West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: On The Edge of Insanity on October 13, 2004, 01:09:33 PM
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Nelly’s comments ignore hip-hop’s political power
Date: Friday, October 08, 2004
By: Walter Higgins, BlackAmericaWeb.com
What would hip-hop music be without Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Tupac or the revolutionary lyrics of Dead Prez?
Don’t know? Well ask platinum-selling rap artist Nelly.
The rapper, whose real name is Cornell Haynes, Jr. urged fellow entertainers to keep politics out of music if they want to stay successful in a recent interview with Blender magazine.
“Some people don’t want politics in their music,” said Nelly. “Some people want their music to be uplifting so they can have fun and dance.”
“If you want to do the politics thing, be more involved personally, but you could talk about that and then tomorrow wake up and you’re not selling records. So now you protested the war…and your broke!”
Critics say that Nelly’s comments ignore the political legacy of hip-hop and the powerful social influence it has today.
“That’s basically a slap in the face to Public Enemy and others who have come before him and changed the face of hip-hop more than he ever will,” said Aaron Bernard, a hip hop activist and program director for KJAMZ 105.3 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“It’s sad for somebody in his generation of hip-hop to say something like that because he sells so many records and has so much influence. He doesn’t have to make conscious records, but to say that no one else should is ridiculous,” added Bernard.
While Nelly’s album sales just passed the 30 million mark, the ‘politics thing’ has not damaged the record selling potential of other artists.
Jadakiss’ platinum selling “Why,” sparked controversy by questioning the Bush administration’s knowledge of the September 11 attacks. Kanye West’s album sales increased after the release of “Jesus Walks,” a song that blurs the lines between politics and spirituality.
With more hip hop artist realizing their social influence, Bakari Kitwana, author of “The Hip-Hop Generation,” added several big names in the hip hop community have begun to direct their energy toward the political arena, including Russell Simmons, Jay-Z and P Diddy.
“Hip-hop is political,” said Kitwana. “His comments defy what is going on now, 5 years ago or 20 years ago.”
All the critics agreed that Nelly’s comments represent the difference between hip hop culture and the mainstream appeal of rap music which is driven by record sales.
“For him to say keep politics out of the music is basically saying he’s not hip-hop,” said Greg Thomas, professor at Syracuse University. “How do you have black music without politics? Look at all the people we would loose.”
“Nelly is rap, he is not hip hop, there is a difference,” said Kitwana. “The mainstream attention has been good but the downside has been the pioneers don’t get respect and people aren’t really studying the art and culture of hip-hop.”
Although Nelly says his music is solely for dancing and having fun, Thomas says it can become a political statement when it promotes negative images common in rap music.
“He’s not keeping politics out his music when it comes to his views on women,” said Thomas, referring to controversy surrounding the ‘Tip Drill’ video in which Nelly swipes a credit card through a black woman’s backside.
The video initiated a protest at Spellman University that led to Nelly canceling a charity event there last April.
Nelly also raised eyebrows when he unveiled his Pimpjuice Energy Drink last November, which caused a national boycott by a coalition of black consumer activists. Plus, he started the P.I.M.P. Scholars program that gives grants to college students.
When asked if the brand of rap currently dominating the airwaves will ever change, Bernard said there is a “bright light” at the end of the tunnel.
“There are plenty of artists out there that still make you move but come from a different direction, people like that are going to last,” said Bernard. “ Songs like Nelly’s are going to come and go because they are disposable.”
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/b...awnews/nelly107
:-\ Dude knows nothing
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thats why Nelly wont get respect as an MC
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:-\ Dude knows nothing
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:-\ Dude knows nothing
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who the fucc is Nelly
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Nelly is a piece of shit human being, I could have told you that before. He's one of the most misogynistic people in the music industry, he named his drink pimp juice, he glorifies fornication on a regular basis. Now this. I mean, I don't like partisan politics in music, but like the article stated that's a slap in the face to people like Public Enemy.
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Fuck him. and fuck his Bi Sexual crew the St Lunatics.
Edit: and lets no forget when he dissed KRS, that was just a big slap in the face for rap music in general.
