and the consensus seems to be that BET intentionally cut Banner's statement. That question still remains unanswered, but what about the statements Banner made; do you agree? Is 'black culture' diminishing because of the the lack of support within our own community? Due to the diminishing middle class (non existent as Banner sees it) have we lost what and who we are as a black culture? What are your thoughts?
~TerashaNicole
I agree with Mr. Banner. The hip hop culture is dying, and the powers that be are killing it. As blacks we need to come together and create a power the only we can own. The powers that be are white, and they control the MTV's , the Itunes and the whole music industry. You notice how your favorite rappers are doing techno/pop records, its because the powers are trying to kill our music and culture. They're trying to get out to kill our culture by offering us money to make this European style music. The white people were attracted to our culture and now as they get older they see as a problem and dont want they're generation to imulate our style. They think our culture is wrong , but to us this is who we are. We created hip hop from the streets, whites tried to commercialize it, now when they see its getting out of control, because everyone is attracted to our culture they want to destroy and go back to a white mainstream media.
ReplyDeleteWow, you're entitled to your own opinion, but that was pretty terrible. Placing the blame on white people? Come on now, Jay Z, Lil Wayne, and countless others have their own record labels and still put out your so called "white european techno/pop" music out there. Music evolves, rap nor rock sounds the same that it used to and it has nothing to do with skin color. How about instead of putting the blame on that, write a letter to Lil Wayne and tell him not to throw up the piru P on the cover of the Rolling Stone. The largest music magazine on the planet, and he not only decides to have a red bandana sticking out of his back pocket, but throws up a well known gang sign. Kids and teenagers read that magazine, and if they see their idol on the cover throwing up a gang sign them I'm guessing they are going to start mimicking that as well. What I think Banner is trying to say is that hip hop artists need to stop glorifying the streets and start glorifying education, being a better human being, and helping your community. Just my opinion though.
ReplyDeleteI don't think black people read rolling stone magazine. When Wayne was on the cover that was about the only time. But our culture is dying. In the 90's and early 2000's it was cool to be thugged out and gangsta. The media fueled that and we all know that whites control the media. Now they're trying to take over our music. You notice how they're are alot more white rappers than 10 years ago. White people own these record labels and they are putting their own people out there and changing the music into their own. REAL TALK. This is not a racist comment , its the truth, everybody sees it .In ten, fifteen years hip hop music will not be around. If you give a black man some money , he'll do whatever music you ask of him. Basically thats what it all boils down to, money. I grew up listening to Hip Hop, from the gangsta side to the conscience side of Hip Hop. If you offer me some money and fame I just might do a pop record and sell out and become another Wiz Khalifa, Tyga, B.O.B. Odd Future etc. I guess since Hip Hop was born in streets and found its into the suburbs, everybody think they can rap and to keep it real they leave out the gun bussing and dope slanging, and talk about girls , balling and smoking weed. Everyone can relate to that. Glorifying education and the streets won't appeal to the white crowds, they want to party. Thats why you have rappers like Flo Rida and B.O.B. sell outs to appeal to a white audience. If you don't make records like the ones I just mention, you wont break thru !!!
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are trying to say, but I think it is completely wrong. Like I said before Wayne, Jay-Z, and countless others all OWN their record labels, so it's not the white people controlling anything. Music isn't always going to sound the same. Wiz Khalifia and the others you mentioned to me aren't hip hop, that's rap. Hip hop is people under the stairs, blackalicious, quest, the roots, de la soul, not the crap on the radio. They talk about education, etc. and they have gained fame and notoriety, so the statement that it won't appeal to the white crowds is ignorant. White people and black people both like to party, partying doesn't discriminate, so I don't understand what you meant by that. What I'm trying to say is that some white PR executive has probably told some rapper out there to act less educationed and more street, but the fact of the matter is that black people like that music just as much as white people, not saying everyone likes that, but hold your own race accountable for buying this garbage. Whites, blacks, latinos, all should be held accountable for encouraging this type of music, but it is not just the white people doing it. "If you give a black man some money, he'll do whatever music you ask of him.....If you offer me some money and fame I just might do a pop record and sell out and become another Wiz Khalifa....." That's contradicting everything you're saying, that's like saying that it's not the alcoholics fault, it's the stores fault for selling him the beer. Sounds more like a greed problem on both ends.
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