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The Roots: Hop over to the UK

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by Sean Adams
Artists: The Roots
Critical, Intelligent, Loved-up, Hip-hop collective who kinda spawned the career of Jill Scott and had a hit featuring Erykah Badu, are on their way over to fix our souls..

It's rather apt that these UK dates as part of The Roots 'Phrenology' World Tour, should be announced amid the media hysteria about "black" music. If you like your hip-hop soulful, organic and full of lyrical imagery'n'wit, check out the Roots..

March
28 Manchester, University
29 London, Brixton Academy
30 Bristol, Bristol Academy

DiScuss: Can a culture kill people when its the guns that kill people? Will censoring us from listening to urban music, solve anything at all? Praps Hollywood and its glamourisation of drugs, is much more to blame?


The Roots: Hop over to the UK

"Can a culture kill people when its the guns that kill people?"

You've answered your own question.

"Will censoring us from listening to urban music, solve anything at all?"

Nope.

"Praps Hollywood and its glamourisation of drugs, is much more to blame?"

You answered this with your 1st point.

(How is saying 'I blame So Solid' any less ridiculous/any more of a cop-out than saying 'I blame Oliver Stone'?)

Re: The Roots: Hop over to the UK

We all know fo course, that violence and killing didn't exist before the advent of Hip-hop and gangster movies. Similarly, we know that the problems of economic segregation, low employment,low educational levels, llittle or no prospects combined with a general feeling of displacement, , "downsizing" and a future of low paying menial jobs have
nothing to do with it.

If the government want to solve crime, solve the causes of crime. Don't just look out for the interests of the top 5 percent of the wage earners, but ensure everyone gets treated equally. go after the people who avoid paying billions in corporation tax each year as an example as much as anyone else.

But of course, compared to that, So Solid Crew and Oliver Stone make an easy scapegoat.

Re: The Roots: Hop over to the UK

'Similarly, we know that the problems of economic segregation, low employment, low educational levels, little or no prospects combined with a general feeling of displacement, "downsizing" and a future of low paying menial jobs have
nothing to do with it'
.

Maybe if you look at it from another point of view. Yes, the government does tend to use people as scape goats, but if bands such as So Solid, are representing the people you've just mentioned, and give them through whatever medium, be it music or movies, an example of escapism (that includes acts of viloence) then is it not at all possible that people will follow there leed?

There is so much music out there which is cashing in on teenagers general feeling of displacement and depression. Some bands are just using melancholy as a marketing tool and then stamping their feet and shouting that they are the only ones who understand. But if they really understood then they would give people positives rather than just keeping them on a negative level just to make cash.

Maybe what would be better, Graham, and you too David sweet heart, would be to actually go out and do something about these social issues. I get the feeling that you two are sitting safe up in your suburban geek towers, but I could be as bad as the both of you and be generalising about something I know nothing about. So prove me wrong.

Btw Graham, i took out your punctuation mistakes in the above quote, hope you don't mind.

Mwah,
Penny Tree (formerly Miss Money Penny)

Re: The Roots: Hop over to the UK

Penny, your thinking is a complete mess and what you've written makes little sense (acts of violence an escapism??? Do you mean the listener gets a vicarious kick out of violent music/art? Then fine, but you also say that the listener will "follow there leed" (sic), so it isn't used as escapism then is it? Which way round do you want it? Do you want to take another run at this?).

Seems to me that So Solid present nothing but a positive example to their kin on inner-city sink estates (and I should know), they are saying, look at us, look where we are, look what you can achieve if you put your mind to it, don't listen to the haterz, you can do it.
The problem comes from the finger-wagging Mother-knows-best attitude of the middle classes ceaselessly telling them what they should and shouldn't be listening to/watching, as if taking away their art is going to end gang violence. It's your culture, they are told, that is to blame for the drug culture, gun crime and all the social ills of a disenfranchised underclass. A pathetic, patronising (and racist) attitude. And you wonder why there is so much animosity?

"go out and do something about these social issues"

After you Penny, after you (you're the one thinks there are straightforward solutions, after all). And I've never lived in suburbia. You?

"i took out your punctuation mistakes in the above quote"

You didn't bother correcting your own typographical errors, then?



Re: The Roots: Hop over to the UK

what do you expect them to do? skip through birmingham estates scattering rose petals and telling people to get on better?
all you can really do, other than donating money, or becoming a full time volunteer, is make your opinions known, and the best way of doing that is by writing about them.

Re: The Roots: Hop over to the UK

i put these debate points to spark discussion, not (always) to put my opinion across.

anal, much?