2/27/07
Eric Pfahler
Buffalo NY
Thank you! I have been waiting for a few years now for someone to articulate this issue as well as you have. This issue has really been tormenting me the last few years as I try to listen to the new generation of music in our society. Thank you for helping me realize that I am not alone in the world in my views on this subject and that others like the talented Chuck D also see the truth. It's nice to be in such great company. Sincerely, Eric Pfahler
2/27/07
Kaycee
Caldwell, ID
I was moved by your piece I watched last night. And today as I continued to process the thoughts in my head. I couldn't help relate it to my own experience in relation to the media, as a young (30 something) female. Everyday I‚m bombarded with over sexualized images of femininity, in our popular culture. The worst are these celebrities, who seem to be feed a bubble gum diet of stupidity. They pride themselves on anorexia, drug abuse and expensive hand bags. I wonder what this will do to the generation of young girls who are growing up with this sort of warped view of what it‚s like to be a women. Thank you for your piece. I think it opens up a lot of issues that are wrong in today's society, not only relevant to Hip-Hop, but the world at large.
2/27/07
Melanie
Chicago, IL
What a phenomenal program!!! Where do I begin?! There are moments in life when you hear, read or see something that strikes you with such a profound "A-ha!" moment that you're left shaking your head. Well.. Mr. Hunt's film has really hit the nail on the head. It was an amazing look at Hip Hop culture but more importantly, it also looked at the root cause of the violence and over sexualized images that are so prevalent in America today. I notice that compared to other developed countries in the world, America, alone, seems to actively support and is attracted to extremely violent and sexualized images in TV, magazines and music. The question that I had was WHY? Why is this love-of-violence so prevalent in American society?
Having lived in Europe and East Asia (from 2002 through 2005), I noticed that images of extreme violence and sexuality do NOT exist at that same level as they do here in the states. And at the same time, I noticed that RAP and Hip Hop music and style are not popular in Europeor Asia at all. There seemed to be a correlation. But the question I often had was WHY? What is it in American culture that makes these violent images so popular in America? I began to ask myself these questions over the last few years but couldn't seem to find an answer. That is until I saw Mr. Hunt's program last night. Mr. Hunt FINALLY helped to put all the pieces together and I finally got it!! He did such an excellent job explaining what is going on in America society. He put it so eloquently when he said, "America is a very hyper masculine, hyper aggressive nation, so it stands to reason that a rapper like 50 Cent can be commercially palatable in a nation that supports a culture of violence.”
I believe Mr. Hunt has helped us to better understand America and what it is to be an American. I feel sad that we have become such a violent society. Mr Hunt has helped me to understand the WHY of American violence. Thank you Mr. Hunt. This was terrific program!!
2/27/07
Jeff S
Chicago, IL
Where does the responsibility lie between the consumer, the suppliers, and distributors? Positive messages can be found with rappers like Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco. Are there others? The social, political, and economic issues that drives the violence and misogyny are apparent and there is little that can be done to stop that cash train. As a parent, I will take a more active involvement in policing what my 12 year old daughter is exposed to. However, even a mass exodus of Black dollars from the coffers of the record companies, radio outlets, and their sponsors would have limited impact as so much of the revenue comes from those who do not have our best interests at heart. If the non-violent and socially conscious rappers cannot be signed, cannot get played, what does that tell us?
2/27/07
Brian
Central, PA
I just saw this documentary on PBS. I grew up listening to the old school stuff back in the 80's and have seen and heard the change it has taken over the years. I believe that it is the mass media that promote this sort of rap/ hip hop. Like the one segment touches on how a corporate radio station plays the same 10 or 15 songs over and over. I feel that the radio stations can make or break a song. If it is true what a lot of young people say about the rap and hip hop they listen to, than a song with the same beat and background tracks with a positive message should be able to make it big, if the radio stations would just play it.
I am now 38 years old and have a niece that is 18, I have tested this theory by buying her Christian rap and Hip hop music, but unless I am there to play it over and over she doesn't listen to it. It is simply because she doesn't hear it every day on the radio and TV or even more, her friends don’t. So I guess that DOES mean that they listen to the lyrics more than they let on. I try to tell her how much the stuff she listens to can influence her life in what she say and does and feels. The Christian stuff I listen to now has the same beats and rhyming as mainstream but with a positive spin. I know what some of you are thinking, but it is not all preachy and God being jammed down your throat.
This one rapper named T-Bone, raps about “Hurt & Pain” and “Kill Tha Lies” and Raps about his life in a gang that almost got him killed. Another album I got my niece was called Hip Hope which is various artists and has more of a dance vibe to it along with some heavier stuff. But anyways my point is if the good stuff could just get out and be "The In Thing" to listen to than that would be the money maker for the corporations.
