Ron Artest: "Hip-Hop is Almost Like a Religion"

1. I agree about the power of Hip-HOp. It has created a cult of self-hatred, materialism, sexism, immorality bordering on pornography. We are first in Aids death, homicides, school drop-out rates, divorces, unwed births and are spending our futures away on bling..as rap artist sing about sex, drugs & violence. Where is the expressions of suffering in Artest music..BS

Charles at 5:29PM on Oct 1st 2008

2. I completely agree with you Charles. It is nice to know that some people see the detrimental effect that hip hop is having on African Americans. It seems like other cultures see hip hop for what it is, but too many African American see it as real. I do not think any music that promotes such blatantly immorality and contradicts ever moral value known to man should be listen to. What gets me is if a "white" person said any of the stuff rappers get away with every day, the same people who support the rappers would be forming a million man march and wearing black t-shirts singing "We shall overcome".

tre at 2:25AM on Oct 2nd 2008

3. I want to say that I don't think all hip-hop music is bad. I am only referring to the music that everyone knows is impolite, violent, rude, and disgusting.

tre at 2:27AM on Oct 2nd 2008

4. Ron is RIGHT ON!!! I've been saying this for years. It is it's own culture. Now, there is that element that is simply art, music for the sake of music. However, the negative, flip side is a RELIGION. Anything that becomes an IDOL, that is worshipped, that shapes the way people think, dress, walk, talk and process information is a RELIGION.

Religion is anything done over and over again, "religiously" in man's attempt to reach Nirvana. In his attempt to reach perfection, to reach his idea of life as he perceives it to be outside of the TRUE and LIVING God, man can create religion.

That's why so many say...it is our expression! It is real, it is my freedom of saying what I want to say. I tell you, I AM free, I can express myself. However, I am also attached to an element that let's me know there are parameters and lines that I don't cross. When I'm free to go there and don't dare tread there, I AM FREE INDEED!

Check out this guy by the name of E Craig Lewis. He has some powerful things to say. I eat the meat and throw away the bones on a little of what he says...but 95% of what he says intrinsically is TRUE!!!

Hip Hop is a dead religion to me.

This Black AFRICAN AMERICAN sister from the LOU... Loves ya!

Karen at 12:14PM on Oct 2nd 2008

5. I have to agree with the author. Hip Hop is a culture that has sprung up out of the harsh reality that many Black folk face in the ghetto or the hood. Hip Hop is about giving a voice to those experiences that trap, degenerate, and tear down the integrity of the individual, just as the Negro spiritual did for the slave. It is a cry for help, for recognition, for validation. It's also a form of folk music coming out of the experiences of every day. Is all culture good? Of course not, you will have the stuff which comes from the bottom of the barrel like gangsta rap: a courting of violence-violence which the victim is trying to project back onto the aggressor so that they (victim) can themselves have a sense of power. Of course the power is illegitimate 'cause its based on fear. We need more understanding and less criticism. I think this article helps in that regard.

aSeaNamedSolaris at 9:46AM on Oct 3rd 2008

6. I really appreciate your comments aSeaNamedSolaris. I agree with you completely. I don't understand why so many people want to blame hip-hop for the pathologies that exist within the Black nation. Sociology shows that these issues have been prevalent long before the Sugar Hill Gang and even before Africa Bambaata, Cool Herc, and Melee Mel. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote a scathing study in the early 60's on the Black Family. While I disagree with his conclusions, the facts remain that these issues were with us before Hip Hop. What was once expressed through Blues is now expressed in Hip Hop. Art imitates life. Hip Hop is being scapegoated by white racism. As well, the Hip Hop that is so destructive to Black America is produced by Clive Davis and other whites who control what we hear. Even when we do work our way into executive production, we compete so heavily against other black music execs that we stymie our efforts to galvanize our talents, artists, money, etc. and produce what we want instead of what others outside of our culture want to hear. Please keep in mind what demographic purchases the largest quantity of hip-hop/rap. Society must change before the expression changes. While so many people are throwing stones at Hip Hop, no one brings up other genres of music like more extreme metal that promote death and destruction. Those who carried out the most recent school massacres - including Columbine - and the Oklahoma City Bombings were not listening to Hip Hop. Hip Hop is a religion in that Hip Hop is and expression of their existence. Religion is discourse/experience with God. Hip Hop is just the way the discourse/experience with God is shaped.

