Video: Mary Katharine Ham on gangsta rap at VTech
posted at 5:50 pm on September 3, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Oh, now. What’s a little “shoot ‘em up” escapism between friends?
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No words come to my lips….
Mcguyver on September 3, 2007 at 6:02 PM
Thank you Kary Katharine. Another nail in “Gansta raps” coffin. That crap is being rejected by middle class Blacks and once it loses its legitimacy in the Black community it loses its mainstream appeal.
Here’s to Kanye West’s more positive style outselling 50 cent.
Theworldisnotenough on September 3, 2007 at 6:03 PM
Mary Katharine.
I should use preview more often.
Theworldisnotenough on September 3, 2007 at 6:05 PM
Hey, anybody remember MKH’s first Ham Nation video when she announced her crush on the guy who’s interviewing her here? You can kind of see the puppy love in her eyes when the interview begins.
radjah shelduck on September 3, 2007 at 6:08 PM
Yup. This is MK’s version of an AP/KP interview.
Allahpundit on September 3, 2007 at 6:09 PM
Are you kidding? The same school that celebrates black racist nitwit Nikki Giovanni absolutely deserves to bring black gangster rappers to an event in honor of kids shot dead in their school.
No brainer.
Jaibones on September 3, 2007 at 6:10 PM
Easy answer. Nas doesn’t play the murder, murder, murder song and other equally offensive stuff out of his catalog. MKH said he has some good other stuff, so voila. Problem solved. Concert is free right? And not compelling anyone to go I assume.
Spirit of 1776 on September 3, 2007 at 6:12 PM
Yeah, I’m inclined to say “let it be” on this one. If it offends you, don’t go.
Allahpundit on September 3, 2007 at 6:13 PM
There you go then…
Spirit of 1776 on September 3, 2007 at 6:17 PM
Apparently the VT Administration wants VT to be not only a gun-free zone, but also a common-sense-free zone.
infidel4life on September 3, 2007 at 7:00 PM
I tend to agree with Allahpundit’s “let it be, if it offends you, don’t go” stance on the concert.
But, I don’t get how MKH is allowing Nas off the hook with the ‘but he’s not all that bad, he has one violent song, but others that aren’t violent, so…’
Huh?
How about this… “oh he’s not that bad, he has one song in which he promotes abusing women, but he also balances it out with a few tender love/sex songs, so…”
Or this… “oh he’s not that bad, he has one song which is racist and bigoted, but he also balances it out with a few ‘let’s all just get along’ songs, so…”
Is this what it takes now to be acceptable? You can have some trashy, offensive song, so long as you balance it out with some not-so-trashy, in-offensive songs?
Can’t say that I agree with MKH on that one.
For example. I lost all respect for Carrie Underwood when she came out with her song and video for “Before He Cheats”. That was absolutely ridiculous for her, someone who is admired and respected among young girls for her previously nice, wholesome country and religious-toned music, to come out with such a song to set such a bad example for young girls to go ahead and commit violence to property over a cheating boyfriend. Great message there, Ms. Underwood. Not.
I used to think she was attractive and cute and had a great voice and I liked her music. After I saw that video of that song, I lost all respect for her.
These entertainers have MASSIVE influence on young people and they need to be held to account for their badly influential songs and videos and not let off the hook because they “balance things out” with “nice” songs.
Michael in MI on September 3, 2007 at 7:11 PM
Well that classic libertarian meme doesn’t fly at this venue considering that this is a concert specifically in honor of the murdered kids.
jihadwatcher on September 3, 2007 at 7:28 PM
Carrie Underwood was, and is, as malleable and as entertaining as a loaf of freshly baked Wonder bread. Oh well, at least the Season 5 winner redeemed the show. Soul Patrol!
jihadwatcher on September 3, 2007 at 7:32 PM
A few weeks back, driving home from work late Sunday night, I listened to that country countdown radio show where the stars sit in as co-disc jockeys. (No–not the one hosted by Kix Brooks, who laughs at everything he says; rather, the one hosted by Lon Helton, who laughs at everything the star sitting in says.) Anyway, Carrie Underwood was the co-host this day. She said she herself was uncertain whether to record the song and asked her mom and dad what they thought. They gave it a thumbs up, so she recorded it. So I give her points on that.
And come on now, there is a world of difference between a song about a woman vandalizing her boyfriend’s car because he cheated on her and a gangsta rap song advocating shooting and killing people.
radjah shelduck on September 3, 2007 at 7:43 PM
Ah, what we should do then is to research who the favorite singer(s) of the poor students was and have them come. Unless of course one was Nas. Look, it might be tone-deaf, but if DM says hey, we wanna come do a concert – its just a token gift. It’s not like one of his solos is going to heal someone emotionally and give them closure. I don’t mean to sound crass, but it’s a concert. A free concert. A free concert where the performers volunteered.