2/27/07
P L B
Roosevelt, NY 11575
Byron - Excellent documentary. Hip-Hop, in its current form, is toxic to the minority community. You effectively demonstrated that the messages in modern day hip hop - the advocating of violence against our own in the African American and Latino communities, the celebrating of misogyny against our women (and women in general) and the glorification of the crime game ... are capturing the minds ( ... have captured the minds ... ???) of our youth. This is toxic. The record companies ...I always found it interesting that when Micheal Jackson used the "K" word in one of his songs. He was reigned in immediately. The offended community made him removed it. He apologized and said he was trying to condemn racism by using the word. Didn't matter. It had to go. Yet, the vicious language of hip hop goes unchecked by the record companies ... uh, Why? ...
Because we are just starting to realize that we need to be the "offended community." If I remember correctly, someone said that after 700,000 (?) records, the buyers are primarily white. I am not a record industry expert - but I will bet that if a hip hop cut doesn't make it in the markets that feed that first 700,000, there will be no effort to try to distribute it beyond that.So my message is don't be part of the first 700,000. Boycott this toxic nonsense. And write BET and the record companies and tell them you will boycott toxic hip-hop.
2/27/07
Lauren
Denver, Colorado
As an MSW student, my classes have been based on privilege, and every "ism" that is out there in our society. As I happened to flip the channel PBS, I was excited to see a documentary on Hip Hop and the "isms" that are embraced in the music. Byron Hurt did an incredible job not only addressing the hyper masculine concepts within the music, but the female degradation, homophobic ideation among that culture, and the perceptions of white America and suburbia. I applaud this documentary in that it furthered my education, and gave me a different view on issues that individuals battle daily yet are perpetuated by the hip hop culture.
2/27/07
Brett Malaney
Allendale, New Jersey
I loved the documentary. I'm glad someone did it, because it was much needed since hip-hop/rap music is growing rapidly in popularity. I wish every wannabe "thug" would watch it. I listen to nothing but soulful hip-hop, none of the gangsta "hard" music (shouldn't even address it as music), so I could relate to feelings people have towards hip-hop/rap. I think it starts with the radio stations. The radio stations do not play enough soulful GOOD music. Radio hip-hop is straight garbage. So, in turn, people who don't know hip-hop stereotype the genre from what is accessible to them, the radio. What they hear on the radio is absolute crap, stereotyping black men as drug dealers and big money spenders. Songs like "We Fly High" by Jim Jones is a perfect example of why people who don't listen to hip-hop despise the genre. Rappers like Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Black Thought, or Common, and producers like J DILLA, Nicolay, Questlove, or Madlib should be played on the radio and spread and played more than Jim Jones, G-Unit, or Dem Franchise Boyz because they don't make the cliche rap music. That is all I have to say. Thank you for posting the documentary and taking time to address such an important issue.
2/27/07
Chris
Elizabeth City, NC
Beyond Beats and Rhymes highlighted several issues in a short period of time and did a good job of displaying those issues in the right context. Using Birth of Nation as example was great because a lot of people have forgotten or don't even know about that film, even though a sitting President of the United States was quote as saying that the film spoke the truth. BET is just a joke and became a joke when former owner, Bob Johnson, decided chasing the dollar was more important, than displaying black culture in all of its' diversity, which was BET initial purpose. Sadly the film is preaching to choir for the most part because as the film demonstrated with Busta walking out, the BET executive running off, and Russell Simmons dodging the questions that when some people are confronted with the truth they will run from it or ignore it.
2/27/07
Al
Ogden, Utah
I love Hip Hop music. For me I think of this art form as different types of food. If all you eat is fast food (50 cent, Eminem, ect.) then it might fill you up for a little bit, but you are eating junk food and will end up fat and sick. I think that if you look hard enough you can find healthy delicious food out their (Tribe Called Quest, the Lost Boys, Mos Def ect.) Now Don't get me wrong I think that Eminem has some heartfelt songs that are very good, but its not the kind of thing he puts out often. Also Mos has many songs I have issues with. What I look for in Hip Hop is how do I feel when I listen to it and how do I view others.
I like Busta Rhymes, but found it very interesting when he has asked about homophobia in Rap music he pretty much ran out of the room. If these guy really are brave and really don't give a F***, then sit down and talk about the problems in Rap music. To all those would be rappers out there please, please, PLEASE, come out your own way. Use YOUR life experience as a recipe to make something new and tell us something important.
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