Joel Milian 12/14/12
Critique # 5: (Chapter 10) “Nobody talks about the
positive in Hip Hop”
Critique:
This chapter of the Hip
Hop Wars interestingly describes the positive things that Hip Hop rappers have
done such as set up foundations and charities. Tricia Rose also cleverly notes
how the media makes note of a lot more negative events involving individuals
who are black rather than positive ones that are left in the dark without
recognition. The most common headliner in the news is crimes or shooting
particularly when the criminal is of African American decent. “Rather, my point
is that the shortage of affirmative coverage for already widely popular black
celebrities contributes to an overemphasis on negative black actions,
conflicts, and misdeeds.” (204) Rose tries to make the point that due to the
lack of actual addressed positive actions, leads to the rise in the negative
actions addressed. Rappers such as Ludacris, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Sean “Diddy” Combs
and Nelly have all set up organizations, charities and programs that are built
for such things as educating children
from urban areas, addressing sicknesses and even providing scholarships and opportunities
for those unfortunate children. The issue raised here is whether or not these celebrities
and artists are doing these things for popularity reasons, or just to do some
good to the community. Nelly for example set up what he called the “Jes 4 Us
Jackie Foundation” which is aimed to educate African Americans to donate bone
marrow donors. He was supposed to promote the Foundation at a drive in a school
but because he degraded countless of woman in his video “Tip Drill”, it angered
numerous women who simply wanted to question him about it and so the drive was
canceled. Tricia Rose finally brings about the issue regarding rappers use of
charities to promote good while they continue to rap about negative issues in
their songs, so in sense they are “hypocrites”.
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