Spirit of 1776 on September 3, 2007 at 7:47 PM
Well, in one sense that’s akin to saying gun companies should be held accountable for the actions of some gun users, no? Don’t get me wrong, some of that stuff is hideous, but personal accountability is the rule.
SouthernDem on September 3, 2007 at 7:51 PM
I agree SouthernDem that the responsibility falls to the parents. But if we are going to take that stance, then shouldn’t Michelle Malkin and Co. stop their attacks on the likes of Akon, etc?
When I say they need to be “held to account”, I simply mean that we should expose them for their trashy songs and allow others the opportunity to boycott them based on that. And “held to account” in the sense of not letting them off the hook in saying “oh, s/he’s not that bad, they s/he has other songs that are ‘nice’”. I don’t care if they have 100 songs that are nice and one song that encourages something bad and offensive. That is all the more reason to expose them. Because it is because of their popularity from their 100 nice songs that people, specifically their fans, are influenced also by their bad song.
I’m not comparing the two, radjah. I don’t sit here and let someone get away with bad behavior X, just because it is less bad than bad behavior Y. That is ridiculous. Yes, destroying someone’s car for no good reason is not the same as shooting someone. But destroying someone’s car for no good reason is not a good thing in its own right and should not be promoted and glorified in song.
The reason I brought up Ms. Underwood was to explain how one song can turn me off to an artist, no matter her/his previous work. As I said, it is because of their preiovus popularity that the bad song then is received in a positive manner. We should no more promote and glorify acting like an immature, irresponsible brat and destroying a cheating boyfriend’s car than we should be promoting and glorifying shooting people for no good reason.
And big deal, so she went to mom and dad to ask their opinion and then went ahead with it. You want me to give her points for talking to her parents and still making a bad decision? She’s a big girl, she should have had the common sense to know it wasn’t a good idea. Though your story makes me lose respect for her parents now too.
Michael in MI on September 3, 2007 at 8:08 PM
As long as he doesn’t dedicate a song to Cho…
profitsbeard on September 3, 2007 at 8:17 PM
I wonder if the school would be OK with Charlie Daniels playng the show? Or any other pro 2nd Ammdt. musical act?
Wanna bet they would never allow them to play?
Gatordoug on September 3, 2007 at 8:21 PM
Gatordoug – Speaking of gun control, I wonder if there will be any politics pushed at this concert. These are all music acts which are involved in the Rock the Vote series. I wonder if they will push pro-gun control messages to the audience at this concert.
Michael in MI on September 3, 2007 at 8:45 PM
Wow, that garbage AND Dave Matthews? Maybe Nas has a point. I think I’d rather die…
Blacklake on September 3, 2007 at 8:48 PM
A “gun-free” zone is a common sense-free zone. When has a gun free zone like a school campus ever stopped a school shooting like VTech or Columbine?
Yakko77 on September 3, 2007 at 8:54 PM
I could see how college kids would like to see Dave Matthews,,,, if it was 1998. But seriously why would anyone let Dave Matthews decide anything other then what kind of pancakes to order at 4:00 am. He may be a talented musician but I don’t think the guy has had a lucid moment for 20 years as demonstrated by inviting NAS.
lowandslow on September 3, 2007 at 8:56 PM
You can count on it Michael LIbs never pass a chance to blame inanimate objects!
Gatordoug on September 3, 2007 at 9:04 PM
I guess my only thought is that if the concert is for the victims, and their families are offended by this rapper and whatever controversy surrounds his songs, then the University Administration should probably disinvite him. Having songs that promote murder and killing doesn’t get to be balanced by throwing in a nice sweet song here and there.
There are plenty of other performers out there who would likely be willing to entertain the crowds for the occasion.
serpentineshel on September 3, 2007 at 9:08 PM
since when is nas a “gangster rapper”? He’s no Akon he’s a brilliant lyricist. I’ve heard a lot of his music and (especially compared to 50 cent and such) little of it has violent themes. I’m always amused at people’s surprise when an individual raised around guns and violence creates music about it anyway. Its so unbelievably irritating how almost any hip hop artist is somehow corralled into the “gangster rap) category. MKH mentions Outkast but they talk of oral sex in one of their songs(The Way You Move)! And they say “nigga”! My god the humanity!
crr6 on September 3, 2007 at 9:10 PM
When does ACLU file the law suit,or when does Rev.Al Sharpton start picketing the Virginia Tech memorial!
Wasn’t the last outrage for this hippty-hippty-hippty-hop
music involve the Goricle.
Seems to me back when,Al gore went ballistic over some
hippty-hippty-hop lyrics that made disparageing,and vulgar
comments what they would like to do to his family.
canopfor on September 3, 2007 at 9:21 PM
Cowards in charge over there at V-tech. Why not just have a Marilyn Manson, Megadeath superset?