Rev Kev at 12:52AM on Oct 5th 2008

7. Hip hop is going to kill our young people...Party, drugs, premarital sex, and 5% divinity, are the messages of the Hip hop culture. Blacks in general are a very God fearing people and we are allowing the devil to trick us into doing and singing about what the Bible clearly reads against. People, no matter what race or creed we are, Hip hop, if allowed, is going to destroy us all. You do not have to hear me, but just watch and see. Obey ACTS 2:38 and II Chronicles 7:14 and God will take charge of your life. Check out the website below to learn of a book that can actually breathe life into your soul through Jesus Christ. Will also be in stores wherever books are sold, December 30th. Jesus is the only way! God bless! See also Proverb 16:25. There is only one way!

http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60604-944-0

LeeRoy at 2:16AM on Oct 5th 2008

8. by the way most rap artist haven't and is not living the life they rap about. Britney Spears released the statement that she was a virgin. She had already influenced many young girls with her sexual driving music and performances. These artist have these kids living fairytales, but also blame the record companies. Even Russel Simons told a twelve year old kid that he was only looking for gangster rap artist because that is what's hot at that time of their meeting.

Elijah Jackson at 2:09PM on Oct 6th 2008

9. I liked hip-hop when I was young. It what taught me about Malcolm X, which led me to study Fredrick and Marcus and many others. Shortly after that it all changed. Blacks have to start admitting rap music has been taking over by the devil just like Heavy Metal. We know heavy metal openly sing about the devil, but most rap glorify the works of the devil. People driving through our neighborhoods watching our young boys standing on the corners with their pants half down holding black and milds. Day after day as if that is what they are living for. Minds are being warped by the influenced their favorite artist have over them.

Elijah Jackson at 2:10PM on Oct 6th 2008

10. One more thing. Since when did Ron Artest become an authority on anything? This crazy nutjob has mental instability issues.

Mrs. DMS at 9:04PM on Oct 6th 2008

11. Late 80s early 90s, the hip hop culture and rap was off the chain! I challenge anyone to go to YouTube and view the rap of back then. Even though they wore the fat Dookie jewelry, all they basically did was do battle rhyming. Something people know NOTHING of at this time. It's all how many "ho's", cars, ice, bling I can get. The same ole' crap. Hip hop/ rap back then had a message. I too learned of Malcolm X more when I listened to groups like Public Enemy, Chuck D a positive brother and the group X-Clan. Now, it's kill this person, kill that person. Hip hop/rap now is also responsible for that terrible "saggin'" and also responsible for people being glorified after they do time in the pen! I remember when someone went to jail, they were ashamed, the family as well. Now, people come out of the pen and throw parties. There is NO incentive to get on the straight and narrow. This also fosters a "imma do me" type attitude. It's so sad now until when someone wants to speak out against the negativity and point out more ways to live without the foolishness, "they hatin'." Run DMC's rap of old never talked about women as harshly as rapper do now and get away with it. Females are all too willing to get on stage with these bafoons and perform the minstrel shows with them, and fools out here talking about, "they got to make their money." Black folks for the most part had high standards and a thick moral fabric. There are still those of us who do, but what is it going to take for people to take the blinders off. Please, don't tell me that violence was going on before rap. I know this already. But again, why must we accentuate and perpetuate the negative???

Mrs. DMS at 9:05PM on Oct 6th 2008

12. Mrs. DMS, the answer for this question asked by you, "Black folks for the most part had high standards and a thick moral fabric. There are still those of us who do, but what is it going to take for people to take the blinders off?" is Jesus. Jesus is the only way to win back our children. Let's face it,majority of our young black "men" lost their head. They are mostly locked away or strung out on weed, coke, sex, or 40s. Hip hop and the entertainment industry has 100% to do with this. Yes, you may ask, what about the dead beat dad's? I say, the entertainment industry led them astray also. Yes, there is still racism out there, but with the Lord and our will to try, we can make it. It's all about, having a lot of shorties and when they get pregnant, you find another shorty. I know what I am saying, I too am a young black male, but I am on the Lord's side. I used to be a womanizer as well as the # 1 DJ on my college campus. What did I play, rap, Hip hop, and R&B. These types of music only enticed me to do wrong. I thank God that I listen to them no more. You may say that I am crazy, but I am better for it. I wrote a book about my experience with Hip hop, life, and Christ. Check it out from my other blog. It is a must read. God Bless. My brothers, go to school, stay in school, this is the only way we can make it in the economy today. Hard labor jobs such as masonry, carpentry, etc, will soon go away to mahines, educated men/women. Why? Think about it. You just wait. Peace.

LeeRoy at 1:43AM on Oct 7th 2008

13. Like everything that has infused this society, black folks have taken the lazy way out and adopted something that they don't know or understand the origins of.
It would help if folks looked into the 'roots' of rap and hip hop to see what they really were meant to do.

Helen Thomas at 1:06PM on Oct 7th 2008