Master P who is a major artist and entrepranaur in Hip Hop spoke out and said that he wanted to take some responsibility having made a great deal of money on so-called Gangsta. He argues that Hip Hop is a $4 billion business, and that many of the artists are being used as puppets.
I have to admit I was in it for the money. I had no person in my life to pat me on the back and tell me I could do something different with my life. I had the music playing in the car with my kids and I had to turn it town.
He does suggest that Hip Hop should be changed into a system like the NBA, which doesn't have free speech, that when people put forth the "wrong message" they can be fined and punished by the industry. I think that's an amazingly dangerous idea because one of those "wrong" ideas could be what the Dixie Chicks said about President Bush, or Pink's song "Dear Mr. President."
I do agree that many artists are in unique position to have the attention of the youth and that from that position they have the ability to affect positive change, but the problem is that when you try and make these kinds of statements it's common that this isn't what the "kids" really want to hear. Tupac struggled with the problem have being controversial and "hip" in order to make money and keep people attention and also make some statements with some clarity depth and meaning. Ultimately he lost his ilfe, possibly because of his becoming so enmeshed in his vaunted "Thug Life."
The solution to this isn't easy, it's something that goes back at least 50 years if not 500 years - but there is a solution.
Vyan
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