A Ludacris problem

I remember when rap was young on the music scene. Artists like Grandmaster Flash warned us about the dangers of drugs. "Public Enemy" later denounced racism, and X-Clan preached black pride. Rap's message uplifted and educated people. \nToday our urban poets sell liquor, drugs, violence and misogyny to make their money and get their "bling." Society's need to categorize all music lumps absurd men like Lil' Jon and Ludacris with visionary artists like Chuck D. This is both cruel and unfair.\nOf course, the "music" of Lil' Jon and his contemporaries is fun to listen to -- it's meant to be. Well-marketed, well-produced songs with sex-laden videos to accompany them flood the media making it impossible not to pay attention. The catchy beats and rhythms mask the dangers that permeate the lyrics. No longer do rappers "fight the power." They are being used by that power to sell liquor. \nPass the Courvoisier. \nSome see no harm in it. These young black stars are making good money. They're not killing anyone (directly), and they appear to be having a good time. But to a black man whose hometown neighborhood is littered with liquor stores, gun dealers and pawn shops, which were not there 15 years ago, the dangers become remarkably clear. Add to this the disproportionate number of unwed mothers and criminal statistics within that community and one must realize that it isn't all coincidence.\nThis is not to say that rap is responsible for the deterioration of the black community -- far from it. However, when the youth of a community are inundated with songs about drinking, doing and/or selling drugs, gun violence and the serial objectification of women, and look around to see some of the very same, the future of that community becomes very bleak. Modern rap only serves to reinforce the cycle of violence and urban decay that plagues many cities in our nation.\nGranted, most people who listen to hip-hop are white. Young, white people in America are increasingly emulating what is commonly believed to be "black." Suburban white kids wearing FUBU and trying to talk like they're "straight outta' Compton" testify to that. The relative affluence of their parents does not protect them from the destructive path that mainstream rap and hip-hop encourages.\nSome would argue that rap is a genuine reflection of society and the black community. But anyone who has ever been to a black neighborhood knows that we neither drive Bentleys on chrome rims nor can we afford to wear a mortgage around our necks. I must say that you will see some "hoopties" with rims and store-bought glass tint on their windows. This kind of consumerism promoted in music videos helps keep black people economically weak as they spend too much on luxuries they cannot afford. Rap reflects how others like to perceive black people, not how we really are. This behavior is life imitating art at its most vile.\nRap is not the cause of society's ills. It is merely one tool of a program -- perhaps unintentional -- that keeps blacks inferior economically and socially. Without the fundamental guidance to help kids distinguish right from wrong or proper role models in the home and community to encourage constructive methods to better oneself, much of America's youth is in danger. Rap and other media should be examined for their true nature, not blindly accepted and consumed as voraciously as they are currently.\nHoller if you hear me.