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I don't think there's anything wrong with what he said. So he thinks trying to be political is a bad career move for other artists. I think he's somewhat wrong, because a lot of political artits have strived because of their political views, but then again a lot of those political artitsts had great music to go with their politics. Bono has made more money than Nelly will ever make, and he's political, same goes for Springsteen. However those artists rely on great music and incredible performances to keep their fans. I'm not really sure how being political affects an artist's income, but Nelly is entitled to say what he thinks. The article makes it seem like he's making it a personal mission to do away with politics in music. Nelly never said it like that in the quotes the article uses. I still don't like his music.
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well yeah, if he considers talking bout politics bad for sales that's his thing. if he says it shouldn't be done it's definitely stupid, but i don't think he intended to say that. i think actually he was just talking bout sales and he IS right there ARE people who are not interested in hearing bout politics...long as he don't deny there are people who do
The article makes it seem like he's making it a personal mission to do away with politics in music. Nelly never said it like that in the quotes the article uses. I still don't like his music.
my views exactly
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:-\ Dude knows nothing
Knows about sales I'd say...
He's smart because with the country the way it is right now, if you take a certain stance on an issue, It's bound to alienate some of his listeners.
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Edit: and lets no forget when he dissed KRS, that was just a big slap in the face for rap music in general.
wtF? He dissed Krs-one?! When did this happen, and what did he say?
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Just make me hot tracks and I'm good.
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:-\ Dude knows nothing
Knows about sales I'd say...
He's smart because with the country the way it is right now, if you take a certain stance on an issue, It's bound to alienate some of his listeners.
Exactly...
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Fuck him. and fuck his Bi Sexual crew the St Lunatics.
Edit: and lets no forget when he dissed KRS, that was just a big slap in the face for rap music in general.
Umm, Krs dissed him first on "Clear em out", remember?
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Fuck him. and fuck his Bi Sexual crew the St Lunatics.
Edit: and lets no forget when he dissed KRS, that was just a big slap in the face for rap music in general.
Umm, Krs dissed him first on "Clear em out", remember?
KRS One said that wasn't a diss to Nelly, that was just hype created by the record company that made the compilation on which the song was featured.
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His opinion should mean nothing since he's not a hip hop artist.
He's a pop artist on the same level as Britney Spears and N'sync.
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yeah, & how many collabo's he done wiv Nsync and JT?? about 20.... never liked dudes musicc
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His opinion should mean nothing since he's not a hip hop artist.
He's a pop artist on the same level as Britney Spears and N'sync.
And if Britney and N Synch want to voice their opinion on politics in music, then they have the right to do so as well. Political music didn't start with Hip Hop. What makes a pop artists opinion less valid than a hip hop artist. Mobb Deep are hip hop artists, and I could care less about their opinion on anything except hot to not make record sales and over gflorify your bullshit street life by porclaiming how hard you are. Sorry, but I hate those guys.
The bottomline is that Nelly has an opnion and he is entitled to it.
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Nothing wrong with that.
Let the politcal rappers concentrate on that and let the commerical rappers concentrate on making dancy, funky, feel good tunes.
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dont believe the hype son...
they took what he said out of context and tried to flip it... nelly knows hip hop needs political subjects in its content..i bet his favorite rappers of all time had a political agenda on wax...from krs1,nwa,public enemy and others...
i agree what some of the shit nelly was quoted sayin... kuz people dont wanna be serious all the fuckin time..some of us gotta hear some1's political views everyday..then for the 1's that are hearin it everyday come home turn on the tv..its there..and then turn on the radio is there.. u dont wanna hear that shit all the time... unless u a politician... ion blame him 4 sayin it... i woulda said it...kuz the niggas who have a politcal agenda in rap..aint real all the damn time.....
why they aint put what kind of questions he was asked for him to get those remarks...
thats like me typin up a bunch of non-sense and quotin " i never had my dick sucked by a man be4,but you're gonna be the first" then type up 80wpm to make it seem like dj quik is gay..without givin the real reason or whatever why he said it..
thats all this is ..it was stretched out of context.. i bet nelly can clear this shit up... the media can take a sentence and make it worse than it really is..
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^^^
co-sign
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:banana_llama:
NELLY IS A CRIP
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nelly iz shit
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nelly is a fuckin jackass...
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NELLY A CRIP, LOLOLOL, nelly was not takien out of context, he said it all straight up. btw KRS-one ate him.
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NELLY A CRIP, LOLOLOL