Ok, so I have to admit I am somewhat a fan of Gucci Mane and Lil’ Boosie. I also listen to a lot of other rap that some would call ignorant. This is America so I feel like everyone has the right to listen to whatever , but what kind of choice do we have when all you hear on the radio is ignorant music?

There are a lot of rappers that will never get the shine they deserve because they don’t fit into a certain box. In the ‘90s, it was cool to be politically aware with groups such as Public Enemy, NWA, and BDP. Don’t get me wrong, in the 90’s we had Uncle Luke and Adina Howard but they weren’t on the radio all the time.  Now you can’t get airtime unless you are pimping or selling drugs.

There use to be a balance in hip hop, you experienced conscious rap and senseless rap and then decided for yourself what you preferred. Today it seems you can only sell conscious rap if your name is Kanye West. The rap duo Little Brother had one of the hottest cd’s out last year but most people don’t even know who they are. I have heard hot tracks from Saigon that are hood but conscious at the same time. 

But we’ve never heard Saigon on 102Jamz. It is as if we are too occupied with “getting silly” or “being stupid” to care about what’s real.  Today music is more about beats than lyrics. There are plenty of musicians out there that still make GOOD music, but are just not given the opportunity. Music is no longer listened to for content. Even if an artist makes a conscious song, nine times out of ten it will not be released as a single. Radio stations no longer take a stand a play music they believe in but instead what they believe will be the next hit.

There are a lot of young people right now, at A&T, that believe what they hear on the radio is representative of what is actually happening in the world. The truth is label executives decide what type of music we listen to. They decide what is worthy of being on the radio and what is not.  And apparently, ignorant stuff is all they want us to hear.

And now, we have a whole generation of kids who cannot differentiate between what’s real and what’s fake. Kids actually buy into stereotypes and think that is the way to be. A whole generation of young men who think going to jail or being shot is a rite of passage. A whole generation of young girls whose only aspiration is to be a “baby mama”–this is the future of black America.

Will we ever put an end to this modern day menstrual show?

Stand for something or fall for anything.          

• Marica Nelson