Mojave Mark on September 3, 2007 at 9:40 PM
This Rap is Crap, just forgot to put the C in front of rap.
It’s not music, it’s crap.
Kini on September 3, 2007 at 9:44 PM
You guys hear that song where they say the girlfriend better “run for her life” if she’s found to be cheating? Oh yeah, it was by The Beatles.
Nonfactor on September 3, 2007 at 10:00 PM
The song where they kill and murder.
The song where they call her a Bi-otch and Hoe?
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!
Kini on September 3, 2007 at 10:06 PM
I only have two Nas songs on my Ipod: Hip hop is Dead, and If I Ruled the World. I don’t know any of his other stuff. But those two are worth a listen. There are very few lyrics to get outraged over.
Hip Hop has some idiots who ruin it for the guys who do genuinely creative stuff with real imagination. Also, alot of talented acts waste just enough time on the Ganster crap that they never take advantage of their potential. But they all pay lip service to sex and violence at some point, it seems.
I hope this guy continues to make good music and stays out of trouble. I think he’s a talented writer.
He could edit his content for a show at that venue, and it would be a great concert.
Dork B. on September 3, 2007 at 10:25 PM
I don’t blame lyrics on violence nearly as much as I blame guys who don’t raise their kids. But really it’s the violent offenders themselves who are to blame – and I’m talking about teenagers, too.
We should enforce laws against violent offenders more aggressively before we start nagging people about what’s on their albums. Build more prisons if you have to. That’s a great way to lower crime.
I realize the discussion here is more to the appropriateness of the lyrics at the venue, and of the offensive nature of rap lyrics in general as related to the Imus thing etc.
Dork B. on September 3, 2007 at 10:46 PM
15 years ago it was sister souljah.
Ice Cube is making romantic comedies.
Ice T is on network tv playing a cop.
Oh these rappers! They’ll be the end of us all!
tlynch001 on September 3, 2007 at 10:46 PM
I thought that described pretty much all of academia.
oldleprechaun on September 3, 2007 at 10:48 PM
Hey Joe – Jimi Hendrix
Machine Gun – Band of Gypsies
Rocky Racoon – The Beatles
Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
The lyrics to these particular songs are moody, dark and violent. The songs and artists, however, are among the best in music history.
Some of the most watched American films are filled with utter violence and wanton sex. Hell, my current governor has killed more people on film than almost anyone alive.
What about rap music’s violence causes such a visceral response? And if it’s so bad, why do your kids keep buying it? Where are the parental controls? When will America wake up and realize that we are all consumers of this stuff?
Violence and depravity do not end with 50 cent. Was Quintin Tarantino rapping when he asked about “dead nigger storage?.” There was no rap music playing on Law & Order when they showed a rape victim bleeding from her uterus. There are countless of examples where we let this stuff slip into the norm.
The thing about rappers is that most of them are black. And nothing better to get your dander up than some urban hustler peddling sex and violence to your daughters.
I like my art bleeding edge provocative. Sue me. I can separate acting from real life. I know the rest of the world has trouble doing that.
Curiously, has anyone ever seen a condom used in a filmed sex scene? Have you ever seen a legitimate portrayal of a church going family? We have a long way to go before we can claim any victories on film. Fortunately, there is a lot of good, clean, tasteful music out there.
If the clean stuff bores you, here’s something to raise your hackles:
Hip Hop is Dead
Track 5 – Black Republican featuring Jay-Z (parental advisory).
***
addendum:
Here’s a Nas verse that probably should have exempted him from a celebration of those lives lost to gun violence at Virginia Tech:
Niggas be runnin through the block shootin
Time to start the revolution
catch a body halfway houston
Once they caught us off guard
the MAC 10 was in the grass an
I ran like a cheetah with thoughts of an assasin
picked the Mac up
told brothers back up
the Mac spit.
Lead was hittin niggas
one ran I made him backflip.
Heard a few chicks scream – my arm shook
couldn’t look
gave another squeeze, heard it click
yo my shit is stuck.
Tried to cock it,
It wouldn’t shoot, now I’m in danger
finally pulled it back saw 3 bullets caught up in the chamber.
So now Im jettin to the buildin lobby.
It was probably full of children -
couldn’t see, as high as I be.
The Race Card on September 3, 2007 at 11:09 PM
Ted Nugent freestyle rapping.
The Race Card on September 3, 2007 at 11:33 PM
Ah, yes. The Race Card. Maybe some people have a problem with rappers because they are so very fond of “keepin’ it real“.
I frankly couldn’t care less about a bunch of punks and gangsters shooting each other; I’m just sick of hearing their noise in my living room from cars driving by.
Again, V Tech deserves what it gets. They can celebrate death in any fashion they choose. Is the discussion here a factor of age? I’m almost 50, and no fan of rap or rappers.
