"Have you even read the (deep and poignant) lyrics to some of these songs?" Deep and poignant lyrics are a dime a dozen. Even Jewel's songs contain them (Foolish Games, for example). "All in all, to be completely honest, I find your "critique" disturbingly racist." In response to this, I didn't say that it wasn't real music, I just said that it's demeaning, and when I said that street thugs listen to it, I did not mention that around where I live, most of the street thugs are white trash, not African-Americans, and I stand pat on the issue that even African-Americans shun rap. Take the words of a very successful African-American in Chris Rock: "I like black people, but I hate n------s." "Furthermore, rap music is a means of expression developed by a group of people who were oppressed and suppressed by the dominant white culture for so long." And look what often happens now that they're not. People that want to advance their positions are tagged "white." Don't tell me it doesn't happen; I know people that it has happened to. "Would it really be such a bad thing for all of us to look at what else is out there, culturally, and not automatically dismiss it because we can't identify with it immediately?" A comment before I answer: Even if you use that argument, then why aren't there more gay and lesbian questions? That's something I'm sure we can't identify with immediately, but it almost never comes up. My answer: No, it wouldn't, but that's not why I'm dismissing it. I went through a phase of listening to it earlier in life and quickly realized it just wasn't me. I should definitely be verbally assaulted for discovering a moral truth about myself... "I'm deeply disturbed that you would dismiss an entire genre of music as non-music because you don't happen to like it." People do that with sports and political candidates, too. What difference? A final comment: I shouldn't have gotten this tongue-lashing for not liking rap. If you look at who my friends are at home and where I live I'd like to see you get up the nerve to tell me that I'm still racist. JAK
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