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Jan. 10, 2005 When Ice-T recorded the song, “Cop Killer”, the media made it sound as if the world were going to end. Some, including then-president George Herbert Walker Bush, thought the artist's expression was advocating the unprovoked killing of police officers. The President labeled the music, "violent garbage". Gangsta rap was defiled as “evil” by the King of the Dim-wits himself, Dan “I can’t spell ‘potato’” Quayle, as well as the current Attorney General John Ashcroft. And the lyrics of such artists as Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Nelly have been labeled “misogynistic” and “exploitative.” This move toward “political correctness” is another example of racism run amok. We must ask, "What is political correctness and by whose standards are we defining the phrase?” This cry is most apparent in the harsh criticism rappers have received by such notables as Tipper Gore, Bill "Hey baby, what are you wearing?" O'Reilly and long-time sty in the eye, C. Dolores Tucker. If we are out to determine which art is anti- social rant, or garbage, let us start by judging all forms and genres by the same criteria. RBlack music, particularly rap, is always demonized as promoting violence while heavy metal and goth artists are generally overlooked as "kooks" and "punks." But what about the violence found in mainstream movies, which not only gives us audio violence, but graphic, visual violence as well? If we are so preoccupied with eliminating misogynistic themes from movies and music, then let’s ban Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare On Elm Street”—a movie that shows girls being killed in their sleep by a monster named Freddy. And remember, while Ice-T may have rapped about cop killing, there were the visual images of Arnold Schwarzenegger actually doing it in "The Terminator". In fact, his character wiped out an entire police precinct. And while we’re talking about Arnold, did you ever check the body count in Commando? Where were the moral watchdogs then? H. Rap Brown said it best in his 1968 book, "Die Nigger, Die!": "Violence in America is acceptable as long as it's white people doing it." Need more proof? The media has placed the blame for the high number of gang-related murders solely on the shoulders of rappers who supposedly, “glorify” gunplay. On the other hand, the inventors of the drive-by--Al Capone and other gangsters who battled over “turf"--are glorified in movies like “The Roaring Twenties,” “Public Enemy” and “Scarface”. Just as their brethren in the Old West are portrayed as heroes and “real men,” when in reality they were nothing more thatn land- grabbing sadists. Some of you might say, “Well, those are movies. It’s not real.” But it is based oan real events. Yet, we condemn the persons whose artistic expression is rooted in reality. The fact is, there are manty neighborhoods like the one Ice-T grew up in. In these war zones (how the rappers, media and politicians acknowledge them) the police force is nothing more than an occupying army whose mantra “to serve and protect” leaves out the words, “the interests of white folks.” These artists should "Keep on keeping it real." But rather than condemn the content of their records, hip-hop films and fiction, we should examine the root causes of these harsh expressions and work to improve their reality. ------------ About the author: Timothy Stelly is the 45-year old author of "Tempest In The Stone" and the upcoming, "The Malice of Cain". He resides in Pittsburg, California with his three youngest children Dante, Kimberly and Lawrence. Email: stellbread@sbcglobal.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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