Jaibones on September 3, 2007 at 11:57 PM
I don’t cair, it’s still
CRAPKini on September 4, 2007 at 12:36 AM
Nas probably would not perform that song at the VT concert so I’m not sure what the big deal is. And this is from someone who can’t stand rap.
mram on September 4, 2007 at 1:47 AM
True. I talk to people at VT almost every day. Common sense on gun control is definitely the exception to the rule.
High Desert Wanderer on September 4, 2007 at 8:21 AM
Agreed. Thanks for the clarification.
SouthernDem on September 4, 2007 at 8:45 AM
No problem… as long as they provide Ted Nugent equal time!
db on September 4, 2007 at 9:28 AM
VT would instead have Metallica. Before every home football game, the players run onto the field to “Enter Sandman”.
Bigfoot on September 4, 2007 at 9:36 AM
The problem with Nas isn’t that he’s violent, it’s that he sucks.
Karol on September 4, 2007 at 11:57 AM
What does that link have to do with anything? The writer is as interesting as a sober Bukowski. The article’s premise is weak and the facts are disjointed.
Have you really heard enough rap music to judge it? Yes there is a ton of violent, misogynistic, drug-promoting crap….a ton of it. But the rap music scene is far more layered than that.
I can understand how at 50 your exposure would be limited. But it really is lazy to assume that everything you have heard or read about a musical genre is all there is to know. What are your sources for rap critique – Oreilly, Laura Ingraham, Michelle Malkin?
There are thousands of artists around the world whose rap lyrics focus on more than the most shallow, base facets of life. If you want to complain about crap you hear on the radio, believe me, I understand. But if you’re listening to contemporary radio for good music, you’re already lost.
Nas has some lyrics that depict life’s stark and often harsh realities. Other Nas lyrics are extremely violent. Regardless of what you think of his content, he is one of the most celebrated rappers because of his style and delivery.
What about rap makes it more gruesome than this weekend’s box office leader, Halloween. Going to horror movies has been a rite of passage for American kids for decades.
I think the problem is that something about black men is intoxicating. Americans can not get enough them whether we like what they are doing or not. How can such a marginalized group of men, comprising about 6% of the population, present such giant social hurdles for this nation?
Remember, rap music’s commercial success is largely due to white consumers’ support. This summer’s Rock the Bells tour showcases many classic rap artists including Public Enemy. The So Cal event drew 50,000+ mostly white fans.
Many of rock’s biggest names – System of a Down, RHCP, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan – have collaborated with or been influenced by rappers. Why?
The Race Card on September 4, 2007 at 12:38 PM
We disagree on Nas. But we do agree on Axl Rose.
Don’t want to have his babies, but I did see GNR live from fourth row center right after they picked up the Cult’s drummer.
The Race Card on September 4, 2007 at 12:45 PM
I agree. Rap is like a delicious layer cake … only instead of having icing, it has feces.
Indeed, so let’s extol and celebrate those “stark and harsh realities”. Furthermore, there are other communities that don’t have the problems of gang murders and abusive misogyny, so let’s bring a bit of that culture to those deprived communities. Celebrate!
Pay no attention to the “Stop Snitching” murderer behind the curtain!
Loundry on September 4, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Who said celebrate? How about raise awareness? Oh no those poor ghetto people should just keep their problems to themeselves. Try listening to some decent rap before you cast judgement…Fox News isn’t a very good place to start.
crr6 on September 4, 2007 at 2:16 PM
Everyone who thinks that rapping about murder and violent misogyny is cool.
How much more awareness about thug culture could possibly be raised? Everyone already knows what it is! The point in dispute is, “Does thug culture suck?” I claim that it does, and that’s why I think rap is evil. If rap can kick thug culture to the curb and excoriate it, then I’ll be happy to change my opinion, but not until then.
You: The cake is really good.
Me: The cake has feces instead of icing.
You: Stop watching Fox News and eat the good part of the cake.
Loundry on September 4, 2007 at 3:04 PM
me- no theres perfectly good cake over here that doesn’thave feces on it.
you-fox news didn’t say so…and Matlock is on!
Try Talib Kweli, Common, or Binary Star. Real hip-hop music is focused on clever lyricism and well laid beats not boasting an some obvious hook. I think we can agree most of the stuff on the radio however, truly is “(c)rap)”. It’s sold to the lowest common denominator. Oddly enough thats often 15 year old suburban girls.
crr6 on September 4, 2007 at 6:06 PM
It sounds like we’re in agreement about the feces part. How about you come out and say, “I think rapping about murder and violent misogyny is evil and hip-hop would be better off without it. Any rapper who engages in that should be pilloried and ostracized.”? Would that be too much to ask of a hip-hop apologist?
Are you saying that rapping about murder and violent misogyny is not real hip-hop?
Loundry on September 5, 2007 at 8:54 AM
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